Saturday, September 15, 2012

Business Leadership 15: Traits of a Change Agent

Change agentThis continues our series on leadership traits that can help you improve your business

Businesses, companies, and organizations must change and evolve to continue. Change may affect products or services. Technology may change the business. Employee turnover changes the business. You may determine the changes you wish to make. Some changes result without a plan or expectation. You may neglect the changes that occur and suffer consequences for doing so. You will act as either an agent or victim of change.

Traits of a Change Agent

Dennis Stevenson (no relation) posted

“The goal of a change agent is obviously to make changes that stick. The result of change agent activity is to enable people to do more, or find a new and better perspective on life. Sometimes this latter idea is the foundation for future change which achieves outcomes that were previously not attainable…Change agent is as much about identity and character as it is any definitions.”

He continues “I offer the following explanation for how it feels to be a change agent:

  • A change agent lives in the future, not the present.
  • A change agent is fueled by passion, and inspires passion in others
  • A change agent has a strong ability to self-motivate
  • A change agent must understand people”

10 Questions Every Change Agent Must Answer

Bill Taylor wrote

  • “Do you see opportunities the competition doesn’t see?
  • Do you have new ideas about where to look for new ideas?
  • Are you the most of anything?
  • If your company went out of business tomorrow, who would miss you and why?
  • Have you figured out how your organization’s history can help to share its future?
  • Can your customers live without you?
  • Do you treat different customers differently?
  • Are you getting the best contributions from the most people?
  • Are you consistent in your commitment to change?
  • Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?”

5 Reasons Change Programs Fail

Jim Clemmer lists

  • "Priority Overload
  • Partial and Piecemeal
  • No Improvement/Change Infrastructure or Process
  • Fuzzy Focus
  • Leadership Lip Service”

Monday we summarize and conclude our series on business leadership roles & traits

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