” Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Upper management decided that you’ve got what it takes to implement change. The employer combed your credentials with a fine-tooth comb, watched you in action during the business, and appreciated your leadership qualities and people skills.
As a change agent, you could be venturing into uncharted territory. Even if you’ve spent many years in the company and think that you know it like the back of your hand, taking on critical responsibilities puts you back on learning mode.
When you’ve served in a particular position for years, you’re familiar with the rules of the game. But when appointed as a change agent, you’ll need to transition into new functions, deal with people you’ve probably never considered before, and get acquainted with processes that you don’t recognize.
So you’ve earned the vote. What’s next?Essentials for a Change Agent
The role of a change agent is scary. It could make or break your career.
In their book, The Change Agent’s Guide to Radical Improvement (American Society for Quality, 2002), Miller and Lawton say: “Ideally, as change agents, projects would come to us crystal clear. We would know what the issue is and who needs to be involved. Unfortunately, things seldom work that way. Change agents are often recruited by someone who has only the vaguest idea of how the project should unfold.”
We’ll discuss five indispensable traits that a change agent must have:
Know thy culture — knowing the hot buttons of your organization will help make your task easier. How much you know of culture determines the amount of influence you can wield over people. Some issues to consider: is the company referred to as an early adopter of new ideas and technologies? Is there an atmosphere of distrust or collaboration among staff? Do employees nurture career aspirations? Do employees use the suggestion box frequently or do they ignore it?
Collect the right data — knowledge is power, they say. The data you collect will depend on the type of change implemented. If the change is to improve the rate of repeat orders from a particular area your company serves, you need to ask: who services this area, what products or services sold, and the profit margins of these goods and services. You will need to know about the handling of complaints and competitor offerings.
When you gather the right data, you ask the right questions and then decide on the right processes. Real data can reveal a gap between what the company staff perceives to be the problems of the product versus what the customers think are the problems.
Be specific — the problem with major enterprises is that they acquire what is called “organization-speak.” and means that the entire communications network camouflaged in terms that mean nothing at the grassroots level. To say, “our company needs to be profitable in the next quarter” is vague. To announce that “changes are underway to make the company more efficient” is vague.
As a change agent, you need to say it, “as it is.” Take the first example above. Wouldn’t it be more meaningful to say, “our company recorded profits of $800,000 last quarter? We need to increase that by 10% so we should all aim for $880,000 by the end of the next quarter. If we make this profit, 50% will be devoted to upgrading our training rooms and materials so we can train 25 more people every month.” By stating figures and targets and the reasons for them, team members will have business targets to achieve
Master the tools, experiment with new ones — it isn’t enough to know the principles of Six Sigma. You have to master its statistical tools: pie charts, T curves, value stream mapping, and variance tables. If Six Sigma tools don’t apply to the particular change, there are other change management tools that you can use. An example would be the Prosci Change Management Maturity Model which utilizes benchmarking and assessments of interactions with companies changing.
Upper management decided that you’ve got what it takes to implement change. The employer combed your credentials with a fine-tooth comb, watched you in action during the business, and appreciated your leadership qualities and people skills.
As a change agent, you could be venturing into uncharted territory. Even if you’ve spent many years in the company and think that you know it like the back of your hand, taking on critical responsibilities puts you back on learning mode.
