Localist Onboarding Team Prep
Building the Onboarding Team
Here's who should be on your roster:
- Platform Lead (required) -the main point of contact during onboarding and throughout the organization's time with Localist.
- Technical Lead- this person will work with the Platform Lead to bring technical expertise and insight specific to the organization's setup.
- Onboarding Teammates - additional team members who will also become well versed in Localist to assist with the onboarding process.
Appointing a Platform Lead
The Platform Lead will act as a liaison between internal admins/stakeholders and your Localist Onboarding Specialist. Think you're the one for the job? We connected with the experts--our customers--on what qualities and team players they believe help make calendar magic happen! We’ve rounded up their advice below to help you appoint your very own Platform Lead.
- A passion for technology and events.
- A collaborative mindset that is adaptive to new technology and open to different approaches.
- Previous onboarding experience with enterprise software, or is able to assemble an onboarding ‘dream team’ and pass the torch when necessary.
- Honest with oneself about their abilities, workload, etc. and able to communicate this with your internal team.
- Appreciates a consultative approach to support mixed with an occasional cat GIF.
Additionally, this role will be responsible for the following key tasks:
- Setting attainable goals and priorities.
- Outlining a timeline and roll out plan.
- Communicating updates to all stakeholders, including your Onboarding Specialist.
The Five Principles of Onboarding
Once you have appointed a Platform Lead, it's time to bring your team together to review and understand what is expected of them during the onboarding process. The following Five Principles are our guiding principles that will ensure your team is officially in the onboarding mindset.
1. Know Your Why
Why are you implementing Localist and what is the expected outcome of launching your new platform? Implementing any new software brings along with it a season of transition. Embrace your "why"--live it and breathe it--as you evaluate new processes and solutions to your goals.
2. Trust The Process
Our tried and true onboarding process has stood the test of time. You can trust that your Onboarding Specialist’s recommendations are rooted in industry best practices and what we know has made other organizations just like yours successful.
3. Explore
It's tempting to push full steam ahead, but take some time to get to know your new Localist platform. Page through our Knowledge Base. Browse our Classroom of recordings (popcorn optional). Build a Widget, create a Channel, test a Bulletin Campaign! Keep in mind that your platform is still under construction and not yet live, so feel free to get your hands dirty and explore all that it has to offer.
4. Communicate
A healthy onboarding thrives on communication. Your Onboarding Specialist is here to provide guidance, so questions are not only expected, but encouraged! Proactively communicating changes in priorities or timelines, will ensure your Onboarding Specialist hits the brakes or revs up their engine with proactive check-ins and pointers at the appropriate cadence. Additionally, CC'ing all involved parties on communications will empower your team to be confident that onboarding is moving along with everyone in step.
5. Focus On The Big Picture
Onboarding is about progress, not perfection. Until your platform has been out in the wild and you receive feedback from your community, you won’t really know what needs to be fine tuned. Looking at the big picture and keeping sight of your "why" will help keep you on track for a timely calendar launch!
Goal Reflection
The last step in preparing your team for onboarding is reflecting on your past experience and what goals you'd like to accomplish with Localist. We highly encourage teams to be on the same page with regards to the following to ensure a smooth transition:
1. On a scale of 1-10, where does Localist fall as a priority?
- Are there other projects in your pipeline?
2. What are your short term and long term goals?
- What metrics will you be using to measure success?
3. What are your team's strengths and weaknesses in terms of implementing enterprise software?
- What are you most excited about? What are your concerns?
4. What most frustrates you about your current solution? What do you enjoy most about your current solution?
- What prompted switching to Localist? What are your priorities for admins vs. your audience?
5. When would you ideally like to roll out your platform to your community?
- Will you be rolling out all at once or in phases?