Making Transitions Simple: Mind the Gap

Last night I decided to brave the storm and travel home with the rest of the masses during London rush hour. In hindsight this was probably not the best idea and I think in future I’ll stick to my method of staying late in the office to avoid the tidal wave of commuters trying to make it home in time for dinner and the latest Hollyoaks infusion.

Now I know that the London Underground comes under a lot of fire but they don’t really do themselves any favours do they?
Trying to board a South bound Northern Line train in peak hour traffic is like Posh Spice trying to pack her stilettos into six jumbo suitcases: an uncomfortable struggle.

But surely Underground staff are aware that when the clock strikes five, an influx of eager travellers will shortly bombard their small station in a flurry of sweating bodies and tangled umbrellas. In anticipation of this swift current of commuters surely it would make sense to open more of the access gates to allow for the ocean-like swell of travellers entering the station, as opposed to the slow trickle of those exiting.

The result of this thoughtlessness is a long line of red faces, making a slow progression to the only two access gates available, a disgruntled scowl fixed in place. Occasionally one irate traveller, having endured a similar experience when “popping in” to Top Shop to quickly grab the two for one pyjama set advertised in today’s Metro, will incur a straw-that-broke-the-camel’s-back moment and let an unsuspecting London Underground employee know exactly how they feel about the lack of initiative and consideration shown.
Had the Underground staff anticipated this inevitable situation and made accommodations for it, instead of simply believing that to provide the necessary transport was enough, a smoother and more pleasant journey for customers, fewer complaints, and a happier atmosphere would’ve been achieved.

In comparison, how often do we treat our employees or customers in this way? We require our staff and customers to upgrade to the latest version of a particular piece of software, a new database system or a more advanced program, but don’t aid them in this transition. Instead, we simply send them away with the equipment and let them figure it out for themselves.

With the introduction of the new Windows Vista, it is essential that staff and customers are given guidance and training on how to install and use the software. Employer’s need to ensure that staff are given sufficient time to navigate their way through the software and should make sure that this upgrade is made as easy as possible. Provisions need to be made ahead of time so customers and staff alike aren’t left with that frustrated feeling of knowing that things could have been planned in advance but have been overlooked or neglected, reminiscent of our fed up London Underground commuters.

So the next time you want to introduce a new product, service or program to your clients or employees, stop and think; have you made all the provisions necessary to take the stress factor out of the transition?