How great is Starbucks online ordering? I mean all you have to do is download the app, make your selection, submit and boom, your drink is waiting for you when you arrive.
Yes, it’s easy, and in theory, it’s great. Isn’t it a huge improvement over waiting in line, and then waiting for your beverage, thinking about where you need to be next and wondering why it’s taking so long?
But what if you had a terrible experience the first time you tried it? What if you did all of the things I mentioned above, and you showed up for your coffee, and it still wasn’t ready. And then what if you had to wait 15-20 minutes to have your order filled? That’s not a great experience, is it?
That’s a true story, and it happened to me. It really wasn’t the app’s fault. No, this particular Starbucks was just crazy busy on this particular day. But guess what? I haven’t used the app for a pre-order since. Yes, there are many of you out there who will tell me I’m making a mistake. That the app is wonderful. That they’d never consider not using the app. But for me, that wasn’t my experience.
This speaks to two critical aspects of any Change Management program. First, the first experience is critical. A poor first experience, whether it’s a communication, a training class, or even (and heaven forbid) using a new tool after implementation, and we will have a hard time getting the user back. We have to have a compelling reason (the Case for Change) for a user to buy-in to what we’re doing from the get go. We can’t wait. We have to sink the hook early.
Secondly, buy-in and change happens one person at a time. A change “implementation” is not like a technical implementation in that it’s not a big-bang that hits everyone the same way. In change management, that compelling Case for Change has to speak to change targets individually. One user at a time. It has to speak to “what’s in it for me” in terms that mean something to me.
We may not get a second chance to draw a user in to a new way of working, and even if we do, we’ve lost operational efficiency for some period of time, and that costs us money. An effective change program starts early and must set the tone in a way that we get it right the first time. It’s a critical component to any project, and moreover, for project success.
So the next time you order your morning coffee from Starbucks using the app, maybe you’ll think about how important that experience is for you. And maybe, you’ll connect that thought to the importance of your users’ experience in your company’s next key project.