User adoption isn’t a temporary effort. There is no magic formula for success and adoption doesn’t have an end date. If you want successful adoption of SharePoint and Office 365, you’ll need to build, evolve and drive adoption programs from now until the day you stop leveraging the platform. Even the most successful adoption programs will die without dedicated attention and fresh ideas.

Adoption programs also need to support the natural cycle of user engagement. Sooner or later, many of your SharePoint/Office 365 evangelists and power users are going to move on to new jobs or new phases in their careers. To keep driving adoption, you need to have a continuous pipeline of new users learning about SharePoint/Office 365. These new users need to be mentored and coached so they can leverage the platform to build effective business solutions. Without a community of practice, engaged thought leaders, mentors and an appropriate support system, most of your new users will fizzle out before they realize the potential of SharePoint/Office 365.

Remember–adoption programs should drive interest in the platform, build connections between business teams/power users, propel users past the initial educational hurdles and support users on their quest to build business solutions. If you’re not actively driving adoption and the development of your future power users, your adoption is declining.