The ownership paradox
April 15, 2010
I had an interesting conversation this morning with the director of a Project Management Office. One of the key points of the discussion was a distressing paradox:
If you want organization change to stick, you need someone with authority to take ownership of the change.
When they take ownership, they tend to want to do it their own way, or at least add their personal stamp to it.
Being a change agent ultimately means letting go of what you are trying to implement in order for it to actually happen. If the new state requires your presence for it to continue, then nothing has really changed.
What might you do to give up control of your change initiative to someone who can carry it forward?
On the Radio: Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents
March 16, 2010
This morning on The Change Agent’s Dilemma radio show, I shared Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents.
The Ten Essential Tools include personal influence and structural influence methods, plus a focused foundation that every change agent needs to start with. If your change initiative is stalled, use the Ten Tools as a checklist to see what areas might be in need of a boost.
Listen here (30 minutes):
Be sure to visit the new radio show page to find other ways you can tune in to the show.
If you prefer to read a small synopsis of the list, see the previous post Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents. However, you will miss out on a special offer that is presented at the end of the show!
Ten Essential Tools for Change Agents
February 2, 2010
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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