How to get your team to actually use new technology.

You've bought the new booking system, the shared calendar or the accounting app. It's going to save hours every week. Three months later, half the team still does things the old way and the other half has found a workaround.

Sound familiar? The problem is rarely the tool. It's how it was introduced. Here's how to get your team to actually use new technology.

1. Start with the problem, not the tool

"We're switching to a new system" sounds like extra work. "No more chasing paper job sheets at the end of the week" sounds like a relief. Explain what will get easier for them, not just for the business.

2. Involve people early

Ask the people who'll use it every day what annoys them about the current way. Let one or two of them test the new tool before everyone else. They'll spot problems you won't, and they'll become your champions.

3. Keep training short and hands-on

One long training session is mostly forgotten by the next morning. Short sessions where people do real tasks work far better. Twenty minutes on "how to book a job" beats two hours on every feature.

4. Write it down simply

Create a one-page cheat sheet or a few short screen recordings for the most common tasks. Keep them somewhere easy to find. People are much more confident when they know they can look it up.

5. Switch off the old way

If the old spreadsheet still works, people will keep using it. Set a date, help everyone across, and then retire the old system. Running both "for a while" usually means running both forever.

6. Expect a dip, then check in

Things often slow down for a week or two while people learn. That's normal. Check in after the first week and again after a month. Ask what's working, what's annoying, and fix the small things quickly.

7. Lead by example

If the owner keeps texting job details instead of using the new system, the team will too. The fastest way to make a tool stick is to use it yourself, visibly.

A note on AI tools

The same rules apply to AI. Give people clear examples of what to use it for, what not to put into it (like customer personal information), and when a human needs to check the result.

Training and coaching is one of my four core services. If you've got a tool your team isn't using, let's talk about a short, practical session.