1. Negocios

Get Your Team to Start Using E signatures without Hassle
Procrastinators of the world unite…eventually …
Nobody likes change, this may be especially true in a work context because we
all have our ‘own way’ of doing things. Recently, a new member of staff came on
board in my company. He was really enthusiastic and wanted us all to start
using some new communication tools that he’d found useful in his last company.
That mix of enthusiasm, new boy and new tools, resulted in a less than
enthusiastic reception. Everyone sighed and bitched, and told him to, “shove his
new toys where the sun don’t shine”. Maybe more nicely than that, but
ultimately, that’s how we all reacted to his proposed changes. Of course, in the
end, he was totally right, and after much whining and complaining and general
push back, we all came on board and haven’t looked back since –
communications, between the remote workers, have improved massively.
Why do we react like this? I know the story above isn’t anything unusual, there
are even people studying the phenomena and doing PhD’s in the reasons why
people resist change, especially technological change. A report by MIT Sloan
Management review into people “embracing digital technologies”, found that
even though 78% of people believe that digital technologies can make major
positive changes to a business, there was little urgency about actually making
the change.
It is like people want to do it, know they really should, but can’t be bothered with
the hassle.
Know your type and make it happen
But as we all know, some areas of our business need change and this is positive being
good for business, and good for us as individuals and workers. E signatures platforms
are one type of digital technology that is actually a positive force for change in the
workplace. Not just for large companies, but for small ones and solo freelancers too.
Online document signing, which is what e signature technology allows you to do, makes
online processes:
Easier – you don’t have to print documents out to sign them, it’s all done online
More secure – you can use digital technology to make sure that once a document is
signed, no one comes in and makes sneaky changes
Automated – makes things more automated, those process woes are removed; no
more losing signed documents, no more hassling people to remind them to sign So if it’s
so good for us we need to find ways to make it happen. Out of all of this procrastination
and resistance we need to understand what and who we are dealing with.
Once you know what you are dealing with, you can deal with it. The types of people
who push back can be loosely broken down into the following categories (although
you may have personal experience of outliers within this too):
The ‘I just don’t have the time to learn how to do it’ person: They are good
employees, who are conscientious, but already feel that they have enough on their
plate and don’t want to spend the time learning new stuff.
The ‘technophobe’: They are true luddites and are happy with the non-digital
version of any given process. In fact, they can be quite negative and bring lots of
others with them on a negative journey; a bit like the luddites anti-technology
movement of the 18th century.
The ‘I could do it, but I don’t want to’ person’: They are possibly the most
difficult of all to deal with as they are usually quite tech savvy, but also frightened of
change as it may show some weaknesses in their position as brain box
The ‘scaredy cat’: Some people just don’t like change because it scares them.
Sometimes the fear comes from being worried that the new tool won’t work, or will
make more work.
Several of these ‘types’ of attitude are understandable. In recent years there has
been a tendency for technology to be ‘tech for tech’s sake’ and not serve any real
purpose.
But with truly useful technology, or as I like to call it ‘true tech’, such as e
signature solutions, this isn’t the case. Technology that serves a true purpose
and actually improves the workflow patterns that people are used to, and is a
natural fit, has a different outcome once you introduce it.
Taking it from that first introduction to true love
The best way to show your team how to start using e signature technology is
to look at the steps to success that you can use as a basis for change
acceptance, not change resistance. I’ll use the ApproveMe WP E signature
platform as a guide to how to get your team on board with the idea of using e
signatures:
Step 1: “Resistance is useless”
Identify the ‘type’ of resistor you have in your team and counter them directly.
So for example, the person who is just too busy to ‘learn’ how to use e
signatures, needs to understand that they only require a few clicks to sign
documents online, and in fact, are easier to use than the normal hard copy
signature process. WP E signature for example, works as a plugin directly
from your own WordPress website. Your team can just go in, find the contract
which is securely held on your own website, open it up, and click to sign.
It’s best when dealing with resistance of the ‘scardy cat’ and ‘too busy’ variety, to
focus on the ‘ease of use’ of the solution. Don’t overload the first introduction with
technical detail – it simply doesn’t matter that you have the use of audit trails, and
the security of digital certificates and encryption underlying the platform – the people
actually using the system, will likely never need to know about these features.
Step 2: Dealing with the naysayers
People who are interested in technology or who work in that area, will likely have
many questions about the details of how the solution works. This is good, but don’t
allow them to muddy the waters that you’ve already cleared with those concerned
about the difficulty of using an e signature solution. You will already have shown how
easy it is to use for end users, so if anyone wants to know the ins and outs of a
solution, then give out details on a ‘need to know basis’. In this way you don’t
overwhelm your general users, but keep your techie users happy.
Also, be prepared for technical users to ask tricky questions. ApproveMe has a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section which you can use to prepare responses.
(Head down to the bottom of the page for more
One useful trick that some team managers utilize, is to get their naysayers on board
at the outset and use them as part of the introduction of the new technology, even
offering training sessions to other team members. Delegation, when done well, is a
wonderful thing.
Step 3: Be prepared
Most good e signature solution vendors will help you to sell your chosen e signature
solution to your team. You should be able to find a variety of content about the
features and benefits of the solution on their website. ApproveMe, for example,
have a section that shows you what the features of the solution are in a very
straightforward way. Keeping it simple and tailoring it to the main uses of your
team, will show them why you’ve made the choice in using e signatures.
Step 4: Let them play
People love to play – as Pokemon Go has just proven. Setup test documents and let
your team members perform online document signing to see for themselves how
easy it is to use, and how it really does reduce their workload and improve
productivity.
This is a great time to bring on board those tech savvy users to coordinate
playtime and turn it into a training exercise.
Step 5: All the world needs now, is love, love, love
By now, if you’ve chosen a simple to use, integrated e signature solution, like
ApproveMe’s WP e signature plugin, you should have the individual ‘types’ within
your team onboard with your choice. They may still have the odd question, but
your preparation done in step 3 should help resolve those last queries. Your team
should become enthusiasts, experts in the use of online document signing. By the
time they have gotten to this step, the ‘no time to fit it in person’ will see it saves
them time, the ‘technophobe’ will feel confident, the ‘tech savvy’ will be your
greatest advocate, and the ‘scaredy cat’ will be a lion of change. .
Whichever category your team members come into, they will find out that e
signature platforms make the workplace a better, simpler and more productive
place to be.
Article Resource: https://www.approveme.com/e-signature/e-signatures-withouthassle/