Cross Generational Collaboration

I have been working in the corporate collaboration field for over 13 years. The part that never fails to amaze me is how different generations take to new tools. Here are the categories I consider when engineering new software solutions.

Early Adopters - these users will take advantage of anything new and provide valuable feedback on the products and help guide its evolution. They span all generations from fresh out of college to my over 80 year old uncle Ted.

Right Generations for the Tool - these users are my favorite class of user and are the ones who inspire the solution. It is the way the user is used to working on the internet and it enhances their corporate experience.

Wrong Generation for the Tool - every generation has its own way of communicating. The way to engage the user who does not see value is through quality education (and social pressure). You need to make sure the user knows how to interact with the system and has easily accessible help - user guides and access to other users.

Geographic Influencers - I have learned that you never underestimate the person in the cube next door, the "smart" person in the room, or just the person who everyone feels comfortable asking questions. These users are not usually tool specific but are respected by a group of people ad asked for help with any IT issues - their opinion matters.

As with any tool, once the user sees value then they will embrace the solution. I always give my early adopters access to information about new features and special one on one sessions to discuss and get feedback. They will help guide the solution to meet the culture of your corporation. The right generation just needs to know the solution exists and they will embrace the solution as long as it meets a need and is part of their daily job. You will definitely need to work harder for the third group above but focusing your energy on those geographic influencers will enable more grass roots acceptance and ultimately make for a better user experience. Continue to work on the culture and the social pressure will make your solution a successful tool for the corporate environment.