In the introduction to the Change Management Strategies Series I mention three major factors effecting change. These include an organized implementation
plan, communication, and management buy-in. This blog will focus on management buy-in. A direct report's level of engagement can be effected by information or business practices received by their manager. If a manager is resistant to change, often times the direct report will inherit the same attitude. Understanding that manager's need the same reassurances as direct reports all the way up the line will go a long way in solving this problem. Increasing manager buy-in can be done by developing test groups during the implementation process.
Each of the ideas above is geared toward including managers and allowing them to include their direct reports. Once managers start to use the LMS they will become promoters of the system (if you can successfully highlight all of the benefits). Using testing groups for manager buy in can increase adoption rates, reduce launch day glitches, create a positive stir in the organization about the LMS, and accomplish a lot of testing that the training department would have to do on their own.