Written by Geoff Ables, C5 Insight Blog.
A successful SharePoint project can be a game changer. But it can also be a challenge. In fact, SharePoint and other projects like it are predicted to fail to meet their stated objectives 60% to 80% of the time.
Why Rate Your SharePoint?
One of the core problems with SharePoint is this: success depends on who you ask. Some users will say that SharePoint is adding tremendous value to their jobs, others may recall problems that were resolved years ago as a problem, and others may point out valid shortcomings that are hampering their success.
In the “fog of battle” it can be difficult for a SharePoint project leader to determine if their project is successful or not; and what areas to focus on improving.
The reality is that SharePoint projects serve a broad range of objectives across a broad range of users. They are a living, growing, learning, system. And, as such, they will never achieve top ratings for every scenario.
Rating your SharePoint project can deliver a more structured way to listen to your users, understand their priorities and frustrations, connect with them to improve the most important areas, and know where and how your efforts are paying off. Want to keep it simple? Practice the LUCK principle:
· Listen to your users
· Understand their priorities and challenges
· Connect with them by improving the most crucial areas
· Know how you’ve improved your results and where you need to focus next
How to Benchmark SharePoint?
Just like you want to improve your LUCK with SharePoint users, SharePoint itself is designed to improve LUCK within an organization. Consider how SharePoint is being used by your teams to improve their LUCK:
· Listening to each other and sharing information
· Understanding the conversation by being able to quickly and easily find the information that they’re looking for and make better decisions
· Connect by delivering a better experience to colleagues and customers
· Know what their individual and team results are so that they can continuously improve
To get you started, my team has created a “Rate My SharePoint” ebook. You can click here to download it and use it as-is, or as a starting point to design your own survey.
What Next?
Share the feedback – along with how you plan to apply it to make improvements – with your users and your project leadership team. Nothing makes a team feel more listened to than to see that their voice was not only heard, but that it is being acted upon. You may even find that you get more engagement from everyone after you’ve done this a few times.
Remember that this kind of feedback is a benchmark – not a one-time survey. Keep the questions consistent and re-ask your users every 3, 6 or 12 months. Use the feedback to track and celebrate where you’ve improved, and to identify where SharePoint needs more work.
About the Author
Geoff Ables is author of the bestselling, The LUCK Principle. In 2002 Ables founded C5 Insight, a digital workplace and customer experience consulting firm, which has twice been named to Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing companies. Now a sought-after thought leader on customer and employee engagement, he consults and speaks globally.