Lightning Series #5: User Adoption

With the advent of Lightning, there is a lot to consider.  As you have seen in our previous posts, Redpath worked through many functionality considerations before flipping the switch on.  Today, I am going to talk a bit more about the cognitive considerations to Lightning.

Lightning presents a whole new way to use Salesforce.  From the home page down to the setup menu, each of the pages looks differently.  While the end result of data being created/updated is similar, getting to this end result can be completely different.  Because the look and feel (or in some cases the process) changes, there are a plethora of cognitive considerations when thinking about user adoption.

One thing that comes to mind right away is the potential slowdown in user speed when first adjusting to Lightning.  Simply put, the interface is different.  For end users it will take some time getting used to doing simple things like updating a record, creating an activity, or going to a list view.  For System Admins, there is even more to consider than slight front-end differences. Back end configuration like adding a field or updating a validation rule might take longer because of the new interface setup.

When we did our testing, this was one of the biggest hurdles we had to overcome.  Using Lightning for the first time felt like a PC user being forced to operate on a Mac.  Previously simple actions which could be done in a matter of seconds, took minutes.  In the back of our minds, we had to combat, the “I know there is a quicker way” mindset with “Lightning will be as quick if not quicker once we get the hang of it.”  As someone implementing Lightning, it is important to be aware of this.  Keeping people positive and recognizing there is a learning curve to Lightning are two ways to work through this.  Also, hosting lunch and learns where people can share how they’re navigating the new Lightning interface efficiently can go a long ways.

A friend of mine once did a Ted Talk about the idea of unlearning.  This Ted Talk introduced me to the concept of unlearning – to discard something that has been learned.  When I think of Lightning, I think a lot about unlearning.  Unlearning to view a related list I need to scroll.  Unlearning to look to the top of the page to see all of the tabs.  Unlearning that standard and custom objects are in two separate places within setup.

By unlearning the ins and outs of Classic, it opens our mind to learn how to use Lightning.  Also, by unlearning, we can get rid of all of the residual bad habits/workarounds we used while in Classic.  Because let’s face it, Classic wasn’t perfect.  The hope is that with Lightning, we get a new slate that we can use and develop more efficient habits.

As Mike Gerholdt taught us at last year’s Dreamforce, the road to Lightning is more than flipping the switch and throwing confetti.  System Admins are incredible human beings in how they have such a diverse skillset.  Who knew that flipping the switch to Lightning would involve as much about psychology as it does technical abilities?!