Plenty of organizations have tried to implement an online collaboration platform and failed, so they are hesitant to try again. In my experience, there are a few key points which will make the adoption of online collaboration successful.

1. Online collaboration: Making it work for your
organization
Pauline Yau, Public Sector Engagement Manager, Huddle
In my role as a customer engagement manager
here at Huddle, I frequently get asked how other
organizations have made online collaboration
work for them. Plenty of organizations have tried
to implement an online collaboration platform and
failed, so they are hesitant to try again. In my
experience, there are a few key points which will
make the adoption of online collaboration
successful.
1. Identify a project / program / campaign where there is a true need for online collaboration
All too often, I see an online collaboration tool that has been forced into an existing project or
program, which doesn’t actually require it. If the established ways of working aren’t broken, why try
and fix them? The most successful implementations I’ve worked with have used online collaboration
from the outset. The tool/service has been integrated into processes from the very beginning of the
project / program /campaign /consultation and as the work expands and grows, the online
collaboration tool becomes a valuable resource for content (both past and present) and sharing
knowledge.
2. A little bit of top-down pressure and leading by example goes a long way
If you want the members of your project / program /campaign /consultation to use the tool you’ve
implemented, practice what you preach! Get senior people involved and get them to use the tool.
People are more inclined to adopt new technology if they see that the management team is using it
too and not just trying to implement new technology for the sake of it.
3. Make sure you establish best practice from the outset
One of the frequent complaints I hear about using online collaboration is: “I used it once and got
inundated with email notifications.” If you’ve made the decision that your project is going to use an
online collaboration tool then set some policies about how your users will use it before you roll it
out. You wouldn’t copy everyone in a project onto every email you ever send; likewise there’s no
need to notify every user of everything you ever do in your online collaboration tool. Think about
what you’re going to use the tool for. Is it going to be a file repository and if so, how do you want
your users to contribute their content to it? Do your users need to sign up to a code of conduct
before being allowed into the tool? As the project expands, how will the use of the tool evolve; do
you create sub-groups or new folders within one large group? A bit of forward planning doesn’t go
amiss.

2. 4. Make it the only way to access useful or vital information
If you email information that everyone needs to access as well as uploading it into your online
collaboration tool, people have no reason to login. The one surefire way to drive your users into
your online collaboration tool is to make it the only place to get the information they need to do
their job.
5. Engage, engage, engage!
Make your online collaboration tool a pretty place to be. Don’t invite users into a blank canvas – I
can guarantee that most of them won’t bother coming back. Before you invite your users in,
populate it with information your users will find useful. Spend a little time customizing it as much as
your tool allows. Turn off access to areas that won’t be used so users don’t get distracted. If you are
able to upload logos or branding, do it so that your users feel like they’re coming in to a familiar
place. Populate your user profile and encourage your users to do the same. People like seeing
everyone else’s photos and establishing who is actually on their team.
The most successful implementations of online collaboration that I’ve seen have followed these
steps. They’re simple, but believe me they work!