5 critical success factors when implementing Workplace
- Anchoring in management
- Involvement of the organization
- Engaging communication
- Facilitating useful applications
- Technical facilitation including user management and login
Besides technical facilitation, ensuring a successful implementation of Workplace from Meta in the organization, is about change management.
We will further describe some of the things that are important to plan before launch, and which must be actively worked on continuously to ensure engagement and full utilization of the tool.
Content is crucial
The employees are the key, and how the solution creates value for each and everyone. Workplace by itself is a platform without content. It is organized by defining groups and providing user-friendly logins, but it is the users who create the content.
Without content, the tool does not create value for the employees, and if they don’t use it, no content will be created. It’s a “catch 22”. Implementation projects that limit themselves to only inviting employees to log in to the solution, are therefore rarely successful.
What kind of content?
The content of the solution is important to encourage usage, but what kind of content are we talking about? To find the answer we need to understand WHAT is the company’s goal with the tool. It will give us an idea of HOW the solution will be used; what significance it will have in the employees’ communication and interaction toolbox.
For instance, if the aim of the implementation of Workplace in a retail chain is to make the overall professional competence more accessible to the entire organization, content that generates interest and highlights this expertise across the organization, should be posted.
Useful applications
If the retail chain invites to video meetings in Workplace for product demonstrations conducted by their own experts, it will create interest across the organization. Primarily because the theme is concrete, relevant and presented in an appealing format. The presentations will create engagement and get the discussions going.
The engagement is thus created through facilitation for a specific use, not because a group was created in Workplace. Other companies may have different goals and certainly other challenges. Regardless, it is important to find the specific use cases that engage the employees and the ones that are appropriate for the company.
Engaging communication
Communication is an important area of change management. It is about arousing curiosity and the understanding of the changes to come. An introduction to the tool must engage the entire organization.
In what channels should the employees be informed, only in the digital, or can it be useful to hang up posters in the meeting room and hand out flyers? How to ensure that the information actually reaches everyone and is read? How to reach mobile employees and those who do not have email? There are many practical issues that should be planned for.
Working Out Loud
We are a fan of the concept “Working Out Loud” by John Stepper, which he described in the book of the same name. The concept is about behavior and how organizations can develop their skills in collaboration. Employees who follow the principle will through their contribution in the organization build relationships and establish a mutual understanding of professional relevance. The benefits are less need for coordination, and for many also better self-esteem.
The company does not automatically adopt the principles behind the concept, but Workplace is a good facilitator. This is a lot of our fascination for Workplace: Experiencing how employees in organizations are transformed to interact better, how the working environment is improved, the culture is developed and strengthened, as well as how the tool contributes to innovation through the expertise of all employees.
Cloudworks’ change managers
Our experienced change managers are very familiar with Workplace from Meta and the opportunities the platform provides. They have assisted thousands of employees in improving and streamlining their working lives. They have worked with private and public organizations, and with global companies with tens of thousands of employees from different cultures.
Workplace is also a key tool in our own organization and is used actively both internally and with customers and partners. We call it our digital coffee machine, and you can read more about it here.
Cloudworks can assist with the planning of the implementation, and we can be part of the customer’s organization and do a larger part of the job. Here you can read more about Workplace from Meta and our implementation packages.
Contact us and we can talk more about the best approach to assist your company!
