Baby Boomers and ECM

I'm having a tough time with this one...how to introduce ECM to an older generation of workers that isn't as comfortable with sharing information as my gen. My challenge is:

-Some of the team is resisting changes to shared online content and insist on having separate copies of documents, not allowing automated version control, wikis, process flows, collaboration, or records compliance tools to work for us.

-Some team members have a hard time seeing the benefit of using ECM and CRM tools and my boss doesn't really understand the benefits either. Sr. Leadership seems to have a good grasp of the importance of ECM, which sometimes creates the perception that I'm not following the chain of command (exec comes to me for questions about ECM, then sends memo mandating process changes based on our conversation).

-Some of the issues seem to be influenced by my age and a perception that I lack experience in their industry or I "just don't understand" (I have almost 10 years experience in project and content management, but less than a year with this company/industry). Some of the older employees seem intimidated by me and "hide" their information, perhaps because they are afraid I'm going to take their job. The sad part is that this behavior is perceived by management as resistant to change and inefficient, so they very well may be on the chopping block if they don't get with the program.

Any ideas on how to sell this to a different generation? Are there any good presentations or materials that can help explain how ECM saves the company money? I would love to see any resources that you've used that have been successful introducing the *concepts* to older workers (as opposed to a particular product pitch). I also would be interested in data or implementation case studies (from outside the IT industry) that support ECM/CRM. Finally, any suggestions for handling the generational differences and navigating the politics of the intergenerational workplace?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Tags: generation, implementation, training

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Antion on August 20, 2009 at 10:18am: Sorry for the length of this comment but you really hit close to home.

You are almost describing my entire workplace and I face these same issues. The first thing I would suggest is that you not give up – people can and do change. I can’t point to a plan guaranteed to succeed and I won’t tell you that I’ve had 100% success but I can point out a few things that have worked:

1) Showcase Success – When you do make progress, even if it’s a very small example, talk about it, show it off and give the credit to the other people involved. If you present things in terms of “this is what I (we) did over here” the process will always be seen as yours. By showcasing the work of others you communicate the fact that “this is a company project” which is very important. Remember, a big part of your project is marketing.

2) Focus on Education – We have been running an in-house training program here for five years. We conduct training sessions almost every month (we’ve covered about 50 different topics). We publish a training newsletter and, consistent with #1 above, we encourage employees to write articles for the newsletter.

3) Take People to AIIM Meetings – Seriously, I try to attend every AIIM New England meeting and I last year I started dragging a guest with me each time. I even took someone to a combined AIIM/ARMA meeting. When they hear other people talking about these topics they realize it isn’t just your mission. When they look around the room and see lots of people their own age, they realize that it isn’t a generational thing. (BTW, I’m their age).

4) Showcase Problems – This is a little trickier than #1 but it’s a powerful tool. I have worked with people to solve problems and then, with their permission, I have used their problem as an example of what not to do or why we need change. Never do this without permission.

5) Seek Out Pain Points – Talk to people and find out what really causes them pain and work to solve it. I have gotten lots of mileage out of creating a small workflow or adding links to make documents accessible. I just recently gave a training session where I talked about the problems caused by multiple copies of documents. In that training I also demonstrated how I can put links on pages anywhere that document might be needed.

6) Learn Their Business – I have the benefit of having been here over 20 years so I can use examples that I know are relevant to the individual or business unit I’m talking to. People respond much faster when you frame a solution in terms that relate to their day-to-day life. I remind myself every day that while “I do this for a living, they do something else”. This is your job; show them that you also understand theirs.

7) Stop Thinking of the Problem as Generational – It’s not an age issue; some of my best customers are my oldest coworkers. You have to realize that you are trying to change peoples’ behavior (I wrote about this in several blog entries on www.SharePointStories.com and it takes effort. People are comfortable doing their job they way they have always done it – you are trying to change that and that will often be perceived as a threat.

8) Use Management Support – Since you have the support of management, take advantage of that. I make sure that managers attend my training sessions so they can be seen “nodding in support” of the topics we cover. If we make progress on an issue, I send a complimentary email to the manager (#1 again) of the person I worked with. People want to impress their boss, they want their boss to know they are doing the right things but they need to hear that those are, in fact, the things their boss cares about.

Good luck!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chris Walker on August 20, 2009 at 10:40am: Everything that Daniel states is good advice. I suggest that you also start up a Change Management initiative.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Alan Weintraub on August 20, 2009 at 4:09pm: One of the things I always try to remember when faced with this problem is: Whats in it for me... Put yourself in their shoes and try to find ways that the ECM and Social networking solutions can help them with their jobs. Can it help them find the right information faster? Will it help them identify correct up to date information instead of unapproved versions? Can it save them time as they will not have to ask someone for the information? Will it empower them in their job function? These are some of the questions I use in relaying the business benefits of implementing an ECM solution... And by the way, I am one of those baby boomers that has faced the challenge of change; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan Longo on August 21, 2009 at 7:59am: It probably helps if you're in a middle mgt position and can implement change incrementally. If not, a good method is to involve the people in the change process one on one. "We have these new tools and we want to do a pilot project. Would you be willing to participate and help us make the necessary improvements." That's an idea straight out of the AIIM ERM class. It leads to a viral acceptance of the new ECM tools in a non-threatening environment. Some of the passive resisters get hip, others then want the benefits. The process seems slow and cumbersome in the beginning, just like an exercise program, but then the benefits increase exponentially.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Teresa Pritchard Schoch on August 21, 2009 at 9:04am: I think the generational view misses the point as well. I am a baby boomer and have always been a change agent. The walls between you and your goals on behalf of your company are not anything new. Resistance to change has been around way before the baby boomers were your age. I like the role of breaking through barriers into new arenas. It is not always easy, but it sure is rewarding.

Patience...OK, I have never had much either. Good luck!; ▶ Reply to This