Monica,
You are correct with open-mindedness and forward thinking. This attribute calls for us to be good listeners. We need to allow for good brainstorming so everyone can get their thoughts out in the open. Building trust in change happens when we all have the ability to listen.
Good job on your comments!
I believe that I try to be a change agent as much as possible. I try to always stay positive when dealing with difficult situations. Although, change blocking may sometimes be the easier choice if you do not focus on a positive outcome. There are so many situations that may come up to where it would be easier to resist change, but having patience and understanding can help in changes that develop in any company.
I am on a college accreditation board of directors. I am leading a major change event within the organization. We are soon to be a 100 year old agency. Much of the regulations have been outdated with changes in technology and the operations of colleges. Our motivation to the council members is looking at the next 100 years and how we need to be prepared. You are correct in some push back but we have set up an ad hoc committee to begin to put the structure of change into place for implementation. Our process will take two years.
I would say overall I am a change agent. I believe in change when it can improve/streamline work processes & eliminates busy work. I think the trick is to keep and open mind at what is being proposed. All to often the statement "why fix what is not broke" can justify resistance, and in some cases it may be a very valid statement. The key to change is to remain open, think it through and see the big picture.
Change can be for the better. It is important that change is a constant search for the best practices. Due to our changing environment in our work surroundings nothing stays the same. We must be willing to be forward thinkers.
I consider myself both a change agent and a change blocker. The reason I feel this way is because as a manager it is my responsiblity to guide my employees toward a common end result, such as fulfilling the company's mission statemet. I prefer to consider myself as a guide for change. Many times employees will suggest change and I will guide that suggestion to a change status or a block status because of various reasons. Yes it does depend on the type of change involved. Some changes are company driven because of economy or business practices and others are employee suggestions. The interesting part is managing people through change so that it makes sense.
Sometimes making sense with change is the hardest challenge. Many business and management experts such as Drucker explained change as necessary. Change is fulfilling our mission. During change we may need to revisit the mission of the company to make sure we are parallel with our actions of change. Questions to ask during change are:
What is our mission?
Who is our customer?
What does the customer want?
How does this affect us both externally and internally?
Change should only for improvement purposes.
I sometimes can be categorized as a change blocker. I say this because in my company I have seen many plans put into operation before being carefully planed out. This is a recipe for disaster. I am very reluctant to change unless it comes with a strategy.
You are probably not a blocker but a person who requires more information and better analysis before you move forward. There is nothing wrong with being caustious but not at the expense of progress. Sometimes after analysis you need to use the research from a pilot. Nothing seems to run smoothly from the start but with fine tuning it gets better.
I am definitely a change agent. I believe that continuous improvement is a business necessity. Therefore, change must be ongoing or you are not improving. That does not mean that I do not express any concerns to proposed change. Diversity of opinion, and resistance to embrace a change may drive conflict. But I see this conflict as a necessary pert of the improvement process. The key work is improvement, and change must drive that end.
I consider myself a change agent.
I stepped into a new leadership role with an organization that was use to operating under a different leadership style of implementing change. The team was use to working with a top-down management style regarding change.
I believe in the pulling your team into the idea surrounding change verses push the ideas of change. Through asking open-ended question to generate open communication within the team created an environment that supported open communication. The team was encouraged to become more engaged in framing the right area of opportunities, developing alternative solutions and potential implementation strategies to activate change. The management team became more comfortable sharing constructive feedback amongst one another. Thus pulling the team into the decision making process. The end result was the team identified alternative solutions and implementation strategies to move the change process progressively forward. Ultimately the team took full ownership of the change process.
Change is change regardless of the type of change involved. A leader can us the same strategy regardless of the type of change that is on the table.
Your technique is a valuable practice to gather ownership in the process. People will adapt better if they feel they are part of the change agent. Your efforts to bring people together for team success encourages this transfer of ownership.
Agent. I set all goals for our school. Implement and deal with blockers.
The best practice to prevent blockers is to create ownership by your employees of all goals and projects. If they can be more involved in the process and the outcomes they will become agents rather than blockers. Transfer of ownership is a leadership talent that can be accomplished by excellent coaching.
I would probably classify myself as a change agent, provided there has been enough information presented that justifies the change. I think that is the key to successful change; providing adequate explanations for the need and meaningful reasons for the method chosen. I am not a proponent of "change for change sake" nor do I embrace change when no real explanation is given.
I consider myself a change agent. A change should have a policies or processes that will improve the overall outcome and enhance the program. Having effective communication between your team is important to get their constructive feedback and make a decision based on their feedback. Once the change has been decided by the whole team, they will have ownership and will support it.
Transfer of ownership is important in any change. If you the only one owning the change it will be difficult to implement. Your idea of team ownership will be key to the success of any transition from old to new.
I consider myself to be a change agent. I find that I have been able to motivate others to change by having open and honest communication when it comes to change, especially when the change is on a big scale. People will resist the change the most when there is fear of the unknown,therefore; the more information you share, the more they will change and help support the change.
My favorite saying is that "change is inevitable, growth is optional".
At my institution I am a change blocker because the implementation is scattered and communication is poor and so the changes that are implemented usually don't go well, and if you suggest that it be done differently, you are informed that you have no input into the process. It isn't the change I block so much as the implementation, and I effectively try to adjust the implementation to meet the operating needs within my job description. A good example of the sort of poor organization that accompanies change at my institution is that will have two manadated goals and then one will change such that it contradicts parts of the first one. Managers respond to the contradiction very poorly and have attempted to insist that both can be accomplished, not thinking out the problem in any depth. I don't disgree with the goals of change at my institution, its just that mediocre management has made the processes very time consuming and the corporation suffers long change periods due to bad implementation. They never attempt to achieve any sort of by-in and are dismissive of concerns.
A change agent. I will work toward change when it is needed. This is ,of course if I have a clear understanding of the change.
