Making the decision to switch to cloud server hosting can be a tough one, especially when you know that it will be met with resistance. One of the most common excuses to leave things as they are is based on the very old adage “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” While this can apply to many areas and fields, technology isn’t one of them. In an industry where technology is out of date in less than a year, change is necessary, even if it less than welcome. Here are five things you can do to help alleviate the natural aversion to change.

1. Include Key Players in the Decision Making Process

While this seems like common sense, it is too easy to get caught up in the end result and forget about the importance of how to get there. You have a team who has the skills and knowledge to understand what is required to effectively transition to cloud server hosting, and their input will be invaluable to the process.

Establish a meeting or short series of meetings to discuss the transition with the team. This will not only maximize the amount of time they have to plan and prepare; this will help them see the benefits. Having this team’s approval will help persuade others that it is the right thing to do at the time of transition.

2. Provide as Much Warning as Possible

The best thing you can do is to communicate the coming change to all employees as soon as you know when the implementation is scheduled. Alert employees early in the process to give them time to get acclimated, ask any questions they have and adapt to the change.

To announce the change, you can send out an email informing employees of the change, or you can hold a brief meeting. The email or meeting can be relatively short and provide basic information, such as why you decided to make the change, when it will occur and the benefits the company and employees will receive.  You can include an FAQ to help answer additional questions.

3. Detail the Benefits of the Change

You already know what the benefits are included in the transition to cloud server hosting – but many employees are still unsure of what the cloud is, let alone how they can benefit from it. Prepare a brief document that lists the positive aspects that directly affect your employees. For companies that include incentives for reducing cost or have profit sharing options for employees, adding exactly how much is being saved will more quickly validate the change.

4. Communicate Updates and Changes to the Transition Plan

First it’s important to make sure that the schedule you set is realistic. An unrealistic schedule can cause too many changes; people will lose confidence in the outcome and be uncomfortable and unsupportive during the implementation. For these reasons, try to build a bit of a buffer in the timeframe for the unexpected. And if the unexpected occurs, notify people of the adjusted schedule as soon as possible.

5. Document the Changes

Although everyone will be required to make adjustments, you’ll want to minimize surprises for when the company-wide change implementation arrives.

Providing a cheat sheet for employees before the change will give everyone the information to understand exactly what they need to do, how long it will take and allow them time to prepare for the change. Your cloud services provider is a great resource for helpful information you can use when developing your own “adopting change” documents.

There is a lot to do to effectively prepare for this transition to cloud server hosting. Communication is key and educating people is very important. A cloud services provider can help you prepare documentation and provide answers to common questions; talk with a Marco Cloud Specialist to begin your transition to cloud server hosting.