By Jennifer Shaheen, The Technology Therapist®
As featured in Women & Biz magazine and WomensRadio.com

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Right now some of you are nodding in agreement and others are wondering: “if this is such a big problem why have I not heard about it before?” The answer is simple. People grumble, but accept this as part of the status quo because “that’s the way it has been since they put these computer things in.”

Companies invest in computer software to make life easier. For many of us it has. However, in mid-size companies and growing corporations there are many factors that cause a drop in department morale based on technology skills. The problem begins due to one of these five causes:

1. Upper management. One of the greatest sources of morale problem begins at this level. Here’s why. Executives are so busy doing their jobs they usually don’t have time – or make time – to take computer training sessions. Very often they are traveling or busy doing other things and they know just enough to get by. The other reason these skills are not learned is because they have a team to support them. As long as the team knows, why do they need to learn it? After all, they’re too busy with other “more important” things.

The downside to this mentality is other members of the team begin to resent cleaning up the executive’s mistakes. They begin to say; “If he / she doesn’t care then why should I?” Everyone becomes frustrated, tasks take twice as long, and morale begins to decline. Think about the money wasted on help desk personnel answering the same question over and over from the same executive.

2. Different Backgrounds. All employees come from different backgrounds and different schools. Some people may have had wonderful teachers and experience, while others may have had terrible teaching or none at all. With so many people coming from so many backgrounds, companies take for granted that if someone’s resume says they know Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, they really do. Assuming your new hire has the software experience, how do you know they learned things correctly? How can you be sure they know the fastest way to complete that PowerPoint Presentation?

3. Company Standards / Templates. There are many companies out there that have spent lots of time and money creating a corporate identity. Then, when staff members have to create a new presentation or new Word document they are on their own. Few organizations make company-wide or even department-wide templates and standards for employees to use when they get started.

4. Inheriting Files. One of the worst things that can happen is people inheriting documents from previous employees who have either left the organization or been promoted. Team members try to adapt these documents with little understanding about why they were organized or created in the style they are in now, or what the purpose(s) of these documents are. This happens many times with Excel spreadsheets. Users follow steps and don’t even understand what the formula is. Many people figure out the numbers with a calculator and then type the number in the spreadsheet. This wastes time, causes future delays for updating numbers, and begins to annoy co-workers who understand and use formulas.

5. Reliable, Dependable Co-Workers. Many times on a team there is a person who is very efficient with technology. All the non-efficient users turn to them for help. While you may be thinking this is a great example of teamwork, this is not the case here. When people turn to co-workers and help desk staff members for help, usually the co-worker ends up doing the work with them or for them. You are now losing two people to one job. On top of that, the efficient user begins to feel used, thinking “if I have to help that person one more time, who’s going to help me with my work?” Most importantly the efficient user begins to feel frustrated that their co-workers don’t care enough to learn or try to do things on their own. This person will begin to look for a new job very soon.

These five causes appear in many organizations and over time cause a breakdown in team morale and communication skills. Now that we have identified some of the causes for the problem, we can begin to examine how to recognize if the problem exists in your organization.

One way to begin is to create a confidential survey of your co-workers asking questions about what software they need improvement using. How often do they seek help from co-workers on the software they are using? You may also want to add some background questions on the last time they took a computer class, how they felt about what they learned, and how much they retained. Ask users if they feel there could be an easier or faster way to accomplish tasks in different computer programs. Do they feel frustrated with their computer and why?

Survey technical workers separately. Ask your help desk staff what the most popular questions are from employees. Do they find the same users calling frequently with the same problem? What do they feel the most frustrated about when offering support? About what skills should users be more understanding or knowledgeable?
Company employees don’t want to come to work and deal with frustration. Many want to learn a better or faster way of working. To do this, we first have to take the time to listen to them. Talk about what would make their lives more efficient and help make projects go smoothly.

I have found after seven years of training people on computer skills that people want to learn, they want to get better at what they do, and they don’t like feeling overwhelmed when it comes to technology. Working on the computer is not a solitary action in any company. If you have ever felt frustrated when it comes to your computer software, imagine what a team of individuals is going through. Take action today to make your workplace more productive tomorrow.

©The Technology Therapy Group, LLC
Jennifer Shaheen - The eMarketing and Technology Therapist

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