Introducing Haiilo is not only a great opportunity for you to better connect your colleagues or share knowledge more transparently. It also involves change: Social intranets bring a cultural change to the company. 

Perhaps this situation after the launch seems familiar to you: There are many users who already use Haiilo on a daily basis and have integrated your Digital Home into their everyday working life. However, there are also users who are not so convinced by the new medium and don’t yet see the point of it. They dislike breaking their habits and want everything to stay the way it used to be. 

The way people handle change varies just as much as the people themselves. In this article, we’ve put together some tips for you to show how you can make the path towards change with your Digital Home easier for your users.

Anchor change over the long term

The change and acclimatization for your users begin with the launch of your Digital Home. In most cases, your users have already used another form of intranet before. Then Haiilo’s suddenly a brand new world that they need to get to know. Consider how to meet your users where they currently are:

• How can their worries about the switchover be allayed?
• In what areas does Haiilo make things easier or better for your users compared to before?
• Which other activities promote the change (e.g. training)?

Invest right from the start in taking the most important stakeholders along with you and anchoring change communication over the long term. Change takes time.

Bring culture to life

Technology alone is not enough. Those who only see Haiilo as a tool won’t be successful over the long term. If togetherness isn’t put into practice or demonstrated, your Digital Home can’t grow over the long term and become established. Think about the big picture! It involves a long-term change in the company.

• How can old thought patterns be discarded?
• In what areas do your project and Haiilo correspond to the company principles?
• How does Haiilo support togetherness and the modern form of collaboration?

The focus should lie on empowering and motivating your users over the long term. This allows you to bring about the first sense of achievement and consolidate acceptance for your Digital Home.

Encourage allies

Introducing and accompanying a social intranet project can’t take place solely thorough Internal Communications, Corporate Communications, or the Marketing team. This doesn’t just concern the start of the project, but also the time after your Digital Home is introduced. Open communication and the active involvement of other stakeholders are important cornerstones of the success of and with Haiilo.

Seek out other helpers and supporters in the company: Are there power users, who are really passionate about Haiilo? Are the managers active and set a good example? Are there former critics who now use Haiilo successfully and want to share their experience?

Consider who you can bring on board to join you as you move forward, encourage these employees, and tell success stories.