The Clark Griswold Effect

National Lampoon Vacation is a classic movie. In one scene, Clark Griswold is pulled over by a police officer because Dinky the dog's leash and collar is attached to the bumper but Dinky was nowhere to be found. Clark was so excited to get to Wally World that he forgot to ensure Dinky was in the car before leaving their last stop.

Unfortunately, we all know what happened to Dinky...

It has dawned on me that I can suffer from The Clark Griswold Effect." I am Clark Griswold and my users are Dinky the dog. Too often, I am so excited about new functionality that Salesforce offers that I forget to ensure the end users are keeping up with me. Often, users are not versed in the basics, so how do we ensure that everyone gets to Wally World and there is no carnage on the road?

Be Patient

As a Salesforce expert, we already know how to navigate Salesforce and what the business processes are. This is why you were hired! Our users however, are not. It's important to remember that end users need a level of competency in Salesforce before moving forward with something new - especially if the new thing presents a totally new set of features, or significantly overhauls current structures. This process can take time.

If there is a need to move fast, be sure that there is a communication plan in place, ample training, and appropriate support to ensure that no user is left behind.

Change your Mindset

I associate myself with Salesforce so much that my Chatter profile could be replaced with one of SaaSy and no one would know the difference! As a result, I was becoming defensive to changes or recommendations from users. Feedback that wasn't stellar seemed to hurt my feelings - it's like it was a personal dig at me! The reality is that we are not the end users of Salesforce. Our configurations aren't going to be the best in class solutions we think we're building.

Don't take Salesforce personal. Love Salesforce. Engage in the Community. But as soon as your identity becomes Salesforce, you're operating with a bias that isn't healthy. Change your mindset. Be open to suggestions and recommendations and don't take criticism of your work personal.

Stop Saying "No"

There have been multiple occasions where my preferred word has been "no" to new changes or ideas because it was inconvenient for me or because the request was outside of the structure that has been placed around the tool. The problem is that Salesforce is not my tool. I don't use Salesforce as the administrator the way the end-users utilize the tool. As an Admin Hero, we need to be listening to these requests and instead of saying "no," we need to be identifying the best way to implement the changes within the current structure of the tool.

Instead, I've found that saying things like "yes, but" or "yes, and" or even, "let me think about the best way to approach this idea" provide a more collaborative approach, ensures that my mindset is right, and allows me to come up with creative solutions for end users requests.

Salesforce is a significant investment and it is ultimately our job to ensure that we show a return on the investment. Otherwise, we could be out of a job! So let's do everything we can to help our users by not leaving them behind. Let's get Dinky in the car and get to Wally World together!