The Human Factor... Staffing Makes or Breaks Tech Projects
I’ve been having increasingly good conversations recently with clients about staffing for their technology efforts (particularly web site and CRM/database projects). Fabulous!!
I would argue that insufficient staffing is one of the top causes for the underperformance of new initiatives, both during a new project and on-going. In fact, most organizations vastly underutilize the tools they currently own because of staffing issues.
The car is a useful metaphor. As sophisticated as cars are, it’s a technology that doesn’t drive itself. One doesn’t need to know the interworking of the engine and electrical system to operate the car on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, you need to take the car to a mechanic for maintenance and upgrades – just like your technology systems.
Here’s what I’ve been telling clients:
1) Dedicate staffing to support and evangelize tools. As a rule of thumb, I’ve been suggesting organizations dedicate 0.25 FTE for every 10 staff members as on-going support and evangelizing new tools – double or triple the time during implementation and the first few months after launch.
2) Spread the responsibility. Make online responsibilities and competency something that a majority of staff participate in. Assign specific online responsibilities in staff job descriptions, such as developing content for specific sections of the web site (pages, newsletters, video) , monitoring and managing social networking presence, or providing monthly reports of web and other online statistics. Build the organizational culture by adding an online health status report to all major staff and/or program meetings.
3) Make online competency a job hiring must. Ensure that online competency is considered and weighed in all new hires, particularly for management, communications, and marketing/outreach positions.
I would argue that insufficient staffing is one of the top causes for the underperformance of new initiatives, both during a new project and on-going. In fact, most organizations vastly underutilize the tools they currently own because of staffing issues.
The car is a useful metaphor. As sophisticated as cars are, it’s a technology that doesn’t drive itself. One doesn’t need to know the interworking of the engine and electrical system to operate the car on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes, you need to take the car to a mechanic for maintenance and upgrades – just like your technology systems.
Here’s what I’ve been telling clients:
1) Dedicate staffing to support and evangelize tools. As a rule of thumb, I’ve been suggesting organizations dedicate 0.25 FTE for every 10 staff members as on-going support and evangelizing new tools – double or triple the time during implementation and the first few months after launch.
2) Spread the responsibility. Make online responsibilities and competency something that a majority of staff participate in. Assign specific online responsibilities in staff job descriptions, such as developing content for specific sections of the web site (pages, newsletters, video) , monitoring and managing social networking presence, or providing monthly reports of web and other online statistics. Build the organizational culture by adding an online health status report to all major staff and/or program meetings.
3) Make online competency a job hiring must. Ensure that online competency is considered and weighed in all new hires, particularly for management, communications, and marketing/outreach positions.
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1 Comments:
Paul, I completely agree, particularly with the balance between 1 and 2. I think it's critical to have someone in charge of any piece of technology or software (if no one's over seeing it, it's really hard for an org to know if it's working, or if changes/ training/ a new approach are needed), but it's as important, at least all systems that involve tracking functions or communicating, that it's not just that one guy or gal who ever uses it. First off, what happens if that person leaves the org? But then it's often useful to have a culture of use around it, so that it becomes part of the general environment rather than it's own silo.
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