Change Agents, Strategic Visions, and Diffusing Change

1. Change Agent
A change agent is a person from inside or outside the organization who helps an
organization transform itself by focusing on such matters as organizational
effectiveness, improvement, and development. A change agent usually focuses his
efforts on the effect of changing technologies, structures, and tasks on
interpersonal and group relationships in the organization. The focus is on the
people in the organization and their interactions.
How To Become An Effective Change Agent
You must have the following competencies:
a. Broad knowledge
You must not only have broad industry knowledge but a broad range of
multidisciplinary knowledge, including conceptual knowledge, diagnostic
knowledge, evaluative knowledge, an understanding of methodology for
change, and ethical knowledge.
b. Operational and relational knowledge
You must be able to listen, trust, form relationships, observe, identify, and
report. You must be flexible to deal with different types of relationships and
behaviors.
c. Sensitivity and maturity
You must not only be able to demonstrate sensitivity to others, but you must
also be sensitive and mature enough to be aware of your own motivations.
d. Authenticity
You must be authentic. You must act in accordance with the values you seek
to promote in the organization. For example, if you recommend a form of
management that permits subordinate participation, you should not attempt
to impose these changes without the participation of the organizational
members. In other words, you should practice what you preach.
Seven Roles of an Agent
a. Investigate
Implementing change is rarely as straightforward as executing obvious
activities. Dealing with people’s behaviors and attitudes usually requires
digging below the surface to understand the dynamics of the organization.
Change agents look for clues that give away what is really preventing
 change from happening, so they can determine the steps most likely to
remove obstacles and bring about success. Change agents are observant
and analytical.

b. Advocate
Every organizational change needs someone who speaks up in favor of it
and keeps attention on it. Change agents gain support for the initiative and
engage people to participate. They also keep beating the drum of change
when everyone else is busy with other activities. Change agents are vocal
and persistent.

c. Encourage
Change happens when individuals alter their own activities, behaviors and
attitudes. People experience varied emotions as their sense of stability is
removed. In most cases, they are required to take risks and step outside their
comfort zones. As a change agent, understand the personal implications of
people involved, so you can help people feel better about making the
changes. Change agents listen and encourage
d. Facilitate
One of the key activities of a change agent is finding ways to help people
change. Change agents clarify the change and make it easier to perform. As
a facilitator, you design systems, tools, forms, and processes to enable
people to succeed as they go through change. Change agents are helpful
and creative.

e. Mediate
Different groups and individuals undergoing change in an organization
frequently have opposing priorities. Change agents manage conflict by
helping different parties see the situation from the other’s point of view,
and by finding common goals. They work to improve understanding and
reduce friction between multiple parties so they can collaborate to
implement change. Change agents are peacemakers.

f. Advise
 Change agents rely on their expertise to build their authority within the
organization. By sharing knowledge, they demonstrate that they can be
relied upon to point people in the right direction. Sometimes knowledge
transfer occurs directly through training, but it also happens every day in
meetings and conversations. Change agents are confident and
knowledgeable.

g. Manage
A change agent ensures that there are goals, targets, and due dates for the
project. Then they keep people on track to achieve them. Change agents
find ways to hold people accountable, and make sure that appropriate
rewards – or punishments – are handed out as necessary. Change agents
are determined and conscientious.

As you implement change in your organization, pay attention to the roles

you play most often, and which you feel most comfortable filling. Select
which hat will make you most effective in different situations. As you
increase your versatility, you will improve your effectiveness as a change
agent.

2. Strategic Visions

Nelson Mandela

A specialist was hired to develop and present a series of half-day training seminars
on empowerment and teamwork for the managers of a large international oil
company. Fifteen minutes into the first presentation, he took a headlong plunge
into the trap of assumption. With great intent, he laid the groundwork for what he
considered the heart of empowerment-team-building, family, and community. He
praised the need for energy, commitment, and passion for production. At what he
thought was the appropriate time, he asked the group of 40 managers the simple
question on which he was to ground his entire talk: "What is the vision of your
company?" No one raised a hand. The speaker thought they might be shy, so he
gently encouraged them. The room grew deadly silent. Everyone was looking at
everyone else, and he had a sinking sensation in his stomach. "Your company does
have a vision, doesn't it?" he asked. A few people shrugged, and a few shook their
heads. He was dumbfounded. How could any group or individual strive toward
greatness and mastery without a vision? That's exactly the point. They can't. They
can maintain, they can survive; but they can't expect to achieve greatness.

Mapes (1991)

SKY Magazine

A key element of leading change is a strategic vision. A leader’s vision provides a

sense of direction and establishes the critical success factors against which the real
changes are evaluated. Furthermore, vision provides an emotional foundation to
the change because it links the individual’s values and self-concept to the desired
change. A strategic vision also minimizes employee fear of the unknown and
provides a better understanding about what behaviors employees must learn for
the desired future. (NOT INCLUDED IN PPT)

3. Diffusion of Change

Strategies for Diffusing Change from a Pilot Project

Pilot Projects
Pilot projects are mainly applied to introduce or test new practices, ideas or
technologies.
 Viral Marketing
 Word-of-mouth marketing
a. Motivation
First, employees are more likely to adopt the practices of a pilot project when
they are motivated to do so. This occurs when they see that the pilot project
is successful and people in the pilot project receive recognition and rewards
for changing their previous work practices. Diffusion also requires supervisor
support and reinforcement of the desired behaviors. More generally, change
agents need to minimize the sources of resistance to change that we
discussed earlier in this chapter.
b. Ability
Second, employees must have the ability—the required skills and
knowledge—to adopt the practices introduced in the pilot project. According
to innovation diffusion studies, people adopt ideas more readily when they
have an opportunity to interact and learn from others who have already
applied the new practices. Thus, pilot projects get diffused when employees
in the original pilot are dispersed to other work units as role models and
knowledge sources.
c. Role Perceptions
Third, pilot projects get diffused when employees have clear role
perceptions, that is, when they understand how the practices in a pilot
project apply to them even though they are in a completely different
functional area. For instance, accounting department employees won’t
easily recognize how they can adopt quality improvement practices
developed by employees in the production department. The challenge here
is for change agents to provide guidance that is neither too specific, because
it might not seem relevant to other areas of the organization, nor too
abstract, because this makes the instructions too vague.
d. Situational Factors
Finally, employees require supportive situational factors, including the
resources and time necessary to adopt the practices demonstrated in the
pilot project.