Discuss the tool early and often, if possible. The team should not feel blindsided by a new change. Make sure they know the change is coming as early as possible. This will help them prepare for an introduction or migration to the new tool.
Ask for feedback from key stakeholders. You could get great feedback on features that you may have overlooked without asking for their expertise. You can solicit this feedback by requesting their input about functionality or have them list features in order of priority. The key is to create an opportunity for stakeholders to provide their feedback and allow you to incorporate their feedback into next steps.
Involve the key stakeholders in demonstrations as you get closer to making the final decision on the project tracking tool. You will be able to leverage key stakeholders’ acceptance by letting them test the product or sign up for a trial run. It is also important to make sure that the tool is actually going to meet the mark and provide a meaningful change for the project. You may want to pull in key users from your team to test and familiarize themselves with the tool prior to rolling it out. This will allow the team to get on board with your plans or discuss their concerns beforehand. This will also highlight in-house experts for future training, assistance, and implementation.
Ensure the tool is fully functional before the team is introduced to it. Whenever possible, hold off from introducing the tool if it still has any issues. Make sure the tool is accessible for all users. Keep in mind, your team members may resist a tool that doesn’t live up to how it is supposed to function. This will impact implementation and acceptance fairly significantly, so put your best tool forward!
Set up training for the tool as needed before you ask the team to actually use it. Everyone has different levels of comfort with different tools. It is your job as the project manager to ensure that each team members’ needs are addressed. Setting up training also helps create positive first impressions, which will lead to higher productivity and quicker, more successful implementation and acceptance.