Engaging End Users
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 can dramatically change the way people work – for the better. But it only helps if your end users embrace the new world of work.
Here are a few tips to help end users see the possibilities of Office SharePoint Server 2007, and to get them excited about using it.
Kick Off Presentation
What’s in it for me? That’s the question you have to answer for your end users. They will get excited about Office SharePoint Server 2007 if they can see how it will help them personally.
Don’t give them a list of features. Show them how those features can improve their lives and make their jobs easier.
We’ve provided a ready-to-use presentation called ‘Build SharePoint Buzz’ that explains basic SharePoint Server 2007 concepts and helps end users visualize a collaborative environment. You can use it to help show end users why they would want to use various SharePoint Server 2007 features. You can find it on the Internal Buzz Kit download page under ‘Build Excitement with a Presentation.’ We've also included a video that you can embed in the presentation, or you can use one of the additional videos that are in the Buzz Kit under Demonstration Videos.
Use the presentation at the beginning of your end user outreach efforts, before you start training on specific features. Or you may want to use the presentation two to three weeks before launch day – and at least a week before you begin training.
Factor 4 Index
If you used the Factor 4 Index during the Engineer phase, you can revisit the results now to help you talk to your end users. The survey asks users to evaluate the organization on 64 statements that measure the four dimensions of the “new world” of work: inspiration, culture, organization, and technology.
The results of the survey can help you identify your company’s strengths and weaknesses. If your organization scores are low, you may want to spend extra time showing end users how Office SharePoint Server 2007 can help them get organized. If culture is a weak point, spend more time showing them the collaborative features, like blogs and wikis.
Looking at very high scores can also be valuable. If you score especially high in certain areas, you may want to shift your attention to areas that need more improvement.
Super Users
Don’t overlook your Super Users. While more formal research is often valuable, your Super Users work side-by-side with the end users you’re trying to reach.
Super Users see the issues your end users see. And because they’re intimately familiar with those business processes, they are in perhaps the best position to give you advice on how to address them and how to tell the regular end users about the solutions.
You may want to have a brown bag session with your Super Users before your overview presentation to the larger organization. Ask the Super Users what impresses them most about Office SharePoint Server 2007 and how they would tell their co-workers about it.