Operational Focus: Are your employees really on board with that new system?

When you roll out a new tool, system, or procedure do your employees feel part of it, or subjected to it?

When new tools or procedures are introduced, employees often feel like they're expected to adapt without context or input. But when people are part of the process, not just the recipients of it, their engagement and commitment tend to follow naturally.

"People support what they help create." - Dale Carnegie

The success of any new system or procedure depends less on the tool itself and more on how people feel about using it. Even the best-designed solution will flop if the team feels like it was dropped on them without input or context. Genuine buy-in comes from making space for questions, collaboration, feedback, and even resistance.

It's a slower start, but the finish line is much smoother.

Tip: Getting your team on board

Here are six strategies to build trust and ownership when rolling out something new:

1. Start with the "why." Before discussing what's changing, connect it to a meaningful outcome. Whether it's saving time, reducing errors, or creating less redundancy and stress, help your team understand how this helps them.
2. Include the team early. Don't present a completed idea. Ask for input in the problem-identifying stage and let them test-drive solutions when possible.
3. Name the pain honestly. If this new change will create friction or have a learning curve, say it upfront. Acknowledging short-term inconvenience builds long-term credibility.
4. Give space for questions and objections. Don't take pushback personally. Curiosity and hesitation are signs of engagement. Make time for discussion and work through concerns openly.
5. Celebrate initiative. If a team member creates or improves something on their own, recognize it. Don't just absorb it into a system without acknowledgement.
6. Collaborate with care. If you see potential to expand or adjust something an employee created, start a conversation, not a revision.
   Try: Would you be open to brainstorming a few additions that might also help with another issue I've been thinking about?

​About WandaWorks

Wanda Alberts is a former paralegal and executive assistant who brings meticulous attention to detail and strategic vision to her role as a fractional business operations specialist. She is passionate about giving business owners back their time and setting teams up for success by streamlining workflows, creating documented systems and procedures, and enhancing communications. 

Watch for her series of Lunch and Learns and Workshops designed to support small business owners and teams with practical and actionable operations strategies. Topics include time and task management, business process optimization, effective hiring and onboarding, training and development, building a culture of accountability, and communication - including how to run meetings that don't suck.