You're convinced automation will help your business. But your team isn't so sure. Maybe they're worried about their jobs. Maybe they don't trust the technology. Maybe they've been through a "digital transformation" before that went nowhere.
Getting buy-in isn't about convincing people they're wrong. It's about addressing legitimate concerns and showing them what's in it for them.
Why resistance happens
Resistance to automation is rational, not irrational. Your team has genuine concerns:
Job security. "If a machine can do my job, will I still have one?" This is the elephant in the room. Even if you have no plans to cut headcount, the anxiety is real.
Competence. "I've spent years getting good at this process. Now you're saying a computer can do it better?" Automation can feel like a devaluation of hard-won expertise.
Control. "I know how to handle exceptions my way. What happens when the automation does it wrong?" Giving up control over a process you've mastered is uncomfortable.
Workload. "Great, now I'll need to learn a new system AND do my normal job during the transition." Change means short-term extra work.
These aren't excuses. They're real concerns that deserve honest answers.
The honest conversation
Don't try to sell your team on automation. Have an honest conversation instead.
On job security: Be direct. If automation means nobody's losing their job (which is usually the case for SMEs), say so explicitly. If roles will change, be upfront about how.
"Nobody is losing their job because of this. What will change is how you spend your time. The repetitive tasks that eat your day will be handled automatically. You'll focus on the work that actually needs your brain and your judgement."
On competence: Frame automation as an amplifier, not a replacement.
"Your expertise is exactly why we need you involved in setting this up. You know the exceptions, the edge cases, the things that a generic system wouldn't catch. We need that knowledge built into the automation."
On control: Give them control over the automation itself.
"You'll define the rules. You'll decide what gets escalated to you. You'll review the results. The automation does what you tell it to — it just does it faster and doesn't forget."
On workload: Acknowledge the transition cost.
"Yes, there's a learning curve. We'll keep it as short as possible. The goal is that within two weeks, you're spending less time on the automated tasks, not more."
The involvement strategy
People support what they help create. Involve your team in the automation process from day one.
Phase 1: Process mapping (Week 1)
Ask the people who actually do the work to map the process. Not managers. Not consultants. The people whose daily experience will change.
They'll identify inefficiencies you didn't know about. They'll flag edge cases that would have broken the automation. And they'll feel ownership over the project.
Phase 2: Rule definition (Week 1–2)
Let your team define the automation rules. When should a ticket be escalated? What counts as an overdue invoice? Which leads are high priority?
They're the domain experts. Their rules will be better than anything designed in a boardroom.
Phase 3: Testing (Week 2)
Have your team test the automation before it goes live. Let them find the bugs, the edge cases, the scenarios that weren't considered. Every issue they catch reinforces their expertise and their ownership.
Phase 4: Parallel running (Week 2–3)
Run the automation alongside the existing process for a week or two. Let the team compare results. They'll see the automation handling routine tasks correctly, and they'll start trusting it.
Phase 5: Handover (Week 3–4)
Gradually shift from the manual process to the automated one. The team monitors, adjusts rules, and handles escalations. They're still in control — just freed from the routine work.
Celebrating early wins
Nothing converts sceptics like results. When the automation delivers its first measurable win:
- Share the numbers with the whole team
- Credit the people who designed the rules and tested the system
- Ask what workflow should be automated next (they'll have ideas)
What success looks like
A successful automation rollout looks like this:
- Your team uses the automation voluntarily (not because they're told to)
- They suggest improvements and new automation ideas
- They describe their work as more interesting than before
- They point to the automation when asked how they handle increased workload
That's not just adoption. That's advocacy. And it happens when you treat automation as a team project, not a management directive.
The longer game
The first automation is the hardest — not technically, but culturally. Once your team has been through one successful project, the second is dramatically easier. They know what to expect. They trust the process. They've seen the benefits.
Invest the time in getting the first one right. The rest follows naturally.