Change Agents
The change agent may be in the form of a consultant who helps the client find solutions to the organisational problems. It could also be in the form a trainer who trains the client to achieve a set of skills that could be used in bringing about the change for optimum outcomes. This change agent must have certain characteristics which would identify it to be more effective than others.
Effective change agent is, “an extrovert, has considerable interpersonal skills, is creative and takes risks, and is good in organizing activities”.
Traits and skills of effective change agents
- Systems thinker. Seeing the relationships between moving parts. If you pull one lever, what cogs are likely to move?
- Relational. Cultivating relationships at multiple levels of an organization.
- Analytical. Using data and measurements to assess progress.
- Influential. Using multiple forms of influence to get people to try new things and adopt different behaviours.
- Resilience. Organizational change is rife with obstacles and resistance. Resilient individuals will keep going.
- Facilitation. Most change projects I know involve some form of team facilitation.
- Difficult conversations. For example, giving feedback to executives.
- Communication. Beyond conversations, speaking and writing are also important for change agents.
- Energy Drive. Conviction that the change must happen.
- Observant. Having a knack for seeing opportunities for improvement and discrepancies that are hurting the initiative.
Key Competencies of Change Agents
- Objectives
- Sensitivity to changes in key personnel, top management perceptions and market conditions, and to the way in which these impact the goals of the project.
- Setting of clearly defined, realistic goals.
- Flexibility in responding to changes without the control of the project manager, perhaps requiring major shifts in project goals and management style.
- Roles
- Team-building abilities, to bring together key stakeholders and establish effective working groups, and to define and delegate respective responsibilities clearly.
- Networking skills in establishing and maintaining appropriate contacts within and outside the organization.
- Tolerance of ambiguity, to be able to function comfortably, patiently and effectively in an uncertain environment.
- Communication
- Communication skills to transmit effectively to colleagues and subordinates the need for changes in the project goals and in individual tasks and responsibilities.
- Interpersonal skills, across the range, including selection, listening, collecting appropriate information, identifying the concerns of others, and managing meetings.
- Personal enthusiasm in expressing plans and ideas.
- Stimulating motivation and commitment in others involved.
- Negotiation
- Selling plans and ideas to others by creating a desirable and challenging vision of the future.
- Negotiating with key players for resources, for changes in procedures, and to resolve conflict.
- Managing up
- Political awareness in identifying potential coalitions, and in balancing conflicting goals and perceptions.
- Influencing skills, to gain commitment to project plans and ideas from potential skeptics and resisters.
- Helicopter perspectives, to stand back from the immediate project and take a broader view of priorities.
Types of Change Agents
- Provide specialized perspectives, skills, and knowledge that the organisation does not have available or is limited in use as a formal role.
- Help the organization with the problem-solving procedures: identify, define and clarify the problem; generate alternatives; anticipate consequences; and plan evaluation.
- Provide training and skill building to people.
- Assist groups to build “team learning” skills in order to facilitate team building and development.
- Develop and conduct surveys of other assessments to gather data on important organisational processes.
- Impart skills to the organisation so that it can carry on with the task after the consultant has left.
- They generally do not do, implement plans, take responsibility for decision mailing (which the organisation can and should do for itself), or remain permanently with the organization.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Change Agent’s
Advantage of Internal Change Agent
- Knows the environment, culture, people, issues and hidden agendas
- Develops and keeps expertise and resources internal
- Creates and maintains norms of organization renewal from within
- Provides higher security and confidentiality
- May have trust and respect of others
- Has strong personal investment in success
Disadvantage of Internal Change Agent
- May be biased; has already taken sides, or may be disliked or mistrusted by some stockholders
- Previous relationships may contribute to sub grouping or fragmentation
- Takes CA away from other duties
- May be enculturated and is “part of the problem” or does not see it
- Is subject to organisational sanctions and pressures as an employee
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Change Agent’s
Advantage of External Change Agent
- Provides fresh, outside, objective perspective
- Willing to assert, challenge, and question norms
- May have more legitimacy to insiders not taking sides
- Brings skills and techniques not available from within organization
- Bring diverse organisational experience to bear; benchmark comparisons
Disadvantage of External Change Agent
- May or may not be available when needed by the organization; may split time and commitments with other clients.
- High expense
- Takes time to become familiar with system
- May create co-dependency or may abandon the system.
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