A champion is not an unpaid help desk
Digital champions can help colleagues adopt a new system, share useful practice and identify recurring confusion. They should not become responsible for every fault simply because they learn quickly. Define the role alongside the formal support process so staff know when to ask a champion and when to log an incident.
Choose people who are approachable and understand the team’s work. Technical confidence helps, but patience and a willingness to explain are just as important. Give managers a clear view of the time required; a role with no protected capacity will compete with the person’s existing responsibilities.
Prepare them around real tasks
Practise the questions colleagues are likely to ask. Provide short, maintained instructions and explain how to report a problem that the material does not cover. Champions need permission to say “I do not know” and a reliable next step when that happens.
Avoid granting broad system access as a reward for being helpful. Support responsibilities and administrative permissions are separate decisions. Sensitive account changes should remain with the people authorised to perform them.
Use feedback to improve the system
Ask champions to record recurring questions without collecting unnecessary personal details. Repeated confusion may indicate a poor label, an unclear process or missing training. Fixing the underlying issue is more valuable than answering it indefinitely.
Keep the role healthy
- Set a manageable scope and review it regularly.
- Provide a backup person and escalation contact.
- Recognise time spent supporting colleagues.
- Update materials after system changes.
- Share knowledge so one person is not indispensable.
Vida Academy can include champion development in a broader training or system adoption programme. The purpose is to spread capability across the organisation. A successful champion network makes routine work easier while keeping accountability, support and technical ownership clear.
Put this into practice
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An AI-assisted practical guide prepared for Vida ICT Solutions. Examples are illustrative; this article does not report a client engagement.
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