As a product manager at Zywave, I recently had the opportunity to spend the day with a partner agency that utilizes BrokerageBuilder as their agency management system. They were challenged by what so many of our agencies are dealing with – change that comes with technology.

When agencies buy our products, they buy a vision of their future. But to successfully get there, they have to overcome change and, face it, most of us are resistant to change. What’s even worse is this resistance is based mostly on emotion rather than logic. Addressing people’s fears and anxieties can be tough, but becomes necessary when trying to successfully implement change.

The first thing to acknowledge is change is not all bad. Change can actually be extremely beneficial. Technology can provide new opportunities, save staff time and increase efficiency. It can have dramatic results! The first step to successfully implementing a change is identifying ways to effectively manage the change. Here are a few suggestions to make that road a little less bumpy:

• Have buy-in from “the top.” Management needs to share the overall vision for the change and tie it to the agency’s greater goals and objectives. Speaking from our experience helping brokers implement systems, Zywave has seen first-hand that top-level support and involvement throughout the project can have a dramatic impact in accomplishing agency goals.
• Focus on the end goal. Don’t get bogged down by the day-to-day tasks that are required to get there.
• See change as an opportunity. Look at your processes and procedures a new way. On the other hand, don’t fix what isn’t broken.
• Anticipate resistance. Involve people in the process and take their concerns to heart. Find and celebrate early wins.
• Don’t worry about perfection. Processes can be fine-tuned over time.
• Keep the lines of communication open. Provide training and support. Be visible and accessible.

I recently ran across a quote about change I found insightful: “Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” What good is technology if it isn’t embraced and used to its fullest? You could be missing out on some wonderful results. Remember, it’s not actually about the technology itself – it’s about the emotion that goes with the change. Acknowledge change . . . manage it . . . embrace it!

Have something you want to change? There’s never a perfect time, so dive in.

Are you an agency that has successfully implemented a change? Please share what worked for you. If you are reading this on Zywave.com, join the conversation on AgencyFuel.