Change Agent

Change agent is an individual or group, who carry out the task of instigating and managing change in the organization. He/She is someone, who directly or indirectly influences change, i.e. the change agents are appointed by the organizations to transform the ways, the organization is managed, or the business is conducted.

Types of Change Agent

The change agent can be internal or external to the organization who plays the role of a catalyst to implement change in the organization.

1. Internal Change Agent

When the change agent, is internal to the organization then he/she is usually the employee such as a manager, senior executive, leader, HR professional or any other person from the staff who has mastered in behavioural sciences and intervention technology of organization development. They are appointed by the organization to look after the change process.

2. External Change Agent

The external change agent is the one who is brought to the organization from outside such as consultants. The company’s rules regulations and policies are not imposed on them, and so they can deeply analyze and bring different viewpoints to a situation and challenge the existing state of affairs.

However, this can also be seen as a disadvantage, as the external change agent is not aware of the company’s history, work processes, and personnel.

Roles of a Change Agent

Change agents aim at making changes in the existing processes or culture of the organization that sticks. And to do so, they focus on the matters relating to organizational effectiveness, innovation, and advancement.

He/She is someone who always seeks an opportunity for change, determines the best approach and bring about change. They are the one who possesses skills and competencies to initiate, facilitate and coordinate organizational change.

Change Agents help the organization in understanding the requirement and relevance for change and takes all necessary steps required to manage change and also anticipates the problem; that might take place during or after the change is implemented in the organization. He/She is responsible to transform vision into a realistic plan and execute it.

Skills of a Change Agent

(i) Cognitive Skills: The skills which require some level of pro-action from the side of the change agent for the purpose of self-understanding, conceptualization, and evaluation.

(ii) Action Skills: Change Agent works as a consultant, researcher, trainer, counsellor, etc. in an organization, so, he/she should possess the required skills and competencies.

(iii) Communication Skills: He/She is responsible for spreading change information, and making the organization realize the need for change, for which he/she must possess excellent communication and pervasive skills.

Many multinational corporations have their own in-house change specialist, who works with the management team of the organization to recognize the need for change and facilitate change efforts.

Characteristics of a Change Agent

1. Clear Vision

As mentioned above, a “change agent” does not have to be the person in authority, but they do however have to have a clear vision and be able to communicate that clearly with others.  Where people can be frustrated is if they feel that someone is all over the place on what they see as important and tend to change their vision often.  This will scare away others as they are not sure when they are on a sinking ship and start to looking for ways out.  It is essential to note that a clear vision does not mean that there is one way to do things; in fact, it is essential to tap into the strengths of the people you work with and help them see that there are many ways to work toward a common purpose.

2. Patient yet persistent

Change does not happen overnight and most people know that.  To have sustainable change that is meaningful to people, it is something that they will have to embrace and see importance.  Most people need to experience something before they really understand that, and that is especially true in schools.  With that being said, many can get frustrated that change does not happen fast enough and they tend to push people further away from the vision, then closer.  The persistence comes in that you will take opportunities to help people get a step closer often when they are ready, not just giving up on them after the first try.  I have said continuously that schools have to move people from their point ‘A’ to their point ‘B’, not have everyone move at the same pace. Every step forward is a step closer to a goal; change agents just help to make sure that people are moving ahead.

3. Asks tough questions

It would be easy for someone to come in and tell you how things should be, but again that is someone else’s solution.  When that solution is someone else’s, there is no accountability to see it through.  It is when people feel an emotional connection to something is when they will truly move ahead.  Asking questions focusing on, “What is best for kids?”, and helping people come to their own conclusions based on their experience is when you will see people have ownership in what they are doing.  Keep asking questions to help people think, don’t alleviate that by telling them what to do.

4. Knowledgeable and leads by example

Stephen Covey talked about the notion that leaders have “character and credibility”; they are not just seen as good people but that they are also knowledgeable in what they are speaking about.  Too many times, educators feel like their administrators have “lost touch” with what is happening in the classroom, and many times they are right.  Someone who stays active in not necessarily teaching, but active in learning and working with learners and can show by example what learning can look like now will have much more credibility with others.  If you want to create “change”, you have to not only be able to articulate what that looks like, but show it to others. I have sat frustrated often listening to many talk about “how kids learn today” but upon closer look, the same speakers do not put themselves in the situation where they are actually immersing themselves in that type of learning.  How can you really know how “kids learn” or if something works if you have never experienced it?

5. Strong relationships built on trust

All of the above, means nothing if you do not have solid relationships with the people that you serve.  People will not want to grow if they do not trust the person that is pushing the change.  The change agents I have seen are extremely approachable and reliable.  You should never be afraid to approach that individual based on their “authority” and usually  they will go out of their way to connect with you.