Role of change leaders and change agents
Role of change leaders and change agents in change planning and implementation
Topic: Role of change leaders and change agents in change planning and implementation
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Organizations are currently engulfed in increased competition from all business facets whether locally or globally. To ensure sustainable development, change is one ingredient that cannot be undermined. Its legitimacy has incepted the need for change leaders and change agents to catalyze its establishment from all fronts. (Spector, B. (2013).
For most organizations, change leaders mainly entail the front line leadership composed of managers and supervisors. Their roles and dynamics of interrelationship with other team members is crucial for any sustainable change establishment. They categorically inspire change initiatives to say the least. Their relationship with other employees fashions their ability to coach and influence others to embrace and positively drive change. In a nutshell, change leaders play vital roles such as communication, advocacy, liaison, and coaching. (Spector, B. (2013).
Change leaders have the bird’s eye view of change initiatives hence should foster a dialogue oriented atmosphere where pertinent pieces of information are disseminated. They should exchange information on the meaning of the supposed change, its impact at individual levels and the rewards for embracement. (Senior, B., & Fleming, J. (2006).
Change leaders should not only be mouthpieces for change but also show unswerving support for change. Employees ape their superiors hence change leaders need to play an active and observable role to breathe tangibility to it.
Change leaders should act as a building block to change actualization through robust coaching. To eliminate traces of resistance, they need to create awareness on the need for it, catapult change desire, empower the followers, successfully implement and reinforce a sustainable change. (Spector, B. (2013).
Change leaders also act as a point of liaison between employees and project teams. They provide information to either side such as the nature of design, employee feedback and usability results. Additionally, they are pivotal in identification crucial functionality needs of the change project.
Given their close relationship with employees, they are strategically positioned to manage resistance. They offer a spot on chances of resistance, the causes and provide ideal resistance management tools and training. (Senior, B., & Fleming, J. (2006).
Generally, change is an inevitable need hence change leaders offer a spring board for leading others through it. This may involve introduction of change to employees, proper transition management and finally ensuring solid reinforcement.
Conversely, change agents mainly refer to people who foster an organization’s transformative agenda into sustainable effectiveness, desirous improvement and stable development. They may be within the organization or outside the organization. They harbor a change of hat characterized by exceptional versatility such as; highly knowledgeable, visionary, and persistent. Their roles include; advocacy and advisory services. (Landrum, N. E., & Paul, J. (2005).
Change agents play an in-depth role of understanding employees’ dynamic attitudes and behaviors. Most have a high analytical acumen that enable them to diagnose business drives and read resistance cues which need fine tuning for successful change. (Spector, B. (2013).
Change agents act as advocates. They positively speak in its favor and mussel undivided attention to it. They are very persistent and vocal in drumming support for change.
Change agents mostly go outside their comfort zones to remain sensitive to other people’s change of attitudes, activities and behaviors. Change diminishes a sense of stability hence change agents often giving a listening ear and offer a source of encouragement.
Change agents play a facilitative role that include maximizing its clarity and ease of execution. They provide necessary tools, design systems, processes and forms that propel change in a creative and helpful manner.
Change agents also act as mediators. Their arbitration role is instrumental because change widens chances of divergent view of issues. Besides being peace makers, change agents ensure collaboration by heightening understanding and lessening cases of friction. (Spector, B. (2013).
Change agents are endowed expert astuteness. This enables them have authority through sharing their knowledge depth. This creates confidence that offers guidance on the way forward. Additionally, change agents offer managerial boost that firms can leverage on. They may set targets, goals and timelines for project’s specifics attainment. They are conscientious in ensuring accountability.
Conclusion
Change leaders are mainly change managers while change agents are transformative individuals who need not to be in any positions of authority. Despite a few similar roles, the two basically play varied roles. Unlike change leaders who maintain control, change agents mainly create new paths by shaking things, change leaders thrive in delegation while change agents work their hands. In addition, change leaders mainly work on budgets while change agents pivot on people mobilization. Change leaders also focus on personal success while change agents have a wider organization view of holistic performance.
Personal role as a change agent and the cultural impact
Organizational culture forms the backbone of a business’ success through safeguarding leadership accomplishment (Schein, 1993). As a customer service consultant in my Beauty products firm, I pride being a change agent. The organization’s positive and accommodative culture facilitated my ability to steer efficiency and effective output. It enabled me build strong social connections that promoted cohesion, empathy, open door policy that widened acceptance for change and minimized conflicts within the organization. This in result boosted employees’ morale and increased innovation and synergy towards better performance.
Spector, B. (2013). Implementing Organizational Change: Theory into practice. Boston: Pearson
Schein E. 1993. Organisational Culture and Leadership. In Classics of Organisation Theory.
Jay Shafritz and J. Steven Ott, eds. 2001. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers.
Senior, B., & Fleming, J. (2006). Organizational change. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/Financial Times.
Landrum, N. E., & Paul, J. (2005). Journal of organizational change: Vol. 18, No. 3. Bradford, England: Emerald Group Pub.