Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents
February 2, 2010
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Change agents are individuals within organizations who influence change without having direct authority over people who are going through the change. The following are ten things that effective change agents use to influence change in their organizations. Read more
How to get Beyond Leadership Buy-in
August 4, 2009
It almost goes without saying that an organizational change initiative without proper levels of leadership support is doomed to fail. Perhaps the project will be paid lip service, but it will ultimately either be ignored into oblivion or cut short of its potential with one drop of the axe.
Not only do organizational leaders have the power to make or break your project on their own, but it is impossible to bypass them to change the organization below. Individuals experiencing change will look to those in power for confirmation that they are committed to the new way of doing things. It is under intense scrutiny that leaders are watched to see if their actions match their intentions. If not, the change initiative will be dismissed as “flavor of the month” and not taken seriously.
Amid all this doom and gloom, there is a bright side. You don’t have to settle for the level of leadership support you currently have. As fellow human beings, leaders are capable of being informed and influenced.
Take the following steps to determine how to best garner the support of the most influential people in your organization. Read more
The change agent’s dilemma
June 16, 2009
The position of internal change agent – wherever it falls in the organization – can be a tricky one.
You are responsible for influencing the organization, usually without the direct authority to do so.
Leaders are quick to delegate ownership to you, even though they are the ones who really need to own the project. Although it’s much easier to maintain control if you handle things yourself, if the organization sees you as the project champion instead of the leaders, they will not take it as seriously.
On the other hand, try to guide (manipulate?) leaders too much into doing what you want and they will resist being a puppet.
So the ultimate change agent’s dilemma might be this: How do you balance control and influence?
Four Ways to Boost Your Organizational Power
June 9, 2009
For advocates of organizational change, power is the ability to get things done either by influencing others or by making decisions. Possessing power means that colleagues are more likely to do what you ask, respect your opinion, and follow you in the direction you want to go.
Fortunately, power is not something you can buy or take. It can only be given to you by others. Follow these four ways to earn more organizational power. Read more
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