Site Admins: Best method for keeping users informed on important changes?

[Morgan Watts]

Hello all, 

I want to start sending a monthly newsletter about Atlassian changes in Jira + Confluence to my users. Y'know, try to keep them informed on any big changes that might impact their day-to-day.

For example, the "status" drop-down moving under the "Summary" instead of being on the right side of a screen. 

A problem I keep running into is deciding "what's an important change?" and "did the change actually happen yet?" The latter deriving from reading Atlassian Cloud changes but only seeing "rolling out" rather than a set deadline. The former being a matter of "preference."

So, my fellow site-admins- does anyone have tips or suggestions on how they decide what's important, what's not? If y'all have any ideas that isn't an email, please comment below!

[John Funk]

Hi Morgan,

Basically if it affects the users in how their work functions or how it looks in some way, then it's important. If the API is changing or deprecating or something like that behind the scenes, then not so much. Also, I don't like to let them know too far in advanced because they will forget it anyway or they will be expecting it right then no matter the timeline you give them. 

[Morgan Watts]

Thanks for your comment, John.

Do you use an email to inform users of changes? Or some other method?

Agreed on timing it correctly. I told my users about the "Jira Projects" to "Jira Spaces" changes in July when first announced. Should've just waited until October-ish since how useful is a few months heads up? Most people will just forget about it due to a change like that not greatly impacting their working day.

[John Funk]

I use email mostly. It might be good to setup a Slack channel for updates if you use that tool. 

And yes on the Spaces  :-)  Though I did tell some power users so they knew it would be coming.