Organizational Transformation - Part II
Your Role as a Change Agent

By EMERGE International

As discussed in Part I, there are many different approaches to organizational change and transformation. We offered a number of questions for you to consider before you make the decision to go down the change path. In addition to those key questions, which we refer to as "Change Readiness" there are also a number of other key elements to examine.

Take the time to examine how well you have done historically in your attempts to implement change in your organization. Think about a change initiative that has occurred in your organization over the past three to five years and answer the following questions:

1. What was the change?
2. Was it successful and did it survive the test of time? If yes, why? If no, why not?
3. What did you learn?
4. What would you do differently?

Once you have answered these questions, a very useful exercise would be to have other members of your organization answer them as well. This exercise will help you and others in your organization relive the change experience and allow you to compare notes. Some will feel that it was a very positive experience; others will feel it was negative; and still others may think it was neutral. After you relive the experience using "20/20 hindsight" you can apply what you learn to the next change initiative. Also, comparing notes with others will provide you with differing perspectives that will be helpful as you move toward your next challenge.

Once you have taken that step, as change leader, take the time to understand where you fall on the change agent continuum.

Are you a Change Agent or Change Avoider?

1. You always feel as if you are in growth mode.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
2. You find yourself relying more than ever on your gut.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
3. You are caring and guiding yet directive.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
4. You see situations with different eyes.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
5. Edges of your patience are pushed things don't move fast enough.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
6. You constantly revisit your own values.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
7. Your honesty with yourself helps you to relate to others.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
8. You truly know yourself.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
9. Your greatest joy is doing for others, so they can do for themselves.
   ___ Yes
   ___ No
   
10. You understand that you must care for yourself -- no one else can.
    ___ Yes
    ___ No

Total YES ___ Total NO ___

If you answered yes to three or less, you may want to work with a change coach.

If you answered yes to at least five, you're on your way.

If you answered yes to all ten, you eat change for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Your score on this exercise is not a predictor of your ability to change, but it does provide an indication of how comfortable you are with change. It tells you whether you are still serving status quo on your plate instead of a steady diet of change. And just like introducing a new food, your responses to change are:

• Highly personal
• Based on previous experiences; and
• Fairly predictable unless you make a conscious effort to change.

You may not be a card-carrying change agent yet, but you are beginning to understand the dynamics of the process and beginning to give this subject serious thought, or you would have stopped reading this book by now!

Interested in learning more about organizational transformation?

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