Is it SharePoint or ScarePoint? Why Do So Many Fear It? The Key to End User Adoption

Is it SharePoint or ScarePoint? Why Do So Many Fear It? The Key to End User Adoption

This is an addendum to: What is SharePoint To You?

What is SharePoint to you? Do you have a love-hate relationship with change? Many people would often agree that change is The Devil. “If it has always worked, and we have always done it this way, why fix something that isn’t broken?” I’m sure at one point we have all heard End Users use those terms.  Some of us probably still have an abacus on our desks, just because we refuse to change from the way we may have originally learned how to add or subtract. But let’s face it, those calculators may be a passing fad anyway.

This is merely a simple form of Fear. Why do many fear what they do not understand? Or better yet, refuse to try to understand? Many see it as of way to slash jobs or a means to impose a new technology that they may be unwilling to learn. Or maybe it is just the fact that they have heard many “horror stories” about SharePoint. This brings us back to that word Fear again. This is where we need to explain the many capabilities that SharePoint provides and benefits to them personally, in order to have a successful end user adoption. Listing all of the many functions may come across as technical jargon, and will be quickly dismissed by the average user. Instead, ask your end users what their needs are. Everyone always wants to know “What’s in it for me?” This could be something as simple as creating a survey and merely asking them about their needs. Get your users involved! After assessing their feedback, show them how SharePoint will streamline their processes.

For many people, social media is a way for us to connect with colleagues, friends, family, and maybe even long time childhood friends. Allow your users to create their own My Sites. Let your users make SharePoint their own (within reason of course). Make the user feel like SharePoint is a tool they can use, and not just something they are being forced to use. By allowing them to see the many benefits of SharePoint, your end user will have a better chance of embracing SharePoint.