Putting People First: Human-Centered Approaches to Large-Scale Digital Transformations

The success of large-scale digital transformation projects is often measured solely by the technical aspects of implementation, such as timelines, budgets, data integrity, and user adoption. These are critical success factors—but they aren't the only ones. Too often, success criteria overlook the human dimension of these monumental undertakings.

As higher education professionals, we tend to treat these massive projects as exceptions to normal operations that we can power through with sufficient determination and "grit" despite their demand for so many of our institutional resources. But as institutions manage growing needs for large-scale digital transformation efforts, whether they are cyclical and anticipated (such as enterprise resource planning [ERP] transitions) or unforeseen and unique (such as disaster recovery or institutional artificial intelligence [AI] solution development), positioning the human element as a success factor cannot and should not be overlooked.

Neglecting the well-being of individuals during projects like these can lead to significant setbacks for both the people and the projects. Teams need adequate support and capacity to be successful. Large-scale digital transformations are likely to strain even solid relationships—especially since normal operations are expected to continue uninterrupted despite the increased workload. By prioritizing people in these efforts, colleges and universities can cultivate a healthy culture that values relationships, inclusive excellence, and individual well-being while delivering successful institutional outcomes.

During a panel discussion at the 2024 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, we—as leaders representing three higher education institutions and one corporate partner—discussed the critical importance of prioritizing people in large-scale digital transformations. In particular, we explored the impact of change on a variety of groups and individuals across institutions, highlighting the need for empathy, communication, and support throughout the process.^Footnote1 In this article, we share our success stories and lessons learned, as well as those generously shared by session participants.

Fostering Well-Being

Discussions about ERP implementations and other large-scale projects often focus on timelines and metrics as "objective" indicators of success. That may be because measuring and monitoring individual team members' well-being during a stressful project can be challenging and complex.

Yet, as leaders, we understand that large-scale projects will likely impact our teams and the individuals within them. We know, for instance, that when we are transitioning to a solution that requires changes to processes, some folks are likely to have anxiety related to their perceived ability to learn the new system or associated processes, particularly after years of using the previous system. Within IT departments and other functional areas, this anxiety can lead some team members to retire or resign rather than learn the new system—just when their experience is needed the most. We also know that large-scale projects can create additional challenges, such as time management, work-life balance, and anxieties related to the pace of change.

The well-being of our teams and the individuals within them can influence morale, productivity, and long-term project success. As leaders, we must be mindful of and help manage team members' well-being.

During our panel discussion, we asked session attendees how they gauge the well-being of the people on their teams. Here are some of the tools and metrics they suggested:

• Individual check-ins
• Casual chats
• Polls and surveys
• Climate or engagement surveys (campus and team)
• Team gatherings during work or outside of work
• Turnover/attrition
• "How are you feeling" scales

In addition to the options above, scheduling regular individual and team pulse checks—asking specific questions about well-being, helping individuals prioritize time and tasks, and offering training and support resources—can be helpful. Remember the importance of self-care. Taking care of your health and well-being gives you the capacity to support others.

Well-Being Success Story: Travel Connections

During our conference session, one panelist shared a story of how increased remote work has allowed team members to be located outside the immediate geographic area of the institution. To maintain personal connections and a culture of care, this leader makes a point to meet remote team members in person when traveling to or near their area; they also pay for travel to the university to encourage attendance at celebrations for major project milestones. Meeting in person with remote team members sends the message that they are important and valued. It also provides an opportunity to discuss sensitive topics that may not come up during online meetings.

Empathetic Leadership: Culture of Care

Fostering empathy, communication, and support facilitates individual and team well-being, cultivating a culture of care across the organization.

While leaders cannot be solely responsible for organizational culture, we can help shape it through intentional actions. We can promote communication by encouraging active listening and creating a space where feedback flows freely in all directions. We can foster empathy by acknowledging and celebrating team members' unique experiences, inviting them to contribute their personal experiences and stories, and sharing our own. We can cultivate a growth mindset by seeking and offering opportunities to learn from others and encouraging our teams to do the same.

As leaders, we are charged with advancing institutional strategies and priorities. As empathetic leaders, we also care deeply about the humans on our teams, and—especially with the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response—we have a growing appreciation for the complexity of people's lives.

We asked our audience at the 2024 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference how they have modeled empathetic leadership. Here are some of the strategies they shared:

• Listening
• Being transparent
• Responding to concerns
• Welcoming bad news and working through challenges
• Asking how people are doing
• Seeking feedback
• Validating feelings
• Emphasizing life outside of work
• Monitoring how work is assigned and being mindful of capacity to ensure that workloads are reasonable
• Providing flexible work schedules
• Sharing about myself, including my failures
• Being a person
• Being present
• Modeling work-life balance
• Providing support for professional development

Empathetic Leadership Success Story: Caregiving

While ERP implementation projects have hard deadlines and milestones that are tracked across the institution, it's important to remember that the people working on these projects are also navigating personal responsibilities and life events—such as caregiving responsibilities, life changes, or emergencies. One panelist shared how they supported an employee while that team member was navigating a personal emergency. The circumstances required the team member to stay with their family in a different time zone from the institution and most other team members for an extended period. The panelist offered flexible remote and shift work schedules to support the team member's circumstances. The panelist also held regular check-ins with the employee to ensure their project workload was manageable and allowed them to take the time required to care for themselves and their family. Although implementation projects can be demanding, leaders must foster a culture of care that prioritizes empathy and employee well-being, knowing their team members are the backbone of the institution's success.

Change Management: Need for Empathy, Communication, and Support

The intense pace of some large projects, combined with the enormous scope of the change, affects project teams and the broader campus community. What adjustments can we make when we observe signs of stress and strain?

Communication is key when managing change, but too often, it becomes rushed. Dedicating sufficient time and resources to develop a robust communication plan with clear, targeted messages can yield substantial gains. Involving institutional leaders and stakeholders early in any change management process can help anticipate and address unexpected obstacles and generate buy-in for the project and its outcomes. Some institutions have adopted formal change management frameworks. Although these frameworks can help with communication and support, they typically don't include formal structures to support an empathetic approach.

We asked our audience at the 2024 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference how they gauge individual and team wellness, as well as the health of their relationships with other institutional leaders, during large projects. Here are some of the strategies and best practices they shared:

• Individual check-ins
• Workload analysis
• Knowing team members well enough to understand if they are challenged or having a bad day

Change Management Success Story: Empathy for All Campus Community Members

Digital transformation projects can affect every member of the campus community—be caring and empathetic to them all. Transparency and effective communication are crucial. Partnering with the functional areas helps communicate to everyone on campus that this is not just an IT project—it has shared impacts and benefits. Starting communication and change management as early in the process as possible is essential, as people need time to understand and adapt to changes. One panelist shared that their institution's human resources department found success with a new weekly email series called Policy Tuesdays. With each email, they proactively shared a policy or process change that would be implemented when the new ERP went live. The authors made it clear that the changes were not caused by the new system but rather that the new system provided an opportunity to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and ensure compliance.

Another effective strategy is creating a representative group of campus stakeholders to bolster and align communications. Assemble people who hold key roles in academic and administrative units (directors, managers, department coordinators, budget managers, and operational staff). Set up this group at least one year before the go-live date and convene regularly. Share information (even if it's preliminary) early and be forthcoming so stakeholders can observe and, as feasible, participate in the decision-making process. Charge group members with bidirectional communication, empowering them to share information with their respective units and bring questions from their colleagues to the group. This structure also provides opportunities for group members to become campus leaders. Keep this group active after the go-live date, as this is when change becomes real for them and members of their units. Use the group to collect feedback and acknowledge and validate their concerns. Use group members' input and questions to frame and illustrate the improvements they inspired, emphasizing that their feedback and participation made a difference.

Conclusion

Prioritizing the well-being of people is essential to the success of large-scale digital transformations. Use these projects not just as technical undertakings but also as community-building endeavors. We have the opportunity to be transformative in ways that can result in both a stronger community and better technology capabilities.

Fostering a culture of care helps to create conditions that support individuals and teams, improving employee retention. Empathetic leadership and a human-centered approach can lead to stronger project outcomes and help build a more resilient institution.

Note

1. Brandon Bernier, Shannon Dunn, Barron Koralesky, Sowmya Shankar, Sherri Yerk-Zwickl, "Leadership Lessons for Human-Centered ERP Implementation and Other Large-Scale Digital Transitions," panel presentation, EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, Austin, TX, October 23, 2024. Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.↩

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Shannon Dunn is Director of Strategic Team Operations at Vantage Technology Consulting Group.

Sherri Yerk-Zwickl is Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Campbell University.

Sowmya Shankar is Integrations Development Team Lead at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Barron Koralesky is Chief Information Officer at Williams College.