During one of our recent implementations at a large, prestigious Nonprofit organization, our counterpart at the organization was reviewing the data that was being converted to the new system, . She told us that she was concerned because the member data that needed to be imported was not up-to-date. As it turns out, most of the data that was being used on a daily basis was handled by each employee (in their own spreadsheets and documents). And the worst part: those same employees did not want to share that data.
Change Isn’t Easy
Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have heard this. Many organizations face this same challenge and the reasons for their resistance to give up the data often underscores a larger issue: they don’t want to change the way they do things. This can be a difficult hurdle to overcome and the horror stories the employees share can be compelling.
Protecting the Data
One such story revolves around a staff member having shared data in a previous job. Shortly after sharing her information, someone else in the company inadvertently sent an email to her contacts which angered them and caused her to have to answer for that other person’s mistake. This is a valid concern that can be alleviated by taking time to discuss proper security settings and providing an open line of communications between the staff and administrator.
My Contacts, My Data
One particular sticking point can occur when your team members are in a competitive environment with each other, such as a sales group. Many people believe that THEY own contact data, not the company. There are times where they have developed a strong relationship with a contact and do not want to give it up. The fact is, they may own the relationship but the data always belongs to the company. If the relationship is strong, then sharing that contact data will not impact that. At the end of the day, it’s very possible that they will give up some prospects that were not very fruitful and inherit some solid, productive relationships that lead to new business.
After all is said and done, there are many benefits to being part of a shared data environment such as Dynamics CRM. Improved data security, better access to data tools and support are just a few of the advantages of the shared data platform. Whenever resistance or challenges to data sharing arises, the key is to work with the user to see the benefits from a personal and corporate perspective, and mitigate the objections to help alleviate their concerns.
Contact Steve Kane at 301-634-2404 ([email protected]) to find out how BroadPoint Technologies, the premier , can help your organization to optimize its data and keep everyone on the same page.
