Change Happens

The role of Change Agent is a complex and diverse one. As a Change Agent in the work environment you may be responsible for some or all of the following:

• Lobbying for change
• Initiating change
• Implementing change (initiated by someone else)
• Supporting your team members through a change process
• Identifying impacts of change on key stakeholder groups
• Managing difficult situations with stakeholders during a change process
• Using strategies and processes to provide structure to the change process (i.e. project management)
• Promoting the benefits of change
• Assessing the current and future impacts of the change
• Dealing with your own responses to change

One key distinction to remember is that what we often call 'change' is in fact the way we FEEL about the change.

CHANGE is the new situation, the new procedure or policy, the new outcome - it is usually imposed externally and often people have little control over the change itself.

TRANSITION is the psychological process people go through in dealing with change. Transition is how people feel about the change, and how they go through the process of leaving the old and adopting the new.

You as a change agent

As a Change Agent, you know that often the change itself is something that must happen.

One of your key roles is to assist all people involved with the change to make the transition from participating in the old to participating in the new. To support people in change we need to meet both their logical and emotional needs.

Logical needs can be met by providing structure. People feel more comfortable if they can see the big picture, and then follow through the process of change within that (a clearly outlined project methodology is ideal here!). 'They want to know where they fit in and what impact the change will have on them and their role within the organisation.

By providing logical reasons why the change is needed, what the benefits will be, how the change will be implemented and what each person's role will be during the process, people have access to the facts they need to get used to the change.

Emotional needs can be met by acknowledging that people may be concerned about what is being lost (i.e. the old way of doing things).

People can feel very uncertain or insecure if their current role, responsibilities or reputation appear to be threatened. They may be losing power (no longer the decision maker) or significance (they're no longer seen as the expert).

The change may be altering the dynamics of the team, or relationships between key stakeholders, and this may threaten the person's current connection with key players.