NGUI Training...Training what Kronos Says Doesn't Need Training

So a few years ago, I was shopping with my wife and she found what must have been the most beautiful sweater ever made. The color and fabric were perfect for me; it was cool! I know this because those were her exact words. Anyway, I tried it on and found it to be a little itchy. "Don't worry about it," my wife replied, "that will go away after a few washings, besides, it's on sale!" Well, guess what, it's been washed 10 to 15 times by now, and though it still looks cool, the thing continues to itch like crazy. I purchased something I really liked, but was less than happy with so I could save money.

So most of you have heard about NGUI; the new user interface is out there (well, honestly it's been out for about two years, but now we are really starting to see it being used) and Kronos is telling us that it is so intuitive that training for it should be minimal—if needed at all. Now I'm not saying that Kronos eats kids or anything, and maybe I'm biased, being a trainer and all, but I am pretty skeptical about this. Before you think I'm anti-Kronos, let me say a few things. First, the NGUI is cool. Really cool. The Manager/Supervisor/Timekeeper level of user should really like this. It's very easy to use, pretty darn intuitive and is a natural progression in the "give the user what they need and nothing else" theme Kronos started with Workforce Genies way back in version 4. BUT (I know you were waiting for it) no matter how cool NGUI is, is it intuitive enough to disregard training?  No.

First, and we all know this, Kronos creates all sorts of new and (somewhat) interesting new terms with almost every new application, and NGUI is no different. Learning the language, be it column sets widgets or alerts, is important to truly understanding and communicating about anything—especially in technology.

Secondly, even though most of the things you see in widgets or alerts are pretty familiar to a user, they are not the same. Processes are still in place, and getting through those processes is different. Time must be taken to navigate the NGUI, (navigate the Navigator, get it?) and to understand the steps necessary to complete a process. Yes, every step is there in the Navigator, but how do I access each one? How do I complete the step? Where do I go next? These are all questions that will be asked by the user, and can't be answered without training. Kronos is making strides in processing for these users, but they aren’t there yet.  

Finally, you are simply going to have users that will be anxious, or possibly unwilling to try the new NGUI without training. Fear is a powerful motivator for change, but it also motivates people to maintain the status quo—to remain static. Here’s why: Who wants to make a mistake? Who wants to look stupid? Who wants to fail? There are a lot of these people out there and they need support via training.

So what do I suggest? It's impossible to say without understanding your organization (and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to make a quick sale!). Analysis is required to understand the needs your users have, the environment they work in, and their views toward technology; analysis is key to begin to understand what type of training plan would best meet your goals of user adoption moving forward with the NGUI… Otherwise it will just keep “itching,” and that's not cool.