Download the Presentation PDF / Download the Learning Styles Quiz PDF
One of the biggest challenges during this pandemic is moving our organizations and their processes online. Whether you have your entire team suddenly working from home or are trying to use technology to improve efficiency with reduced staff, the digital transition can be hectic at best.
This week we were joined by Robyn Luizinho, a Training and Development Specialist with specific expertise in helping professionals overcome technophobia.
What Is Technophobia?
Technophobia is defined as fear, dislike or avoidance of new technology. Though it may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, most of those with technophobia are not afraid of their coffee machine coming alive. Technophobia is most commonly exhibited as someone who is unwilling or overwhelmed by new technologies, either hardware or software. And in this particular period when COVID-19 has forced hundreds of millions to work from home online, it is something that urgently needs to be addressed in our organizations and teams.
How To Identify Technophobia (In Yourself or Others)
- Open aversion. Their first answer to the suggestion of trying a new technology is usually “No.”
- Repeated requests for help. Even after multiple trainings they seem to have a hard time absorbing how to use a new technology.
- Retreat to old methods. They will quickly return to their old analog ways, even if they aren’t as effective.
- Making excuses. When suggested to use a new technology, claims of not enough time or money will be used as an avoidance tactic (whether conscious or unconscious).
- No history of innovation. They have not revised their technology stack for years, whether keeping their outdated computer or not updating software or operating systems.
Poll: Stages of Technophobia
How To Introduce New Technologies
- Keep It Focused. For colleagues who feel overwhelmed by new technologies, focus on one element at a time. Innovating an entire system at once will cause technophobes to balk. Take it step by step rather than running up the mountain.
- Show The Value. If you are having through convincing colleagues to use new technologies, show them how it will improve their effectiveness. Make is clear in terms that they already use.
- Give Examples. If your team doesn’t believe what they do analog can be done better with a new technology, you need to give them specific examples so that the technology’s value isn’t just theoretical but practical.
How To Adopt New Technologies
Adoption of a new technology is not only about getting your team excited about it, but getting them to use it effectively in the long term. An important factor in successful technology adoption is how you train your team. Making sure that they learn the information in a way that they will retain and be able to apply concepts is key.
Using Learning Styles To Train Your Team On New Technologies
Download The Learning Styles Quiz PDF Here
1. Visual Learning. Learns & remembers best by seeing / through visual concepts.
How can you help visual learners adopt new technologies?
- Show them the big picture
- Use images, graphs, images, and video
- Ask them to take notes or make mind maps
- Tool Recommendation: MindMeister for mind maps
2. Auditory Learning. Learns & remembers best by hearing and verbal repetition.
How can you help auditory learners adopt new technologies?
- Encourage questions and discussion
- Break them up into smaller discussion groups
- Ask them to verbally recap key points
- Tool Recommendation: Speechify to turn any text into an audiobook
3. Kinaesthetic Learning. Learns best by doing / activating physical senses.
How can you help kinaesthetic learners adopt new technologies?
- Encourage experimentation
- Allow them to explore the software on their own, make mistakes and fix them
- Ask them to demonstrate a process
- Tool Recommendation: Loom for recording on screen demos
For more information on how to lead your team in adopting new technologies, see the webinar recording!
If you’d like to join us at a future ArtEvolve virtual event, please visit this link to RSVP: https://bit.ly/363HnmE
A special thank you to our guest speaker, Robyn Luizinho, Training and Development Specialist.
