New year, new changes ahead: preparing your people for geospatial change

January 11, 2024

Charlene Nielsen

If your organization is planning changes that will impact familiar geospatial workflows, our two-day workshop can help you create an actionable roadmap to successfully prepare your people.

Is your organization planning big changes in 2024 that involve your GIS workflows? Are you on a course to migrate from one system to another, implement something new or expand your existing operations? Getting started can be a challenge, and so can getting people on board with the transformations their familiar workflows are likely to undergo.

“We are the ones we have been waiting for” is a quote from author June Jordan (and borrowed by prominent leaders). These words fit with preparing for change because it is we, the people, who make our organizations work, adapt and improve. in other words, change happens one person at a time.

What kinds of geospatial change will impact your organization’s people? Implementing ArcGIS from scratch, migrating from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro, moving from or expanding ArcGIS Enterprise to ArcGIS Online, and converting from paper-based data collection methods to digital mobile field work are common changes that you might be heading for.

In our two-day course entitled Preparing for Change, which is based on the Prosci methodology for supporting individuals during and after change, we explore these and other GIS-specific cases.

An arrow saying “Successfully go from old to new by supporting the people side of change” crosses from a black-and-white image of a stationary vintage car over to a sleek 3D model of a futuristic car moving at high speed.

Esri Canada consultants and instructor-led software training courses are always available to help with the technological side of change; the two-day Preparing for Change workshop provides you with a practical roadmap to address the people side of change.

As Esri- and Prosci-certified change practitioners, we guide you in building your preparations, based on the first phase of the popular Prosci ADKAR model of change management. These foundational steps include:

documenting the strategic implications of ArcGIS adoption at all levels of the organization;
gaining a comprehensive understanding of impacted stakeholders;
establishing a support and sponsorship framework to ensure long-term successful adoption; and
communicating effectively by understanding the organizational impacts of new technology from the perspective of executives, managers and employees who are Influencers and change agents involved in ArcGIS projects and user adoption initiatives.

You’ll spend the Preparing for Change course setting up your roadmap, but thanks to our expert instructors, you’ll also walk away with the ability to better help your organization embrace the transformations that will result from the changes it’s about to undergo.

Here are a few resources to get your motor running:

Attending Preparing for Change is a great way to start adopting new workflows and getting meaningful results with ArcGIS technology. Remember, change happens one person at a time, and now is a great time to start down the road to successful geospatial change.

Our next session of Preparing for Change (to be held in English) is coming up in February 2024. Register now to help your organization navigate the changes that are coming.

Want to stay informed about all the latest training opportunities at Esri Canada? Visit Esri Canada’s Communication Preference Centre and select the “Training” checkbox to get a monthly roundup straight to your inbox.