Training End Users
You may not realize it, but you probably already prepared the agenda for your end-user training session. You set the agenda when you identified your pain points during the Get Ready phase.
While Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 offers a wide range of capabilities, your first training session should focus on the features that matter most to your end users. This stick-to-the-basics approach works well for several reasons.
- It builds end-user excitement. By focusing on the features that directly impact the users, you’re reinforcing the message that you’re trying to make their lives easier. They’re also more likely to be engaged if you ask for only a little of their time and the payoff is clear.
- It allows you to show results quickly. You already know which features will have the biggest impact on your organization. By starting with those, you can demonstrate tremendous value early in the deployment.
- It reduces support costs. When you show them everything at once, individual users may gravitate to different features or features you’re not ready to support. Support is easier if you’re working from a common base.
How you run the training session will depend on your individual deployment.
Online training
If you plan to use an out-of-the-box configuration or employees have already used an earlier version, you may want to just direct users to the Office SharePoint Server online training. The Portal Edition allows you to track employees who have accessed the training and the modules they have completed.
Even if your end users will be on their own for training, you can direct them to the training modules that help with the identified needs for your company. A week or two before launch, you should send all end users an e-mail containing these points:
- The company is investing in Office SharePoint Server 2007 to make their work lives easier.
- Briefly describe how Office SharePoint Server 2007 will address the pain points you identified
- Direct them to the specific training modules that match their work needs
- Consider making the training mandatory with a required ‘completed by’ date
- Let them know where they can find additional help
- Direct them to the community that you have set up, staffed by super users
Classroom training
Traditional classroom training is a good option if your deployment is customized or if your users do not have any experience with earlier versions of Office SharePoint Server 2007.
At minimum, you should schedule the classroom training session for a room that includes a projector and a screen. You training can focus directly on the top needs for the group. Tell the users that the company has invested in the system to address their top issues. Show them how Office SharePoint Server 2007 helps. For instance, if the training is segmented by departments, you can focus on which features of SharePoint Server 2007 are most useful to sales people, HR departments, legal, and others in the various training sessions. This is also a good time to introduce role-based templates and MySites.
While the lecture format is common for training, people learn more and retain their knowledge better if the training is interactive. We all learn in different ways. Some learn best by seeing something. Others learn best by listening. Still others learn best by doing.
You can make the training more interactive by scheduling the training for a room where everybody has access to a computer, or can plug in their laptops. You will still want to focus on the key pain point areas, but have the users follow along with you on their own computers.
If you use classroom training, announce it by sending a meeting requests or links to sign up for training. Your invitation should include an agenda that will show the employees that it will be worth their time, because Office SharePoint Server 2007 will help make their jobs easier.
Use the Office SharePoint 2007 Training
The Office SharePoint Server 2007 Training makes it easy to focus the training, working through the modules with your users, or selecting the modules you want to focus on. You can supplement the content in the Portal Edition with your own customized content. You can also pull content from Office Online and add it to the content in the Portal Edition.
We’ve prepared a suggested format for using the full Training. You can adapt this to your needs.
Other forms of learning
You may want to give the users handouts, which will guide them step-by-step, through the key features they will be using. These handouts can be especially helpful on launch day when they have to go through the new processes solo.
It’s also helpful to set up open lab times. Set up a room with machines running Office SharePoint Server 2007 and invite the users to come in an experiment before the system “goes live.” Make sure you have ample IT staff or super users on hand to give one-on-one help to users who need it.
Finally, make sure users understand where they can go for more information. If you have online training set up, tell them where they can find it. If you have set up an online community where frequently asked questions are answered or where super users are helping in forums, direct users to it.
Here to help
Whatever training approach you decide to use, it’s important to look at things from the users’ point of view. They are undoubtedly busy with their own work and deadlines and may not want to take the time to take the training.
By showing users how it will benefit them, you can get them excited about Office SharePoint Server 2007 and motivate them to learn all they can about it.