Managing the Platform Adoption Curve
Author
Rob Manne
| Published: September 16, 2024Know the inevitable ups and downs so you can help your team through it.
We’re in the middle of a large HubSpot deployment with a client, and it reminded me how important it is to understand the phases of business tech adoption and continuously communicate throughout it.
A platform deployment typically follows three phases:
Initial enthusiasm and curiosity. The leadership team greenlights the new platform and communicates it to their users. If the employees understand the benefits and are trained effectively, they get curious and start to use it.
Doubt and uncertainty. This is what I call the “messy middle.” Users are doing many new things that can be complex. The platform or solution usually doesn’t work perfectly at first.
After some usage, the team can feel disoriented, that the platform doesn’t work properly, or even that they aren’t capable enough to use it. At this stage, momentum can slow or stop entirely if users abandon the platform.
Slow and steady breakthrough. as usage continues, and changes are made to improve the system or fill training gaps, the users get more confidence. Team behaviour begins to reinforce this new tool with comments like, “Did you add X to HubSpot?” or “Where can I find X in HubSpot?”
It’s important to recognize this process and adapt your approach as you go by:
📢 Communicating the process before, during, and after. As you go, particularly in the messy middle, be sure to remind everyone about the end goal and benefits that will come once complete.
👩🎓 Recognizing the people who are using it most effectively, and enable them to be the storytellers and resources to help the others along.
🛠 Be responsive to adapt processes and the platform as you go. Often users will surface an idea or approach that’s better than what had been sketched out before it was deployed. Don’t be afraid to go with their recommendation, and recognize this person’s initiative to the others.
So for your next platform deployment, whether HubSpot or not, ensure it goes smoothly by understanding the platform adoption cycle and helping your team navigate through it.