Change Agents In The Change Management Process
One of the most fascinating components of the change management process is the change agent. The change agent, who can be a leader, manager, employee, consultant, or customer, is a person who is often at the center of the change management process and performs several critical functions in the overall process.
Address the following regarding change agents:
1- Define the concept of a change agent, including the traits and characteristics that best represent a change agent in today’s organization.
2- Discuss the role of a change agent in the change management process (e.g., formal or informal role, position of authority or power, etc.).
3- Assess how a change agent can influence the generation, direction, success, or failure of a change initiative.
4- Finally, assess any challenges a change agent may have in the change process (e.g., not agreeing with the change, management not truthfully sharing the repercussions of the change, etc.) and how these challenges should be addressed.
Your well-written paper should meet the following requirements:
- Be 4-5 pages in length, which does not include the title page and reference pages, which are never a part of the content minimum requirements.
- Use Saudi Electronic University academic writing standards and APA style guidelines.
- Support your submission with course material concepts, principles, and theories from the textbook and at least three scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles.
- It is strongly encouraged that you submit all assignments into the Turnitin Originality Check prior to submitting it to your instructor for grading. If you are unsure how to submit an assignment into the Originality Check tool, review the Turnitin Originality Check – Student Guide for step-by-step instruction.
Chapter 8:
Becoming a Master Change Agent
Chapter Overview
Change agents are key to the entire change process
Change success is a function of the person, a vision, and the situation
The chapter describes traits and competencies that contribute to change agent effectiveness
Experience plays a big role in skill development
Four change agent types are described: the Emotional Champion, the Intuitive Adapter, the Developmental Strategist, and the Continuous Improver
Internal and external change agents and change teams are discussed
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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The Change Path Model
Becoming a Master Change Agent
Factors influencing change agent success
Change leader characteristics
Change leader development
Types of change leaders
External change agents
Effective change teams
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Awakening
Chapter 4
Acceleration
Chapter 9
Institutionalization
Chapter 10
Mobilization
Chapter 5 through 8
Being a Change Agent
Being a Change Agent
Person
Vision
Situation
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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The Change Agent Role— Is It Worth the Risk?
Being a change agent can be professionally hazardous
It can also prove energizing, exciting, educational, and enriching
You are likely to improve your understanding of the organization, develop special skills, and increase your network of contacts and visibility
Failure experiences, though painful, are seldom terminal—change agents tend to be resilient
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Endothermic and Exothermic Change
Exothermic Change
More energy is liberated than is consumed, by the actions undertaken to promote change
Endothermic Change
The change program consumes more energy than it generates
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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The Interaction of Vision and Situation with Who You Are
Later in this chapter, we explore behaviors and attributes common to change agents. Here we ask you to consider why, where, and when you might become more of a change agent.
What purposes do you consider vital? What visions do you follow for which you would make significant personal sacrifices?
What would be a vision that could catapult you into persistent, committed, and even sacrificial (by normal standards) action?
How does the situation you find yourself in affect your desire to become a change agent?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Essential Change Agent Characteristics
Commitment to improvement
Communication and interpersonal skills
Determination
Eyes on the prize and flexibility
Experience and networks
Intelligence
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Attributes of Change Leaders
Inspiring vision | 92* |
Entrepreneurship | 87 |
Integrity and honesty | 76 |
Learning from others | 72 |
Openness to new ideas | 66 |
Risk-taking | 56 |
Adaptability and flexibility | 49 |
Creativity | 42 |
Experimentation | 38 |
Using power | 29 |
* % of respondents who identified the attribute.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Attributes of Change Managers
Empowering others | 88 |
Team building | 82 |
Learning from others | 79 |
Adaptability and flexibility | 69 |
Openness to new ideas | 64 |
Managing resistance | 58 |
Conflict resolution | 53 |
Networking | 52 |
Knowledge of the business | 37 |
Problem solving | 29 |
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Another Way to Think of Change Agent Actions
Consider their use of:
Framing behaviors
Capacity-creating behaviors
Shaping behaviors
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.2—Attributes of Change Leaders from Caldwell
LOW | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | HIGH |
1. Inspiring Vision | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
2. Entrepreneurship | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
3. Integrity and Honesty | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
4. Learning from Others | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
5. Openness to New Ideas | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
6. Risk-Taking | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
7. Adaptability and Flexibility | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
8. Creativity | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
9. Experimentation | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
10. Using Power | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.2—Attributes of Change Managers from Caldwell
LOW | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | HIGH |
1. Empowering Others | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
2. Team Building | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
3. Learning from Others | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
4. Adaptability and Flexibility | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
5. Openness to New Ideas | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
6. Conflict Resolution | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
7. Adaptability and Flexibility | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
8. Networking Skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
9. Knowledge of the Business | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
10. Problem Solving | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.2—Change Agent Attributes Suggested by Others
LOW | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | HIGH |
1. Interpersonal Skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
2. Communication Skills | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
3. Emotional Resilience | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
4. Tolerance for Ambiguity | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
5. Tolerance for Ethical Conflict | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
6. Political Skill | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
7. Persistence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
8. Determination | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
9. Pragmatism | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
10. Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
11. Openness to Information | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
12. Flexibility and Adaptability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
13. Capacity to Build Trust | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
14. Intelligence | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.2—How Did You Rate Yourself?
How would you assess yourself on the scales that proceed? What areas of development are suggested?
Are you more likely to be comfortable in a change leadership role at this time, or does the role of change manager or implementer seem more suited to who you are?
Ask a mentor or friend to provide you feedback on the same dimensions. Does the feedback confirm your self-assessment? If not, why not?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Developing Yourself as a Change Agent
Formal study helps develop the awareness and skills of change agents, but experience is invaluable
You are your own best teacher—learn by doing
Accept responsibility and blame no one
True understanding comes from reflection on your experience
Reflection and Appreciative Inquiry are powerful developmental tools for both yourself and those you are working with
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Miller’s Stages of Change Beliefs
Stage 1:
Beliefs: People will change once they understand the logic of the change. People can be told to change. As a result, clear communication is key.
Underlying is the assumption that people are rational and will follow their self-interest once it is revealed to them. Alternately, power and sanctions will ensure compliance.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Miller’s Stages of Change Beliefs (cont.)
Stage 2:
Beliefs: People change through powerful communication and symbolism. Change planning will include the use of symbols and group meetings.
Underlying is the assumption that people will change if they are “sold” on the beliefs. Again, failing this, the organization can use power and/or sanctions.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Miller’s Stages of Change Beliefs (cont.)
Stage 3:
Beliefs: People may not be willing or able or ready to change. As a result, change leaders will enlist specialists to design a change plan and the leaders will work at change but resist changing themselves.
Underlying is the assumption that the ideal state is where people will become committed to change. Otherwise, power and sanctions must be used.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Miller’s Stages of Change Beliefs (cont.)
Stage 4:
Beliefs: People have a limited capacity to absorb change and may not be as willing, able, or ready to change as you wish. Thinking through how to change the people is central to the implementation of change.
Underlying is the assumption that commitment for change must be built and that power or sanctions have major limitations in achieving change and building organizational capacity.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.3—Your Development as a Change Agent
Think of a situation where someone’s viewpoint was quite different from yours. What were your assumptions about that person?
Did you ask yourself, why would they hold the position they have? Are you at Miller’s stage one, two, three, or four?
Are you able to put yourself into the shoes of the resister?
What are the implications of your self-assessment with respect to what you need to do to develop yourself as a change agent?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Change Agent Types
Incremental Change
Strategic Change
Vision Pull
Analysis Push
Emotional Champion
Intuitive Adapter
Developmental Strategist
Continuous Improver
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Change Agent Types (cont.)
Emotional Champion
Has a clear and powerful vision of what the organization needs and uses that vision to capture the hearts and motivations of organization members
Intuitive Adapter
Has the clear vision for the organization and uses that vision to reinforce a culture of learning and adaptation
Developmental Strategist
Applies rational analysis to understanding the competitive logic of the organization and how it no longer fits the organization’s existing strategy and the environment. Seeks to alter structures and processes and shifts the organization to the new alignment
Continuous Improver
Analyzes micro-environments and seeks changes such as re-engineering to systems and processes looking for smaller gains instead of giant leaps
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Are You an Adaptor or Innovator?
Are your preferences more aligned with those of an Adaptor?
These individuals are more conservative in their approach and more oriented toward incremental change
Are your preferences more in line with those of an Innovator?
These risk-takers prefer more radical or transformational change
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.4—What Is Your Change Agent Preference?
How comfortable are you with risk and ambiguity? Do you seek order and stability or change and uncertainty?
How intuitive are you? Do you use feelings and emotion to influence others? Or are you logical and systematic, persuading through facts and arguments?
Given your responses to the above, how would you classify yourself? Are you:
An emotional champion?
An intuitive adapter?
A developmental strategist?
A continuous improver?
How flexible or adaptive with the approaches you use?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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The Inside Change Agent Roles
The Catalyst overcomes inertia and focuses the organization.
The Solution Giver knows how to solve the problem.
The Process Helper facilitates the “how to” of change playing the role of third-party intervener.
The Resource Linker brings people and resources together to solve problems.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Benefits of Using External Change Agents / Consultants
Provide subject-matter expertise
Bring fresh perspectives
Provide independent, trustworthy support
Provide third-party expertise to help facilitate discussions and manage the process
Extra assistance when talent is in short supply and/or time is of the essence
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Selecting a Consultant
Ensure you have a clear understanding of what you want from the consultant
Talk with multiple (up to 5) consultants and/or consulting organizations
Issue a request for proposal (RFP)
Make your decision and communicate expectations
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Characteristics of a Good Change Team Member
Knowledgeable about the business and enthusiastic about the change
Possesses excellent communications skills, willing to listen, and share
Totally committed to the project, the process, and the results
Able to remain open-minded and visionary
Respected within the organization as an apolitical catalyst for strategic change
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Developing a Change Team
Clear, engaging direction
A real team task
Rewards for team excellence
Availability of basic material resources to do the job, including the abilities of individual team members
Authority vested in the team to manage the work
Team goals
The development of team norms that promote strategic thinking
Careful consideration of the personalities and skills of team members, when designing the team
Selection of dedicated individuals willing to give it their “all”
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Design Rules for Top Change Teams
Keep it small—10 or fewer members
Meet at least bi-weekly and require full attendance
Meeting less often breaks rhythm of cooperation and coordination
Frequency is more important than how you meet (e.g., virtual vs. face-to-face)
Everything is your business—no team-related information is off-limits to other team members
Each of you is accountable for your business
No secrets and no surprises within the team
Straight talk, modeled by the leader
Fast decisions, modeled by the leader
Everyone rewarded partly on the total results
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Creating Structures for Team Projects
Consider a change challenge you are familiar with
To create needed structures when forming a change team, consider how you would manage discussions about and gain agreement on the following topics:
Tasks to be completed
Authority—scope of decision-making responsibilities
Roles
Boundaries
How would you use these to help manage the team as you move forward?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Toolkit Exercise 8.5—Your Skills as a Change Team Member
Think of a time when you participated in a team. How well did the team perform?
Review the characteristics listed by Prosci in Exercise 8.5, Qn 2. Did the team members exhibit the listed characteristics? Did you?
What personal focus do you have? Do you tend to concentrate on getting the job done—a task focus? Or do you worry about bringing people along—a process focus?
How could you improve your skills in this area?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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FedEx’s Change Team Checklist
Ensure that everybody who has a contribution to make is fully involved, and those who will have to make any change are identified and included.
Convince people that their involvement is serious and not a management ploy, all ideas from management are presented as “rough ideas.”
Ensure commitment to making any change work, the team members identify and develop “what is in it for them” when they move to make the idea work.
Increase the success rate for new ideas, potential, and actual problems that have to be solved are identified in a problem-solving, not blame-fixing culture.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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FedEx’s Change Team Checklist (cont.)
Deliver the best solutions, problem-solving teams self-select to find answers to the barriers to successful implementation.
Maintain momentum and enthusiasm, the remainder of the team continue to work on refining the basic idea.
Present problem solutions, improve where necessary, approve, and implement immediately.
Refine idea, agree upon it, and plan the implementation process.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Roles for Middle Management
Linking—with Above, Bottom, Others
Offering advice/help—as a Top, Bottom, a Link
Influence Up
Championing Strategic Alternatives
Synthesizing Information
Influence Down
Facilitating Adaptability
Implementing Strategy
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Advice to Those in “The Middle”
Be the top when you can and take responsibility for being top
Be the bottom when you should. Don’t let problems just flow through you to the subordinates
Be the coach to help others solve their problems so they don’t become yours
Facilitate rather than “carry messages” when you are between parties in conflict
Integrate with one another, so that you develop a strong peer group you can turn to for advice and support
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Rules of Thumb for Change Agents
Stay alive—no self-sacrifice
Start where the system is—diagnose and understand
Work uphill
Don’t over-organize
Don’t argue if you can’t win—win/lose strategies deepen conflict and should be avoided
Load experiments for success
Light many fires—don’t work in just one subsystem. Understand patterns of interdependency
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Rules of Thumb for Change Agents (cont.)
Just enough is good enough—don’t wait for perfection
You can’t make a difference without doing things differently
Reflect on experiences
Want to change
Think fast and act fast
Create a coalition—lone rangers are easily dismissed
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Rules of Thumb for Change Agents (cont.)
…and remember:
Keep your optimistic bias
Be patient
Be ready to seize the moment!
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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Summary
Change management is an essential part of the role of those who want to manage and lead
Becoming a change agent is a function of who you are + the situation + the vision
Change managers and change leaders are differentiated and the stages of development outlined
Four types of change leaders are described: the Emotional Champion, the Intuitive Adapter, the Continuous Improver, and the Developmental Strategist
The use of external change consultants and change teams are discussed. Rules of thumb for change agents are reviewed
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
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