Download Change Agents

Change Agents
Skills
The Change Agent
• A professional person influences innovative
decisions in a direction deemed desirable by a
change agency.
• His job is to identify problems and recommend
certain solutions.
• He is qualified to suggest changes.
• He could be internal or external.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Internal and External Agent
• Internal agent has intimate knowledge of the organisation
and also managerial power to legitimise decisions.
• He may not generate suspicion and mistrust like external.
• He may be accepted because of his position and credibility.
• Insider might be biased or may not perceive the problem in
objective way.
• Outsider may be more objective in problem solving.
• He drives power from his expertise.
• Client may be more open.
• However he may not have the comprehensive
understanding of the organisation.
Role of Change Agent
• He develops a need for change on the part of
client.
• He establishes a change relationship with them.
• He should identify the problem faced by the
client after diagnosis.
• He should also know problems would be faced
during and after change.
• He prepares a blue print of action for
implementing change.
• Stablises change and prevent discontinuance.
• Achieves a terminal relation with his clients.
General Reactions to Change
• Client system may not take notice of the change.
• May resist any change attempt. (Due to fear of
uncertainty, ambiguity and insecurity)
• A belief in the inevitable change hence adopt for
betterment.
• A desire to change and be proactive.
• If the organisation has to maintain a healthy and
dynamic equilibrium it must adopt changes.
Org. Less Oriented to Change
• Use simpler technology.
• Internal environment for status quo.
• A close system with minimum interaction with
outside.
• Stereotype of roles.
• Greater control over their external
environment.
• Greater degree of spcialisation.
Org. Prone to Change.
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Where technology is complex.
External and internal environment not stable.
It is an open system.
Social relation among individuals is more
business like.
• Less of specialisation.
• Individual members are high on empathy.
• Basically proactive with positive orientation
for change.
Change Approaches
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The decree approach.
The replacement approach.
The structural approach.
The data discussion approach.
The group discussion approach.
The group problem solving approach.
The T-group approach.
Emulative approach.
Skills of a Change Agent
• Cognitive Skills.
– Self understanding (should be able to understand
requirement for change)
• Conceptulisation skills.
• Should be able to determine possible units of
change.
• Foresee effects on other subsystems.
• Evaluation skills
• Action skills
– Consultant
– Counselor
– Facilitator
– Trainer