Motivated employees who are enthusiastic about IT can pro-actively address the normality of continuous change and the resistance of their colleagues. They become the mouthpiece of their colleagues, departments and locations. Empirical psychological studies have shown that competence, autonomy and social integration are fundamental to intrinsic motivation. This means that users prefer to learn on their own or from their colleagues. Personal contacts create incentives for learning about new features and functions, which can benefit the entire company: Changes are accepted more easily and more quickly, which reduces the costs for training.
It is particularly during times of crisis that employees with IT expertise can take on an important pioneering role and disseminate success stories and knowledge in the company. A central platform (such as Yammer or Teams) can be used as a collaboration and communication tool and also enables the regular exchange of information. A relaxed and informal attitude ensures the required motivation, while banners and logos on profiles provide a sense of belonging and community. In this way, communities can replace the personal contact at the workplace, which is sometimes lacking. This can also be transferred to the contact between the community members and other colleagues. Some ideas include setting up virtual coffee and lunch breaks, or office hours for questions and suggestions. Therefore, the options for strengthening communities in times of crisis and using them as change management tools are unlimited. Companies also benefit from increased employee efficiency and motivation.
