Copyright © 2008 Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. 11Professor Donald P. Linden

LEAD 1200CRN 25174

Chapter 7

Be a Positive Change Agent

Workforce Development and Critical Thinking

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To bring about change a leader must be willing to swim against the current of custom, norms,

and culture.Anonymous

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Importance of Leadership in Change

In a competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, organizations are constantly looking for ways to keep up, stay ahead, and/or set new directions. The following strategies will help you to be a positive change agent:

Develop an inviting change picture (how will things be after the change) Take responsibility for change Communicate your change picture Identify and eliminate barriers to the change Establish incremental progress points and monitor progress constantly

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Facilitating Change as a Leadership Function

Three categories: Driver – one who leads their organization in new

directions in response to change Riders – people who just go along, reacting to change

as it happens rather than getting out in front of it Spoiler – people who actively resist change

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Do you want to be a driver? Here are some examples.

Stay mentally prepared to take advantage of the change When you have misgivings, step back and examine your

own motivations When a higher manager has an idea that has been tried

before and failed, let the boss know what difficulties were experienced earlier and offer suggestions for avoiding the problems this time

When major changes are announced , find out all about them, communicate this to employees, and solicit input to determine how to make a contribution to the achievement of the company’s new goals

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Do you want to be a driver? Here are some examples. (Continued)

When a change effects another department, go to theses other departments and explain the change in their terms, solicit their input, and involve them in the implementation process

When demand for their unit’s work declines, solicit input from users and employees as to what modifications and new products or services might be needed and include the input in a plan for updating and changing direction

When an employee suggests a good idea for change, support the change by justifying it to higher management and using their influence to obtain resources for it while countering opposition to it

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Do you want to be a driver? Here are some examples. (Continued)

When their unit is assigned a new, unfamiliar task, delegate the new responsibilities to their team members and make sure they get the support and training needed to succeed

These examples show a driver as a person who: Exhibits leadership characteristics to play a positive role

in helping employees and organizations successfully adapt to change on a continual basis.

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How to Lead Change

The most successful organizations don’t just respond to change – they get out in front of it. Helping your organization get out in front of change will help you get out in front of the competition for promotion and raises.

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Understanding the Reality of Continual Change

Every Organization that operates in a competitive environment is forced by macroeconomic conditions to constantly reduce costs, improve quality, enhance product attributes, increase productivity, and identify new markets. None of these things can be accomplished without continually improving (changing) the way things are currently done.

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Success Tip

Although a visible and visionary individual can certainly be a catalyst for organizational

change, the reality is that one person rarely changes an organization.

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Establish and Charter the Steering Committee

The steering committee is a team of people who are committed to the change in question and who can make it happen. Every member of the team should have one or more of the following characteristics: Authority – to make decisions and commit resources Expertise – it should be pertinent in terms of the change Credibility – members must be well respected by all stakeholders

so they will be listened to ad taken seriously Leadership – qualities necessary to drive the effort

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Establish Antenna Mechanisms

Organizations must have mechanisms for sensing trends that will generate future change.

Read professional journals Attend conferences Study global markets Read the newspaper Stay in touch with the organizations customers

You should have your antennae tuned to the world outside and bring anything of interest to the attention of your organization’s steering committee.

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Success TipAntenna mechanisms continue to anticipate change all the time, forever. They feed what

they see into the model, and the organization works its way through each step explained

here. The better an organization becomes at doing this the more successful it will be at competing in the global marketplace. The

better you become at helping your organization make changes, the farther you

will go in your career.

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Develop a Vision (Change Picture)

Imaginable – it conveys a picture that others can see of how things will be after the change

Desirable – it points to a better tomorrow for all involved Feasible – it is realistic and attainable Flexible – stated on terms that are general enough to

allow for initiative in responding to ever-changing conditions

Communicable – it can be explained to an outsider who has no knowledge of the business

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Communicate the Vision to All Involved (Stakeholders)

A good communication approach will have at least the following characteristics: Simplicity Repetitiveness Multiple formats Feedback mechanisms

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Incorporate the Change Process

Once an organization has gone through a major change, both the change itself and the process of change should be incorporated as part of the organization’s culture The change that has just occurred should become the normal

way of doing business The process of change explained in this section should be

institutionalized

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Incorporate the Change Process

Anchoring the new change in the organizational culture is critical

Strategies for anchoring the new change are as follows: Showcase the results Communicate constantly – talk constantly about

results and their corresponding benefits Remove resistant employees – if the employees are

still fighting the change after it has been made and is producing good results, give them the “get with it or get out” option