How to Introduce Tech to a Team That’s Not Tech-Savvy

Not every workshop is full of “tech people.” In fact, most aren’t.

And that’s completely fine.

The job of a great system, whether it’s for tracking jobs, quoting, or logging time, isn’t to impress people. It’s to make life easier.

So when it’s time to bring in something new, especially digital tools, your goal isn’t to turn your team into tech experts. Your goal is to help them see that the change actually helps them, not just management.

Here’s how to introduce tech in a way that gets buy-in, not pushback.

Start With the Why

Before you show anyone a screen, explain what problem the tool is solving.

If your team thinks this is “just more admin,” they’ll resist. If they understand it will save them chasing paper dockets or being blamed for unclear job status, they’ll lean in.

It’s not about the software. It’s about what it does for them:

• “You won’t have to fill this out twice.”
  
  
• “You’ll know exactly what jobs are due next, without guessing.”
  
  
• “We can finally stop losing track of time on jobs.”
  
  

Show them what it fixes, not just what it does.

Make It Practical, Not Technical

Your team doesn’t need a user manual. They need a clear next step.

• “Here’s how you start a job.”
  
  
• “When you’re done, just tap this.”
  
  
• “If you need to leave a note, this is where it goes.”
  
  

That’s it.

No jargon. No deep menus. No long meetings.

The best way to teach is in context, on the floor, during the job, showing how it replaces something they already do. Not in a training room. Not in a PowerPoint.

Choose Tools That Feel Natural

If you’re asking your team to adopt tech, it needs to fit the environment.

• Tablets are better than desktop computers bolted to a wall
  
  
• Big buttons are better than tiny dropdowns
  
  
• Clean screens beat cluttered dashboards
  
  

If it takes more than two taps or a minute of thinking, it’s too much.

You don’t need all the bells and whistles. You just need something that lets them do the job without slowing down. Tech should reduce friction, not create it.

Let Them Try It (Then Ask for Feedback)

The fastest way to win people over is to let them prove it works themselves.

Run a side-by-side for a week. Let one person use the new tool while another runs the old process. Ask what they liked. What felt clunky. What they’d change.

Better yet, ask your most skeptical team member to be involved early. If they get on board, others will follow.

When people are involved in shaping how it’s used, they’re much more likely to support it.

Lead From the Front

If you’re introducing new tech, your team will watch what you do, not just what you say.

• If you ignore it, they’ll ignore it
  
  
• If you refer to it daily, they will too
  
  
• If you ask for updates through it, it becomes the norm
  
  

Back it with consistency. Support the team. Praise the small wins.

And expect a little resistance. That’s normal. But when people start to realise it’s helping them, not replacing them, attitudes shift quickly.

Final Word

Tech doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be perfect. And it definitely doesn’t have to feel like a burden.

It just has to work better than what came before.

When you introduce tools that are simple, practical, and solve real problems, and when you do it with your team, not to them, you get a workshop that runs sharper, with less friction.

That’s the real win. Not the app. Not the software.

The win is a team that’s on board, in control, and moving forward together.

Bonus Tip: If the boss doesn’t use it, no one else will either.

Run through this brief checklist with your team before your next rollout. It’s easier when everyone’s on the same page.