Description
Module 09: Becoming a Master Change Agent
Change agents should be highly influential in an organization, in that they gain their influence by virtue of their reputation among the various stakeholders. However, they can also be polarizing, as they are often more positive and driven than other employees. Their encouragement for others to change their attitudes and actions can cause some to develop a negative opinion of them. In view of this, consider what actions and strategies a change agent can use to reduce resistance to both the change and to the change agent. Also, consider how a change agent can respond when the organization is not supportive of the change agent’s efforts to champion change on behalf of the organization.
Discussion Question
Question Requirements:
Change Agents
Are you a change agent?
- Discuss your role as a change agent in your current organization, including your traits and characteristics. If you are not a change agent, discuss what type of change agent would benefit your organization.
- Share how you influenced the generation, direction, success, or failure of a change initiative or would if given a chance.
- Finally, discuss challenges you have as a change agent (e.g., not agreeing with the change, management not truthfully sharing the repercussions of the change, etc.).
Directions:
- Discuss the concepts, principles, and theories from your textbook. Cite your textbooks and cite any other sources.
- Write a discussion that includes an introduction paragraph, the body, and a conclusion paragraph to address the assignment’s guide questions.
- Your initial post should address all components of the question with a 600-word limit.
Learning Outcomes:
- Evaluate the traits and competencies which contribute to change agent effectiveness.
- Differentiate between the four types of change leaders.
Readings
Required:
- Chapter 8 in Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit
- Nielsen, K., Dawson, J., Hasson, H., & Schwarz, U. von T. (2021). What about me? The impact of employee change agents’ person-role fit on their job satisfaction during organisational change. Work & Stress, 35(1), 57–73.
Recommended:
- Module 09 PowerPoint Presentation
Change agents should be highly influential in an organization, in that they gain their influence by virtue
of their reputation among the various stakeholders. However, they can also be polarizing, as they are
often more positive and driven than other employees. Their encouragement for others to change their
attitudes and actions can cause some to develop a negative opinion of them. In view of this, consider
what actions and strategies a change agent can use to reduce resistance to both the change and to the
change agent. Also, consider how a change agent can respond when the organization is not supportive
of the change agent’s efforts to champion change on behalf of the organization.
Discussion Question
Question Requirements:
Change Agents
Are you a change agent?
•
•
•
Discuss your role as a change agent in your current organization, including your traits and
characteristics. If you are not a change agent, discuss what type of change agent would
benefit your organization.
Share how you influenced the generation, direction, success, or failure of a change initiative
or would if given a chance.
Finally, discuss challenges you have as a change agent (e.g., not agreeing with the change,
management not truthfully sharing the repercussions of the change, etc.).
Directions:
• Discuss the concepts, principles, and theories from your textbook. Cite your textbooks and
cite any other sources.
• Write a discussion that includes an introduction paragraph, the body, and a conclusion
paragraph to address the assignment’s guide questions.
• Your initial post should address all components of the question with a 600-word limit.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Evaluate the traits and competencies which contribute to change agent effectiveness.
2. Differentiate between the four types of change leaders.
Readings
Required:
• Chapter 8 in Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit
• Nielsen, K., Dawson, J., Hasson, H., & Schwarz, U. von T. (2021). What about me?
The impact of employee change agents’ person-role fit on their job satisfaction during
organisational change. Work & Stress, 35(1), 57–73.
Recommended:
• Module 09 PowerPoint Presentation
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.
2
The Change Path Model
Awakening
Chapter 4
Mobilization
Chapter 5 through 8
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
Acceleration
Chapter 9
Institutionalization
Chapter 10
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
3
Being a Change Agent
Being a
Change
Agent
Person
Vision
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
Situatio
n
4
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.
5
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.
6
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.
1. What purposes do you consider vital? What visions do you
follow for which you would make significant personal sacrifices?
2. What would be a vision that could catapult you into persistent,
committed, and even sacrificial (by normal standards) action?
3. 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.
9
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
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.
HIGH
12
Toolkit Exercise 8.2—Attributes of Change
Managers from Caldwell
LOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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.
HIGH
13
Toolkit Exercise 8.2—Change Agent Attributes
Suggested by Others
LOW
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
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.
HIGH
14
Toolkit Exercise 8.2—How Did You Rate Yourself?
1. How would you assess yourself on the scales that proceed?
What areas of development are suggested?
2. 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?
3. 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.
18
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.
19
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.
20
Toolkit Exercise 8.3—Your Development as a
Change Agent
1. Think of a situation where someone’s viewpoint was quite
different from yours. What were your assumptions about that
person?
2. Did you ask yourself, why would they hold the position they
have? Are you at Miller’s stage one, two, three, or four?
3. Are you able to put yourself into the shoes of the resister?
4. 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
Strategic
Change
Emotional
Champion
Developmental
Strategist
Analysis
Push
Vision
Pull
Intuitive
Adapter
Continuous
Improver
Incremental
Change
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
22
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.
24
Toolkit Exercise 8.4—What Is Your Change
Agent Preference?
1. How comfortable are you with risk and ambiguity? Do you
seek order and stability or change and uncertainty?
2. How intuitive are you? Do you use feelings and emotion to
influence others? Or are you logical and systematic,
persuading through facts and arguments?
3. 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?
4. 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.
27
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.
28
Characteristics of a Good Change Team
Member
1.
Knowledgeable about the business and
enthusiastic about the change
2.
Possesses excellent communications
skills, willing to listen, and share
3.
Totally committed to the project, the
process, and the results
4.
Able to remain open-minded and visionary
5.
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.
29
Developing a Change Team
1. Clear, engaging direction
2. A real team task
3. Rewards for team excellence
4. Availability of basic material resources to do the job,
including the abilities of individual team members
5. Authority vested in the team to manage the work
6. Team goals
7. The development of team norms that promote strategic
thinking
8. Careful consideration of the personalities and skills of
team members, when designing the team
9. Selection of dedicated individuals willing to give it their “all”
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
30
Design Rules for Top Change Teams
1. Keep it small—10 or fewer members
2. 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)
3. Everything is your business—no team-related
information is off-limits to other team members
4. Each of you is accountable for your business
5. No secrets and no surprises within the team
6. Straight talk, modeled by the leader
7. Fast decisions, modeled by the leader
8. Everyone rewarded partly on the total results
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
31
Creating Structures for Team Projects
Consider a change challenge you are familiar with
1. To create needed structures when forming a change
team, consider how you would manage discussions
about and gain agreement on the following topics:
a) Tasks to be completed
b) Authority—scope of decision-making responsibilities
c) Roles
d) Boundaries
2. 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.
32
Toolkit Exercise 8.5—Your Skills as a Change
Team Member
1. Think of a time when you participated in a team. How
well did the team perform?
2. Review the characteristics listed by Prosci in Exercise
8.5, Qn 2. Did the team members exhibit the listed
characteristics? Did you?
3. 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?
4. How could you improve your skills in this area?
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
33
FedEx’s Change Team Checklist
1. 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.
2. Convince people that their involvement is serious and
not a management ploy, all ideas from management
are presented as “rough ideas.”
3. 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.
4. 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.
34
FedEx’s Change Team Checklist (cont.)
5.
Deliver the best solutions, problem-solving teams selfselect to find answers to the barriers to successful
implementation.
6.
Maintain momentum and enthusiasm, the remainder of
the team continue to work on refining the basic idea.
7.
Present problem solutions, improve where necessary,
approve, and implement immediately.
8.
Refine idea, agree upon it, and plan the implementation
process.
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
35
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.
36
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.
37
Rules of Thumb for Change Agents
1. Stay alive—no self-sacrifice
2. Start where the system is—diagnose and
understand
3. Work uphill
4. Don’t over-organize
5. Don’t argue if you can’t win—win/lose strategies
deepen conflict and should be avoided
6. Load experiments for success
7. 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.
38
Rules of Thumb for Change Agents (cont.)
8. Just enough is good enough—don’t wait for
perfection
9. You can’t make a difference without doing things
differently
10. Reflect on experiences
11. Want to change
12. Think fast and act fast
13. Create a coalition—lone rangers are easily dismissed
Deszca, Ingols & Cawsey, Organizational Change: An Action-Oriented Toolkit, 4th ed.. © 2020 SAGE Pub.
39
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.
40
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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