Success can be both specifically measurable and a conceptual mindset. Either way, success requires effort. In terms of an end-user technology roll out, it’s helpful to put faces to potentially abstract changes.

You can help to achieve the change you want by defining what is known as a “champion,” a person(s) who takes extraordinary interest in the implementation, adoption, and success of a project through evangelizing and working to overcome resistance to change. Champions should be identified early, should be peers of the end users, and should be considered subject matter experts within the team.

Champions keep us on a practical track for success and help make a project’s business outcomes reality. By setting the momentum and attitude of the end users upfront and working through the stages of the roll out, champions are our guiding lights. Not only can they help with training and communication, they are also a crucial source of information for management around positive and negative feedback from within an organization.

Characteristics of a Champion

  • Collaborative: Being a known and respected individual who has good interpersonal skills and can work across and up the organization.
  • Encouraging: Being an energetic advocate for the betterment of one’s self as well as being capable of exciting others. The motivation to help others with extra attention and mentoring is crucial.
  • Problem-Solver: Having prior knowledge and subject matter expertise to find solutions to complex issues.
  • Open-Minded: Being able to understand things from multiple angles and levels via feedback and critical thinking. Perceiving those needs and being receptive to what is ultimately needed for progress.

What a Champion Needs to Be Successful

  • Information and technical resources
  • Communication assistance to develop and promote the vision
  • Strategic deployment approach for long-term success and reinforcing technology needs
  • Support from the other teams involved (IT, Learning and Development, Marketing, VPs)
  • Targeted outcomes from the deployment

A Champion in Action

I had a colleague, Melissa, who came to her new company from another organization and had prior experience with Citrix products. She knew the value of Citrix Content Collaboration and wanted to make an immediate impact in her new role. She took the initiative to help improve her team’s day-to-day activities by working with her management and her Citrix team to put a plan in place to get adoption out of a tool they had been paying for but not using.

Her new company was averse to “The Cloud” and less knowledgeable in rolling out a SaaS product, so Melissa kept the project on track and smoothly worked through the phases of the roll out. In this case, she focused heavily on the knowledge-sharing aspect because her team was neither comfortable nor aware of the change needed to bring value to their everyday work. She noticed a few key patterns that helped improve iterations of the roll out and, over the course of two months, had her whole division actively using the new product. She has since spread interest in various parts of the organization for further ROI to the business overall!

Take Action Today!

Driving change as a champion can help keep life interesting by helping you learn and enabling you to take on new roles, all the while having a positive impact on your colleagues and your company.

If you are tasked with the deployment and success of Citrix products at your organization or feel like you can add value by becoming a champion, find your Customer Success Manager and reach out to start taking action!

— Matt Vita, Sr. Customer Success Manager