The how-to guide (and template) for implementing new tech

Hot off the SMB press this week: 

• A step-by-step process template for introducing new tech at your business.
• The guide to getting your team on board with new software.
• Supplement your documentation with screenshots, recordings, and video.
• Managing too many employees? Learn how delegation can make it easier.

STARTER PACK

Template of the week: New Software Implementation Process

At a certain stage of your business growth, you realize that you can’t DIY everything (updating a Google Sheet with all your customers’ contact information is a lot easier with 50 people than it is with 5K). Thankfully, there’s software for almost every business operation under the sun — from customer relationship management to HR and everything in between.

But for every new tool you add to your arsenal, you’re introducing another platform that your team needs to learn about. And while you need this new software, complications can quickly arise between setting it up, migrating data, and convincing your team of its necessity (more on this in the next section). 

So, how do you introduce and implement new platforms as smoothly as possible? With a standardized process, of course!

👉 Grab and customize our New Software Implementation Process template to easily deploy your newest biz ops tools to the rest of your team. It outlines a streamlined way to vet, configure, test, and introduce any new platform in a way that makes it easy for your team to adopt. 

‍Want more templates to help you build your business playbook? Check out our entire template archive of free, multimedia-enhanced, and customizable policy, process, and role starters. New to Trainual? Get a demo.

SHINY AND NEW

The how-to guide for introducing new software to your team

You’ve finally found it.
The business documentation and employee training software of your dreams. It’ll help you organize your business, document all your company info, policies, and processes in one place, and train your team quickly and efficiently. (Intrigued? Get a demo.)

Change can be difficult.
There’s so much new technology out there that introducing another platform to your team can feel like a lot — especially if your company already uses a lot of different software. And while they’re all necessary tools, your employees might still struggle with new platforms — or resist their introduction altogether.

That’s why it’s crucial to implement new software in a way that gets your employees on board from the start, so that you can get the most value out of your new tool right away. Here’s how:

1. Build a strategy. You already know the benefits of your new software  — but you still need a comprehensive strategy for how to reach those benefits. Specify the challenges your new technology will solve, and outline your specific objectives and goals. Be sure to include metrics to measure success.
2. Talk about the “why.” Introducing a new software product out of the blue will only confuse your employees. Explain the reasons why your company needs this technology and how it’s going to benefit them (not just your business) — whether that’s saving your team time, giving them accessibility to information, or developing their skills.
3. Provide training, but leave room for trial and error. Your team needs some guidance on how to approach their newest tool, so be sure to provide some training. However, that doesn’t mean they need to become experts overnight — encourage your employees’ growth by allowing them to experiment with the product. That way, they can see what works best for them. (Just remember to document those best practices so others can learn.)

👉 Get more on the best ways to implement new tech.

TRAINUAL TIPS & TRICKS

How to determine what types of media to embed (and when)

It’s no secret that most people don’t love learning from a single, big hunk of text. Around 40% of us learn better from a combination of text and engaging visuals compared to just text alone. Plus, visuals can improve learning by up to 400%.

Now think about your employee training. When your team goes through onboarding, they’re getting hit with a bunch of training all at once. On the upside, they can refer back to it if they forget anything (as long as it’s stored in an accessible platform like Trainual). But you want to make sure you’re making your training as clear and digestible as possible from the get-go — meaning you need visuals in all the right places. 

When do I use each kind of video?

In Trainual, there are several video options for your content — including screencasts, in-house videos, and externally-created videos. Here’s how to determine which to use:

• Screencasts. These types of video record your screen and sound — allowing you to capture an online process while you explain what you’re doing. Screen recordings work best when you are demonstrating complex, longer processes that would require numerous screenshots to explain visually. Just make sure your recording is five minutes or less to keep it to the point and hold the learner’s attention.
  
  🔥 Tip: Use Trainual’s in-app Loom screen recording feature to get a free Starter Loom account! Start recording from any step and stick it right in when you’re finished.
  
  
• In-house videos. Let’s say you have an in-office or field process that you’d like to show an example of. You can record the process with a professional camera (or even a smartphone) and upload it to any video hosting site (like YouTube, Loom, Vimeo, or Wistia) before inserting it into your content. (Having the video hosted on a third-party site allows for large, high-quality video content with quick loading times.)
  
  
• External videos. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to! If there’s an existing video on YouTube that shows a step-by-step procedure you use, there’s no need to re-record. Go ahead and stick it in your content to save a few minutes of recording time.

When should I use pictures?
Use photos to give employees a visual representation of what you’re talking about and help them connect the dots. This can look like a computer screenshot with arrows pointed at the parts that need a callout or photos of anything from tools to company vehicles and competitor logos. Don’t forget that you can even add visuals just to make your content a little prettier or use Trainual’s in-app GIF picker for some comic relief. 

👉 Add visuals to your content now. (New to Trainual? Get a demo.)

CROWD CONTROL

How to manage a large group of reports

You aspire to be a thoughtful leader who mindfully makes decisions, delegates, and supports each of your employees. Unfortunately, this becomes more challenging as your team of direct reports grows.

The good news: All that’s missing are those systems and processes that help you manage effectively and create an environment where employees take initiative and ownership of their work (even when you’re not in the room).

But first: Are you managing too many people?
There’s no exact number of direct reports scientifically proven to push you over the edge. But one thing that’ll help you discern if you have too many is creating an org chart. This will show if you have any gaps or imbalances in leadership throughout the organization (not just in your department). 

But before you start making moves to land yourself fewer reports, remember that having a wide range of direct reports isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it can make you a true delegator. 

When you can learn to trust your team members and give them the autonomy they need to carry out their processes, you can focus on your two main goals: being a people manager and making the big decisions that help grow your business. 

Here’s how to become a delegator for your large team of reports:

Give your team the autonomy for decision-making.
Keep the high-stakes decisions for yourself and delegate the rest. This will both increase employee productivity and help them develop new skills. Plus, it’ll give you the space to focus on big-picture, high-level strategy, instead of getting tapped on the shoulder for every little issue that comes up.

Leverage the power of group accountability.
Your team needs to get in the habit of holding each other accountable and learning from one another (rather than solely relying on you). All they need is guidance on what everyone should be held accountable for. So be sure to outline the specific responsibilities of each group (you can use Trainual’s responsibility feature for this!) while giving them the freedom to accomplish their goals. 

👉 More tips for managing a large team of reports.