Frustrated by All the New Software Platforms You’re Expected to Use? Ask Yogesh Sood
Dear Yogesh,
Recently, my company decided to roll out a new software that is supposed to ease our work in terms of providing the data to the sales team. Therefore, it became a part of my job to learn it, master it, and apply it to my work. Little did I know that learning and using this software would become such a wild goose chase. The modules that were provided to learn about the new software are not of much help. Also, it takes time to watch all those videos and learn through them. This means doing it on weekends or at night because I still have my job, which takes up all of my workdays.
The other problem is that there are people who don’t even bother to learn it and are using the same processes. Instead of being proficient with the new platforms, some of my team members have skipped learning the new modules.
Not just this, my company recently introduced a new platform for the process only to realize it didn’t do everything it needed it to do, so they tossed it and brought in another one. Those of us who took the pain and learned it now don’t have any other option but to think of it as a waste of time. We were literally punished for being good organizational citizens.
I believe that this is the new modern-day reality, and it is something I am not able to keep up with. And let me tell you, I am not a technophobic baby boomer. Can you help me?
Regards,
Poonam
Dear Poonam,
Considering a lot of people are suffering from such a system of whiplash, there are not many things that can be done to skip it; however, there are ways to master it. I discussed your concern with a few people to get some ideas for you. And here is what I have for you:
You can escalate your concerns to your boss or the admin team regarding the same. If you get lucky, your organization might listen to people for some relief and give credits to early adopters, and provide some training during the workdays that have a human touch so that keeping up is seen as part of the job and not extracurricular.
It is best if you start giving feedback or raising your concerns as soon as you adopt and start learning, letting everyone know you are the early adopter of the technology. That way, you might at least get recognized for your efforts.
Consider venting your problem to people who can actually do something about it. For instance, a senior executive can urge everyone to get along with new systems at the same time, so you don’t have to hustle with the old and the new.
One last thing, maybe stop being such a good organizational citizen and let others adapt to the new systems first. What is wrong with being the last one to adopt after knowing what to do from others? If your experience has not been great for learning early, maybe take better care of yourself and lag with the rest of the laggers.
Finally, I think such kind of technological advancements and changes are here to stay and the one who gets going. With each passing minute, there are coders coding and developing better versions of everything that we see.
The only silver lining I can see is that all of this new-age learning is good for our brains. As a millennial, that isn’t something you are concerned about yet. But if you are lucky, you will be soon enough.
Regards,
Yogesh Sood
The above is an adaptation of a blog written by Madeleine Homan Blanchard on FEBRUARY 12, 2022