Getting something 80% completed is relatively easy: the last 20% is always more difficult. That last part often includes all the little finishing details, many of which are tedious and (sometimes) tricky. Back when we developed Wynn’s applicant tracking system, it needed a user’s manual that managers were given during training, and which later became a useful reference guide. Technical innovations like that often represent large-scale process changes that require extensive training and reinforcement. The manual for that new process contained narratives supported by simple and clear graphics that guided users to learn without getting frustrated. I remember feeling pretty good about completing the design, development, and implementation of that system – but that familiarity nearly caused us to underestimate the difficulties our managers had when initially using it for the first time; the manual was the final 20% of that project. Had we not provided that manual and its extra guidance and support, they might have given up just before achieving the needed levels of competence and confidence to enjoy that new system’s intended benefits. Remember to provide enough time and support so your employees can hang on long enough to get good enough to understand and use the things you develop or change. Don’t underestimate how hard it may be for people to accept and adopt change today.
Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931): American inventor and businessman who has been described as America's greatest inventor
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