My SUN (Super User Network) fell apart after our project. Now what?

This is one of the MOST common things we hear! Super User teams start falling apart after a project ends. I’ve heard this time and time again through experience with many companies, as well as from our Leader Board and members of our community.

 This outcome is PREDICTABLE.

 But why? There are 2 words that point to why this happens: BUDGET and LEADERSHIP.

 But guess what? If something is predictable, that means it is also solvable.

 During a project, the Super User effort is covered with the project budget and leadership. Even with the best intentions for keeping the Super User team intact after the project ends, no one has the responsibility or accountability, and the budget does not exist.

 So guess what happens? Yep, you guessed it…. people go back to their departments and get busy with their jobs.

 Does this sound familiar???

 Have you had this happen multiple times? Maybe too many to count?

 Well, don’t lose hope. You are not alone.

 For decades now, companies have been raising up Super User teams for projects, then letting them fall apart only to start them up again with the next project. All the while, everyone agrees that keeping them together would yield many benefits, not just for projects!

 Well, we agree!!! There is SO MUCH value being left on the table. SAPinsight, the predecessor of SUNsource, was founded to help solve this problem.

 “That’s great, but the problem you state is still my pain”, you say, “And what can I do about that?”

I’m so glad you asked 💁. Here are some ideas 💡💡💡 …

1.  Differentiate

If you’re going to rebuild, or build new, within the scope of another project, differentiate the project Super User team from the sustainable Super User Network. It’s quite common for the Super User Network to start as a project Super User team. One of the problems, when you do not differentiate, is that project Super Users assume they will find themselves in the Super User Network after the project. Look, it’s easier to add people to your Super User Network than to take them off, or to tell an excited project Super User that they cannot be a part of the Super User Network! You must get in front of this, and there are ways to do this without disengaging key people.

2.  Avoid Temptation

Avoid all temptation to build “the list” of Super Users to provide management as a checkbox for forward movement. There is actually a process that you should go through for identifying ideal candidates for your Super User Network. It’s more than just a “pick people” activity. In a future post, I will discuss this process. It’s worthy of its own post!

3.  Slow Down

Slow down to speed up. Remind yourself that you are establishing an organizational structure that will be set up for long term value and success. This is much more than identifying people, putting them on “the list”, and organizing a recurring meeting for them to discuss. There are critical activities you need to do early in the process to set your SUN up for success. These will require you to slow down… See #2!

4.  Don’t Do It Alone

Don’t do it alone! Fortunately, the SUNsource family is available to help you. If you are a Super User Leader or someone working to build a SUN in your company, we have a dedicated Community just for Super User Leaders.  The people in that Community are your insurance and assurance that you are on the right track!  This is why Communities of all types exist, so people don’t have to “go it alone”.  Our Leader Board is another great place to start. Getting help provides the opportunity to learn from the journey of others. It allows you to bust through barriers and pitfalls that you could not have predicted. As a starting point, these guidelines and many more are covered in our 1 Day Jumpstart Workshop; and in our book, The Super User (R)evolution.

I hope this is helpful and useful for you in your Super User journey. If you have any questions, I’m always up for a SUPER conversation!   You can also join our LI group.  I’m happy to help you in any way, whether that be connections, information, or just to talk through a problem. Our mission is YOUR success!!!

 Until next time…  Be SUPER!