Time after time companies face this scenario: they get real excited about IM communication. From there, they find the perfect instant messenger, talk to employees about using it, and hope for the best. But soon enough, something weird happens. The majority of employees go back to their comfort zone which includes communicating mainly via email and telephone.
Simply put, instant messaging is only good when you use it. If you are going to implement this communication tool into your company you have to make sure that the majority of people are going to give it a try. Yes, this is a new way of doing things and it does take something getting used to. But doesn’t everything? Once you use instant messaging for a few months it will become second nature. At that point, you will wonder why anybody is using email to send message back and forth, to schedule meetings, etc.
Don’t let this scare you away from using an instant messaging application. There are always going to be people who do not want to change. Remember, using this tool doesn’t mean that every employee has to stop sending emails or making phone calls. Instead, instant messaging can be used alongside these other modes of communication. Of course, if it ends up taking over that is fine as well.
Don’t let interoffice instant messaging die down. Now that you have a great system in place, you need to make sure that employees take advantage of it day in and day out.