LDR 615 Topic 4 DQ 1 Discuss the importance of a change agent and a guiding team
. What is the purpose of each, and what traits make them successful?
Hi Class,
A change agent is a person who both communicates and requests change inside an organization. Change agents can be both inside and external to the company, allowing for both internal and external change to take place simultaneously. The ability to incite, assist, and organize a change endeavor is what makes someone a change agent (Lunenburg, n.d). It is the role of the guiding team to assist the organization in adapting to the change that is taking place. Change agents serve as consultants, trainers, and researchers, respectively (Luenburg, n.d). They are aware of the situation and are prepared to take the required efforts to make the shift a success for the company. Communication, trust, and motivation are all attributes that change agents and the leading team can use to aid each other.
Reference:
Lunenburg, F. C. (n.d). Managing change: the role of the change agent. Naaee.
Class,
There are some constants in the world of organizations, and even in the world in general, and the most contentious of these is change. Change is unavoidable, and given the rate at which everything has changed since I was a kind in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it is a necessary advent for ventures to succeed. The use of change agents is one method for bringing about change. As defined below, “Change agents are the human face of transformation.” They are frequently employees within an organization who are part of a ‘change network.’
. They put change into context for their teammates. And, when a change is implemented in this manner across a large organization, everyone is more likely to participate.
However, change agents are more than just advocates and teachers. They also collect critical feedback that is used to inform manager recommendations and interventions. A well-managed change agent network enables organizational change to meet its KPIs.
So, the role of a change agent (a.k.a. champion, conversation lead, subject matter expert, whatever you want to call them) has three parts:
- To champion change across the organization
- To guide colleagues through change in a relatable way
- To feedback to the change manager
Most change agents do this alongside day-to-day work. So it is important that team leads factors in time for them to fulfil their roles as agents”. (Herbert, 2021)
Another aspect is the use of a guidance team which is defined as, “a group of individuals within an organization who are the social leaders of the change initiatives. These individuals bring expertise, energy, and perspective across a variety of areas. Further, peers respect their professionalism”. (Carpen, 2021)
Reference:
Herbert, W. (2021, October 27). What is the role of a change agent? Teamtogether. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://teamtogether.io/blog/the-role-of-change-agent
Carpen, K., PhD. (2021, July 6). Change Management – Step 2: Build a Guiding Coalition. Viral Solutions. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://viralsolutions.net/change-management-step-2-build-a-guiding-coalition/
Change Team Considerations
Hi Class,
Thank you for the wonderful discussions regarding the significance and purpose of change teams. If you were assembling a change
LDR 615 Topic 4 DQ 1 Discuss the importance of a change agent and a guiding team
team, what would be your key considerations when selecting your team? Why?
Replies to Erica Richmond
Some of the most important things I’d look for when putting together a team are a diverse group of people. I’d prefer to work with people who would be directly involved in the implementation, so that I can learn from them about the process and how to motivate the team. Having subject matter specialists on the team is also important if the shift is to be successful.
Replies
Dr. E., thank you for your time.
Communication and delivery are two of the most important factors for me when picking a company. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the transition team when major changes occur. I was on a team with a member who had fallen out of contact with the rest of the group at the time. His stakeholders, not us, were the only ones he communicated with. It was also alarming because he had the ability to deliver. Whether you like it or not, change is coming. We had to put out the fires he started in order to make forward.
Replies
To run a successful change management project effectively, you need a group of people with a variety of skill sets (Hayes, 2018).
People who are good communicators and who are aggressive, organized, and influential would be at the top of my priority list if I were putting together an all-star team. Stakeholders and employees implementing the change must have trust in each other if the change is to succeed. Proactive and organized people are crucial to the planning phase and can help establish implementation plans. The ability of powerful people to evoke an emotional response and express the significance of change effectively will improve employee engagement and buy-in.
References
A. Hayes (author) (2018, May 17).
Choosing the right team members can be a daunting task. About Leaders. https://aboutleaders.com/effective-team-members/#gs.emxdse
Replies
Determine what departments, responsibilities, and supporting departments the change would affect, and then gather a representative from each of these areas to form the team. If the project were to succeed, I’d also look at which leaders would be able to eliminate any obstacles and give resources. All levels of management, as well as workers at all levels, should be represented in the planning process in order to provide a more complete picture of the changes that need to be made.
