A number of individuals are involved in implementing, facilitating, and stabilising the change process in an organisation and they play an important role in the process. Prominent among them are Change Agents, Change Makers, and Change Leaders.
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| Prominent Actors in the Change Process |
Change Agents
A Change Agent is a person who pilots the transformation of a company into an organisation of eminence by
•providing direction during the planning phase,
•facilitating the implementation process,
•supporting those who set off the changes, and
•mobilising those who resist the change.
•Change agents are individuals who use their knowledge of the change process to influence decisions, thereby creating desirable change. The effective Change Agent is one who is capable of
•orchestrating events,
•diagnosing the potential problem,
•developing a plan to deal with it,
•communicating to everyone, and finally executing it.
In effect, a change agent helps a team achieve something new. Who could be a Change Agent A change agent may be a manager / non-manager, a full time organisational development professional, or a leader of a division charged with the responsibility of bringing about change in his/her area. A typology of change agents has been developed based on the following four categories:
• a change agent could be an individual, a group, or an organisational unit;
• his/her organisational position could be either internal or external;
•his/her cultural background could be indigenous or non-indigenous,governmental or private , or a combination of both; and
• the organisation system could be an economic, service, commonwealth, mutual benefit, or community system.
Internal vs. External Change Agents
There is always a deliberation if the change agents should be internal or external. Some experts have argued that change should be introduced by external professional consultants. The reason given is that external consultants can be open-minded in making a diagnosis of problems. S/he could provide helpful information, resources, and procedures, serve as a stimulus for redefining the situation, provide initiative in exploring difficult or unknown problem areas, and free the personnel in the organisation to participate in the training process. On the other hand, some others have advocated for an internal change agent. The argument for and against external agents is summed up in Fig.
A Change Agent is a person who pilots the transformation of a company into an organisation of eminence by
•providing direction during the planning phase,
•facilitating the implementation process,
•supporting those who set off the changes, and
•mobilising those who resist the change.
•Change agents are individuals who use their knowledge of the change process to influence decisions, thereby creating desirable change. The effective Change Agent is one who is capable of
•orchestrating events,
•diagnosing the potential problem,
•developing a plan to deal with it,
•communicating to everyone, and finally executing it.
In effect, a change agent helps a team achieve something new. Who could be a Change Agent A change agent may be a manager / non-manager, a full time organisational development professional, or a leader of a division charged with the responsibility of bringing about change in his/her area. A typology of change agents has been developed based on the following four categories:
• a change agent could be an individual, a group, or an organisational unit;
• his/her organisational position could be either internal or external;
•his/her cultural background could be indigenous or non-indigenous,governmental or private , or a combination of both; and
• the organisation system could be an economic, service, commonwealth, mutual benefit, or community system.
Internal vs. External Change Agents
There is always a deliberation if the change agents should be internal or external. Some experts have argued that change should be introduced by external professional consultants. The reason given is that external consultants can be open-minded in making a diagnosis of problems. S/he could provide helpful information, resources, and procedures, serve as a stimulus for redefining the situation, provide initiative in exploring difficult or unknown problem areas, and free the personnel in the organisation to participate in the training process. On the other hand, some others have advocated for an internal change agent. The argument for and against external agents is summed up in Fig.
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| Arguments For and Against External Change Agents |
Change Makers
Change Makers are the people in the organisation who are actually engaged in the change implementation process. Any change programme requires the participation of the entire organisation in order to be successful.Employees in an organisation can be divided into three broad change categories:
Change Makers are the people in the organisation who are actually engaged in the change implementation process. Any change programme requires the participation of the entire organisation in order to be successful.Employees in an organisation can be divided into three broad change categories:
Who is change Agent
•Change
•Requirements
•Change Strategists,
•Change Implementers, and
•Change Recipients.
Change Strategists are responsible for identifying the need for change,creating a vision of the desired outcome, deciding what change is feasible,and choosing who should sponsor and defend it.Change Implementers “make the change happen”. They manage the day-do-day process of changes, coordinate various activities and relationships among people that give the organisation its internal shape and culture.Change Recipients represent the largest group of people that adopt, and adapt to change. Recipients, in fact, give the desired change its ultimate shape and sustainability. It is their behaviour which determines whether a change will last or not. They are also the primary source of resistance. Some of the key characteristics of Change Makers are given in Table.
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| Key Change Makers |
If you are involved with the change process and looking for a checklist to overcome the problems, we would like to tell you. There is no one best way to implement change. We give some suggestions in Box .
Box : Suggestions for Change Implementation
•Analyze the organisation and its need for change: Look at the company’s history of changes (successes and failures), patterns of resistance; analyze the forces for and against change (Force field analysis).
•Create a shared vision and common direction: This should reflect the core values of the company; the vision should include the rationale, the benefits,personal ramifications, among others.
•Develop a non-threatening and preferably participative implementation process: Present plans skillfully, share information and make it readily available; explain the benefits for end users; start small and simple; go for quick wins; publicize successes.
• Separate from the past: if needed.
• Create a sense of urgency
• Support a strong leader role: The change advocate role is critical for creating a vision, motivating employees to embrace that vision and crafting a structure to reward those who strive towards the realisation of the vision.
•Line up political sponsorship: Broad based support (both formal and informal) is important for success; identify target individuals and groups whose support is needed; define the critical mass of support needed; identify where each key player is on the continuum (from "no commitment", "may let it happen", "help it to happen" to "make it happen").
• Craft an implementation plan: This plan maps out the effort.
• Develop enabling structures:Examples include pilot tests,off-site workshops, training programmes, new reward systems, symbolic changes like redesigned work spaces.
•Communicate with and involve people and be honest: Every change effort may not call for full involvement, communication and disclosure but most do;wherever possible, there should be a meaningful dialogue that gives people a stake in the change.
•Reinforce and institutionalise change: It is important to reinforce the change; reward those who take risks and incorporate the new behaviours.
We discuss the role of change leaders, in detail after acquainting you with various approaches to change management.
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