Agents of change key to navigating way forward
CHANGE is inevitable. Every established institution, whether in the government, the private sector or the NGO space will, at some point, need to alter a fundamental aspect of its operations.
But a smooth transition requires more than just strategy. It requires leaders from the ground-level upwards to embrace their roles as agents of change. But why should someone take on these leadership roles and added responsibility?
Naturally, becoming a change manager can help keep your employer afloat, meaning job security and a united direction even in times of great uncertainty.
On an individual level, recent reports in South Africa have shown that change management skills sets are in high demand and that across the globe change managers often have higher salary ranges and career advancement opportunities.
We have spent decades developing these vital employees and their skill sets and have seen the damage that can be caused by a failure to manage change effectively. Conversely, we have witnessed how the most difficult changes, such as restructuring or implementing new technology and hybrid working models, can be implemented with minimal resistance when the right people take on the role of change managers. But who are these change agents within an organisation? What skills do they need?
Sponsors: They are usually at the highest level of the business and while not necessarily always in the C-suite, they do need a certain level of influence and financial clout to facilitate organisational change.
They allocate the resources because they have the responsibility for allocating budgets and the influence to be able to alter them when needed. It’s a strategic role that has to work towards more sustainable change, with a longterm understanding of why the change is taking place and how the business can benefit.
People leaders: They are usually referred to as middle- and first-line management but could also include team leaders in a scrum-type of development structure. The group has a critical role in leading the change at individual level.
Additionally, they would be the best people to address individual resistance to the change as they have daily contact with their direct colleagues and subordinates. Finally, the leaders would be expected to coach their people on how to change, and the appropriate responses and behaviour that make the change real.
Change managers: This group of individuals are ideally identified by the sponsors and are responsible for planning and supporting the people side of the change.
They are trained to ensure that employees from ground-level up understand how their roles and careers will be affected by the change. While they are called managers, they don’t necessarily have to be in management, as long as they have the intelligence, influence and charisma to accurately analyse the change, its support and ability to apply a solid method that results in realistic action plans.
Change enablers: These are project managers, thought engineers and skilled members of an organisation who develop the tools to facilitate the technical side of the change. By building solutions, the change enablers can give the tools to the other change agents (like line managers), train them in their use and adapt them to meet any challenges identified by other change managers. The change enablers are adaptable and creative, from new operational systems to technical strategies on how to implement them.
According to the Prosci methodology, even though the enablers are responsible for the technical change, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is technological.
Yes, some changes require technological solutions, but project managers can focus on technical solutions such as culture changes, mergers and acquisitions, policy updates and other initiatives.
Their skill sets include problemsolving and facilitating the conversations to find solutions, challenge the status quo, be adaptable in designing solutions, design new processes (technological or otherwise) to manage the change, and train the change network to use the new tools.
Each of the agents is an important piece of the change management puzzle and central to creating an organisation with a high-level of change maturity that can weather even major crises or evolutions.