The Human Side to a Successful CRM Implementation with Lisa Hendry - Webinar
In this webinar Lisa Hendry shared some fantastic insights on Change Management for recruitment agencies, with a focus on the human side of recruitment CRM implementations and practical tips to ensure success.
Please download the presentation here, watch the recording here and find AI Summary of the Teams Webinar transcript below.
Lisa covered:
Distinction Between Project Management and Change Management
Key Elements of Effective Change Management
Building and Executing a Change Management Plan
Common Pitfalls and Best Practices in CRM Change Management
Balancing Authority and Collaboration in Change Management
Microsoft Teams Meeting AI Summary (Powered by Teams Premium)
Distinction Between Project Management and Change Management: Lisa and Louis clarified the differences between project management and change management for CRM implementations, emphasizing the need for both structured processes and a focus on the human element to ensure project success.
Project Management Fundamentals: Lisa explained that project management involves structured processes such as planning, task assignment, budgeting, timeline setting, and milestone tracking, all of which are essential for delivering a CRM implementation on time and within budget.
Role of Change Management: Lisa highlighted that change management is distinct from project management, focusing on engaging people, managing resistance, and ensuring adoption, rather than just communication or process.
Integration of Plans: Lisa advised that project management and change management plans should run in tandem, with change management treated as a dedicated work stream within the overall project plan to ensure all human factors are addressed alongside technical tasks.
Key Elements of Effective Change Management: Lisa provided a comprehensive overview of the critical components of change management in CRM rollouts, including stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, resistance management, and adoption planning, drawing on their experience with multiple organizations.
Stakeholder Identification and Engagement: Lisa emphasized the importance of identifying all relevant stakeholders, including executive sponsors, project sponsors, end users, and cross-functional team members, ensuring that the right people are involved from the start and throughout the project.
Communication Strategies: Lisa discussed the need for clear, tailored communication using multiple channels and methods, considering the audience's preferences and ensuring transparency and honesty to build trust and minimize confusion.
Managing Resistance: Lisa recommended actively listening to feedback, conducting readiness surveys at various project stages, and using continuous feedback loops to understand and address resistance, rather than viewing it as inherently negative.
Driving Adoption: Lisa advised involving users early in testing and training, providing ongoing support, and celebrating successes to encourage adoption, while also being responsive to user concerns and feedback post-launch.
Building and Executing a Change Management Plan: Lisa outlined practical steps for integrating change management into CRM project plans, including defining roles and responsibilities, aligning timelines, setting milestones, and measuring return on investment.
Change Management as a Work Stream: Lisa recommended treating change management as a dedicated work stream within the project plan, with specific tasks, timelines, and milestones, ensuring it is not an afterthought but an integral part of the project.
Roles and Responsibilities: Lisa suggested that while the project manager oversees the overall plan, a separate individual or team should be responsible for executing the change management work stream, potentially drawing from L&D or other internal resources.
Timeline Alignment and Milestones: Lisa stressed that the change management plan must align with the overall project timeline, with milestones and checkpoints to ensure readiness and minimize disruption at go-live.
Measuring Success and ROI: Lisa advised defining clear metrics for adoption and return on investment, such as automation uptake and business outcomes, to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRM implementation.
Common Pitfalls and Best Practices in CRM Change Management: Lisa summarized frequent mistakes in CRM change management and provided actionable best practices, such as clear messaging, early and ongoing engagement, and realistic expectations for disruption and adoption.
Clear Objectives and Messaging: Lisa emphasized the need for clear communication of business objectives, reasons for CRM selection, and expected outcomes to ensure all stakeholders understand the purpose and benefits of the project.
Early and Continuous Engagement: Lisa advised engaging stakeholders from the beginning and maintaining involvement throughout the project to ensure readiness and minimize last-minute surprises.
Managing Disruption: In response to questions, Lisa explained that while some disruption is inevitable, proper change management can minimize its impact, especially during the initial go-live period, and recommended setting realistic expectations for training and post-launch support.
Authority and Decision-Making: Lisa and Louis discussed the importance of having an authority figure to make final decisions when stakeholder priorities conflict, ensuring progress and alignment without endless debate.
Q&A: Tools, Methodologies, and Departmental Alignment: During the Q&A, participants raised questions about tools for project management, managing disruption, and aligning departmental needs, which Lisa addressed with practical advice.
Project Management Tools: Louis and participants mentioned tools like monday.com, and Lisa clarified that while various tools can be used, the focus should be on understanding and applying change management principles, regardless of the platform.
Departmental Alignment: Lisa recommended meeting with departments individually to gather requirements and then bringing them together to resolve overlaps, with an authority figure making final decisions when necessary.
Balancing Authority and Collaboration in Change Management: Lisa and Louis discussed the importance of balancing authority with open communication and feedback in change management, emphasizing that while listening to all stakeholders is crucial, maintaining clear leadership and project management is necessary to avoid inefficiency.
Authority Versus Feedback: Louis highlighted the recurring challenge of balancing authority with the need to listen to everyone and maintain a feedback loop, noting that some degree of traditional authority is still required for effective project execution.
Design by Committee Limitations: Lisa explained that while it's important to listen to people, projects cannot be designed by committee, and a balance must be struck between inclusivity and decisive leadership to reach effective compromises.
Role of Project Management: Lisa emphasized that change management cannot replace project management, and both authority and structured planning are essential components for successful project outcomes
Importance of Upfront Planning and Thinking Time: Lisa and Louis stressed the value of dedicating time to planning and thinking before launching into projects, suggesting that careful preparation reduces challenges later in the process.
Thinking Before Acting: Lisa pointed out that many people rush into projects without considering all relevant aspects, and advocated for taking time to plan and think through potential challenges before starting.
Long-Term Benefits of Preparation: Louis agreed with Lisa, stating that investing effort upfront leads to less pain later in the project, reinforcing the philosophy of 'walk before you run' for more effective project delivery.
About Lisa:
Lisa Hendry is an independent consultant with extensive experience in the recruitment space, specialising in system implementation and change management for small, medium and global organisations. If you're looking to successfully implement a new ATS/CRM, Lisa provides expert guidance for a smooth transition, offering project management, change management, process optimisation, data planning, and adoption strategies. Alternatively, if you want to maximise the potential of your existing system, Lisa offers strategic reviews and support to ensure your technology is working effectively for your team and your business. With a passion for making technology work for people, Lisa can provide the tailored support you need, whether it’s a comprehensive oversight or focused assistance on a specific challenge.
Contact Lisa: lisa.hendry.ltd@outlook.com
Connect on LinkedIn.
About Pump:
Pump is a recruitment ATS and CRM built on Microsoft’s scalable, AI-driven and connected cloud platform and embedded with market-leading sales acceleration software, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales Enterprise and Copilot for Dynamics 365, Teams and Outlook.