Technology Implementation Kübler-Ross Model, Step 3 /Stage 3

This is the fourth entry in a six-part blog series. In the first blog entry in this series, I revisited the YouTube clip outlining the five stages and focused on Step 1 Assess Needs/Stage 1 Denial.    I can’t get enough of that video…if you haven’t watched it yet, now is as good a time as any. Step 3: Training and Discipline; or, Stage 3: Bargaining In this fourth blog entry in a series, I get to what I believe is the stage that never ends – Training and Discipline/Bargaining.  No matter what field you are in – network administration, human resources, marketing, heck even football – there is some form of continuing education and/or training you take every year to make certain you are at the top of your game.  When it comes to using technology, training is even more crucial to make certain everyone on the team is using it consistently.  Even on a team of professionals like the Detroit Lions (in this Jimmy Kimmel  training camp video), you need training – for both the veterans and the new guy on the team. What happens if your team doesn’t train and discipline themselves to use the technology consistently? Bargaining happens – people start tweaking the system to their individual work styles or needs, they enter data differently and inconsistently, they don’t follow “the rules” and chaos ensues.  To avoid that chaos, it is simple enough to put a methodology for regular training and monitoring to discipline your team to use the technology for its original purpose to its fullest potential. In the next blog entry, I will cover the last two steps/stages.  Steps 4 and 5: Technology Roll Out and Rallying the Users or Stages 4 and 5: Depression and Acceptance