Communication, Adoption, Training, and Support. These 4 principles are critical in allowing your SharePoint platform to gain traction with your business. Regardless of if you’re using SharePoint On-Premises, Office 365, Azure, or some combination thereof – your business users need these things. This session will explore some of the key steps you can leverage to get your users what they need to be successful with SharePoint.

1. HERDING CATS!
Gaining user adoption with these 4 principles
Ryan Dennis | @SharePointRyan | sharepointryan.com

2. RYAN DENNIS
Solution Architect at
Blue Chip Consulting Group
/in/SharePointRyan www.sharepointryan.com
ryan@sharepointryan.com@SharePointRyan
www.bluechip-llc.com FatherHusband
Author
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Ryan at a glance Play and explore

3. AGENDA
• Why CATS?
• A case study on
• Communication
• Adoption
• Training
• Support
• Bringing it all together
• Q&A

4. WHY CATS?
• CATS is a mnemonic device for
Communication, Adoption, Training, and
Support
• These four principles are critical to proper
adoption of any platform, especially one as
complex and capable as SharePoint
Mnemonic devices are techniques a
person can use to help them improve
their ability to remember something.

5. COMMUNICATION

6. COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES
EARLY
• Engage users
during
planning
processes
• Leverage
early
adopters
OFTEN
• Provide
consistent
updates on
process
• Keep users
updated with
timeline &
roadmap
details
HONEST
• It’s okay to
fail, but
communicate
the lessons
learned from
failure
• Ask for
feedback, do
better next
time

7. User Adoption
Principles

8. ADOPTION PRINCIPLES
TOP DOWN
SUPPORT
• Executives
should
evangelize
and support
programs &
platforms
• Demonstrate
support from
leadership
level
CHANGE
CHAMPIONS
• Find the
cheerleader,
ask them to
help!
• Offer
gamification
bonuses &
incentives
USER
FRIENDLINESS
• Think about
the end user
• Think about
mobile

9. PROGRESSION OF ADOPTION
Advocate/
Ownership
Demonstrate commitment to the
change initiative. Responsible and
accountable for its success
Shared
Commitment
Agree with the objectives of the
project and express support for the
change
Shared
Understanding
Understand the project and how it will
impact me
Awareness
Aware of project objectives, activities
and timelines
LevelofChangeEffort
Time

10. BUSINESS DISCUSSION POINTS
Low Impact/
High Effort
Low Impact/
Low Effort
High Impact/
High Effort
High Impact/
Low Effort
Proceed Investigate
KillConsider

11. POTENTIAL STRATEGIES
Sandbox
Executive Sponsorship & Support
Stop Doing, Start Doing
Easy First Steps
Ambassadorship
Real-to-Life Scenarios
Everything (X)
Roadshow
Bulk Loading Party
Gamification / Rewards
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

12. SANDBOX
• Providing access to a “testing only” system, where
people can try out new collaboration tools or features
• Grant access to “testing only” environment
• Elicit feedback from User Community
• Demonstrate upcoming functionality
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

13. EXECUTIVE SPONSORSHIP &
SUPPORT
• Where senior executives voice or demonstrate their
support for the collaboration tool, in speeches or in
actually using it themselves
• Establish support from Executives & VPs
• Evangelize through word and actions
• Enforce through metrics
• Lead by example, self-adoption
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

14. STOP DOING, START DOING
• Identification of a particular process and how it is going
to be done differently in the future, as a consequence of
new tools
• Provide Training Guides
• Distribute Quick Start Guides
• Establish Best Practices
• “Stop doing X, start doing Y”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

15. EASY FIRST STEPS
• A series of simple first actions that someone can do
within the new collaboration tool so as to get them
using it for the first time
• Provide User Guides
• Foster 1st Time Usage and Orientation
• Promote what is coming
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

16. AMBASSADORSHIP
• Utilizing change champions to support and promote the
new system with the community
• Leverage stakeholders & usability studies
• Promote through user quotes
• Utilize
• Pilot Group Members
• Subject Matter Experts
• Super Users
• Collect Feedback
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

17. REAL-TO-LIFE SCENARIOS
• Creating detailed descriptions of how the new tool can
be used for a particular process or project
• Create and disseminate videos detailing a day in the life…
• Depict Processes / Projects
• Detail Use Cases and Scenarios
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

18. EVERYTHING (X)
• Creating a series of informational pages about the
Intranet, service offerings, and key workforce
information
• Providing an information-based page
• Addressing Frequently Asked Questions
• Establishing the Brand
• “Everything SharePoint”
• “Everything Yammer”
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

19. ROADSHOW
• Holding events at different areas to advocate the use of
the new collaboration tool, show people how it could be
used, and foster excitement
• Throw promotional events
• Set up a table at the office with information on SharePoint
• Offer photo booth for ‘My Site’ avatar
• Give away swag (promotional items)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

20. BULK LOADING PARTY
• Holding an event to migrate necessary data from the
old system to the new collaboration tool
• Migrate old to new
• Promote team building
• Stage a Blitz
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

21. GAMIFICATION / REWARDS
• Promoting usage through providing achievement and
distinction, which can be obtained through feedback or
actions taken
• Earn badges
• Give away rewards
• Recognize participation
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

22. Training

23. TRAINING APPROACHES
FORMAL
TRAINING
•Classroom-
based training
•End User,
Developer, Site
Admin, SP
Admin
•Specific
curriculum
INFORMAL
TRAINING
• Videos or
lunch and
learns
• Single topic /
no
curriculum
• One-on-one
help
QUICK TIPS
• User Guides
• Short how-to
guides
• One page
quick tip
sheets
• Other

24. Support

25. SUPPORT PRINCIPLES
FORMAL
SUPPORT
• Help Desk
supports
SharePoint
core system
• Collaboration
support team
owns
individual
applications
within
SharePoint
INFORMAL
SUPPORT
• SharePoint
Communities
• Yammer
Groups
• Etc.
SELF
SUSTAINMENT
• By leveraging
Social for
support, an
internal user
group can
form,
eliminating
service calls
to help desk

26. BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
Communication Adoption Training Support

27. CATS!

28. QUESTIONS OR OPEN
DISCUSSION
Q&A | Thoughts | Discussion

29. RYAN DENNIS
Solution Architect at
Blue Chip Consulting Group
/in/SharePointRyan www.sharepointryan.com
ryan@sharepointryan.com@SharePointRyan
www.bluechip-llc.com FatherHusband
Author
GuitaristDrummer
Cyclist
Ryan at a glance Play and explore