User Experiment!

Sorry, this isn't very technical but I thought I'd just share an experiment
I just carried out with you!

As people have often said most people don't like change until it's happened
and they can see the definite benefits.  In the past 2 years since I joined
this company I've tried and successfully implemented a lot of changes.
We've gone from printing huge amounts of reports on big AS400 printers and
manually separating and distributing them to e-mailing Excel reports over
night, faxing and e-mailing purchase and sales orders, printing on local
small network printers where necessary etc etc etc.

Despite the obvious benefits that these changes have brought about change is
still greeted with scepticism and pessimism by the vast majority of users.
Most, once they see the benefits do change their minds but that doesn't seem
to alter their general attitude the next time round.

There is one user in particular that is just typical of this.  This morning,
after trying to persuade them that having your outside faxes e-mailed to you
rather than automatically printed on a fax machine wouldn't be a bad thing,
I thought I'd test something out.

They weren't at their desk but in the vicinity and so I went over and
pointedly said 'I just have to change something on your machine, I won't be
a minute...'.  I then just moved the mouse enough for the screen saver to go
then left.  Sure enough, I had barely had time to sit back down at my desk
before my phone rang ' I don't know what you changed but my machine is going
so much slower...'

Suicide rates are higher in a rapid period of growth than in a stable period
of economic stagnation and poverty.  Perception, fear of change, perception,
fear of change...

Anyway I thought I'd proved my point and thought I'd share the experiment.
Maybe some of you could try it with some of your worst culprits!

Jenny M.