From inclusion to true participation – Put people at the heart of your IT project
How can you tackle resistance to change while guiding your organisation towards genuine productivity? The key is to make people active participants in the change process rather than just its subjects. After reading Liisa Korkiakoski’s blog, you will realise it’s not as difficult as it might seem.
Any system or platform companies use relies on its users – people like us – to bring value. No matter how much we invest in advanced technology, it won’t be truly beneficial if in our enthusiasm to renew we forget to consider the people who will use it.
In the autumn of 2024, we conducted a market study* among leaders responsible for change in Finnish companies, focusing on the success factors and pitfalls in technology projects.
The survey, titled Looking for a Leap in Productivity, revealed that only 19% of respondents believed the people most affected by the project had been included in the process. The same survey also showed that, although these projects were completed on schedule and within budget, they did not result in significant improvements in productivity.
The results are hardly surprising. In my day-to-day work, I have noticed that we Finns are truly a nation of engineers. We allocate the majority of our development budget to technology and its implementation, while forgetting to dedicate enough time, money, and resources to involving people and developing their skills.
There is, however, another way to approach things.
People enable even the most significant changes
One of our clients was planning to execute several major technology projects over a five-year span, all managed by the CIO. Unlike in similar projects, this CIO had studied change and competency management throughout their career. As a result, they had a clear vision that technology transformation ultimately begins with people, not technology. This is why they wanted to prepare people for the change well in advance.
Together with the company, Sofigate Academy designed a comprehensive two-year training program focused on skill development. The program included several intensive modules that required commitment from the participants. We established clear goals and metrics to track the growth of people’s capabilities. The changes brought to the organisation by the project were measured using the Business Technology Standard**.
A key factor in the success of the project was involving the right people, both internally and externally. To implement the transformation, it was crucial to enhance skills across the entire organisation – not just within IT. We included the company’s main partners, as well as suppliers and customers, in the process. By engaging everyone affected by the change, we fostered collaboration and gained valuable insights into the impact of the transformation on various partners and groups, along with their needs and requirements throughout the process.
Long term commitment led to success
Two years is a long time, so implementing the program was no small task. One key to its success was the CIO’s commitment. They inspired confidence in people and maintained a positive pressure that drove results. In the beginning of the project, the CIO assured participants that by the end, everyone involved would become a world-class professional in their field – and that’s exactly what happened.
It was incredible to see how, throughout the process, people started to embrace change of their own accord as their understanding of the process and its goals deepened, and as their own capabilities grew. When the technology renewals were implemented, the organisation as a whole was ready for them.
There are easier ways to reach successful and productive results, but the example described above demonstrates how crucial it is to engage personnel in technological change.
Four steps to success
These four steps will take you a long way:
1. Lead change, don’t just manage it
Change leadership is more than just project management. To successfully lead change, we must consider people’s mindset, emotions, and motivation. A leader’s role is not only to make sure that the project stays on schedule but also to get people excited about the change and help them see how it benefits their own work.
How: Build your communication plan to answer these key questions: Why is this change happening? How will it benefit me? What is expected of me? Create a sharp vision and communicate it consistently.
2. Don’t make people passive subjects of change but it’s drivers
Technology projects often fail because people feel like passive recipients of change. True commitment happens only when those affected by change are given the opportunity to make a difference and become part of the solution.
How: Engage the right people from the start. Create new roles, such as change ambassadors or super users, giving employees an active role in shaping and driving the project. Let their voices be heard in decision-making.
3. Skill Development Is the Engine of Change
No technology alone guarantees productivity unless it is used efficiently. Change initiatives often fail because skill development is left until the last minute or not considered at all.
How: Integrate learning into the process. Combine different learning methods, such as practical training, peer learning, training programmes, coaching, and mentoring. Building capabilities and effectiviteness should be as important as following budget and schedule.
4. Make room for continuous development
Many projects end as soon as a system or a platform in implemented and the project team moves on to other tasks. This is a huge mistake. True change occurs only when new ways of working take root and continue to evolve.
How: Create clear steps forward after the implementation. Ensure that new practices truly take hold. Assign people to be responsible for continuous development. Establish a strategy tomonitor the realisation of business benefits.
Change is not a sprint but a marathon
The best organisations don’t stop at implementation; they continue to develop and learn.
The hypothesis for our market survey was that a productivity leap is waiting to be unlocked in Finnish companies. By leading technology projects boldly and consciously, while also taking people into consideration, we can achieve better results and increase productivity.
The results of our survey confirmed this hypothesis, but they also revealed that many of the necessary pieces for the leap are already in place. Once the remaining pieces fall into place, the result could be a pleasant surprise!
This is the third part of the blog series diving deeper into Sofigate’s market study “Looking for a Leap in Productivity”. Read the other parts of the blog series:
A small facelift or a proper renewal? – Set your aim high enough in your next IT project
A one-team project or a cross-functional collaboration? – This is the recipe for a productivity leap
About the author:
Liisa Korkiakoski has leveraged her extensive experience in IT and digitalisation to focus on people-centered skills development. She leads Sofigate Academy’s training business and is passionate about engaging people in change in an inspiring and immersive way. In Liisa’s opinion, memorable and participatory learning creates lasting impressions and ensures that new knowledge is put into practice.
*The “Looking for a Leap in Productivity” market study was conducted by Sofigate and completed in October 2024, N=32.
Download the “Looking for a Leap in Productivity” market study report.
**The Business Technology Standard is an internationally advanced open-source framework model published by the Finnish not-for-profit Business Technology Forum, freely available for anyone to use.
Read more about the Business Technology Standard.
Hold on to skills - Outsource carefully
A one-team project or a cross-functional collaboration? – This is the recipe for a productivity leap
