Google Apps for Work - Manual (Page 65)

Change Management Guide 65
Phase 2: Early Adopter
Complete training materials for users | Best practices
“During every major IT change, users
experience a dip in enthusiasm just after
Go-Live, when they face performing the
same tasks using a different tool.
Effective communications and training
minimizes the amplitude and duration of
that dip, and users more quickly
internalize the change and enjoy the
productivity gains of using the new tool
in new and different ways.”
—Dave Lyon, Director of Change
Management, Onix Networking
Onix Networking is a Google Apps Enterprise
Partner based in the United States.
Build upon the content you compiled earlier for your IT users:
Keep your materials up-to-date.
• Consider including new FAQs or information in your Google Apps
user learning center or transition site aimed at your business users.
• As you get feedback from the Early Adopters, or see patterns of
questions, address this in your training. You’re likely to see similar
comments from your Global Go-Live users.
Pay attention to the new audiences this phase.
• Help desk: To prepare your support/help desk team, share your data
migration strategy, tools, and common questions. Add information
about working with Google for Work Support.
• Executives: Some executives are usually migrated to Google Apps
during this phase. Consider training for their specific needs such as
setting up mobile devices or offline email.
• Administrative assistants: This group may prefer in-person training,
with a focus on managing others’ calendars, email, or room
reservations in Google Apps. Reach out to a few administrative
assistants to find out their preference. 

Also give them a preview of your course topics to make sure you
cover what’s needed.
Identify, improve—then finalize Learning from Solarmora, a fictionalized company
Andy focused on getting his course content just
right for the special user groups who would be
migrated in the Early Adopter phase:
• Executives: Andy wanted the executives to have the
best experience possible so he could continue to
build a coalition of support among the company’s
leaders. He set up special hands-on training and
dedicated support.
• Administrative assistants: The trainers designed
practice exercises for the administrative assistants
to try their most important activities in Google Apps
in a safe environment and ask questions.
Oops! The training started well, but Andy didn’t
include enough information on the email migration.
The trainers were having trouble getting through
the courses on time. Andy did some further
investigation: in every training course, the trainer
spent at least 15 minutes answering questions
related to migration. Accessing old email was one of
the top concerns among users.
Andy quickly added more FAQs on email migration
to the company’s Google Apps user learning center.
The team also changed their course materials to
include information about legacy email right at
the start.