Change Agent in Organizational Change Management

A change agent is a person inside and outside the organization who supports and assists the organizational change process. They serve as a catalyst for motivating, influencing, and inspiring people to implement the changes and make things happen. However, they convince and guide people to make adjustments in their attitudes, behaviors, actions, and desires. They support and facilitate the new methods of doing things and serve as a bridge between employees and the management. Today, we’ll discuss change agent in organizational change management; characteristics, required skills and expertise, various types, and the roles of change agents in organizational change management.

Characteristics and Traits of Change Agent

• Well-organized to effectively manage various tasks
• Empathic behavior
• Good negotiator
• Effective communication skills
• Well-respected figure
• Excited and enthusiastic
• Pragmatic and logical
• Leading with an example
• Building a strong and friendly interpersonal relationship
• Patient and persistent
• Broad knowledge
• Shared vision and comprehension

Responsibilities of Change Agent

• Explaining why change is happening and the people it would impact
• Promoting and facilitating the change initiative
• Sharing the information
• Recognizing the key benefits and challenges of a change project
• Analyzing and expecting the potential areas of disruption and dispute
• Sharing the employee’s feedback with the management and the leadership
• Guiding and advising the stakeholders to see the change impact
• Tracking and managing the objectives of the change project

Skills and Expertise for Change Agent

• Evaluation and diagnostic skill
• Conceptual knowledge
• Ethical knowledge
• Versatile and willing to listen
• Observe, recognize, acknowledge, and report to the organization
• Prioritizing work and building a strong relationship with employees
• Logical capabilities to evaluate and be aware
• Building a strong and meaningful connection

Types of Change Agent in Change Management

Some of the main types of change agents in change management are as follows;

External Change Agents

An external change agent is a third-party professional and expert outside the organization who has the knowledge and expertise to drive and implement change. Since they’re outside the organization, the company’s rules, policies, and regulations don’t apply to them and they analyze the scenario from multiple perspectives and strategies to avoid the change failure.

Internal Change Agents

The internal change agent is the team member inside the organization who is well aware of the company’s politics, culture, and history. Usually, top executives and managers play the role of the change agent. They aren’t the top-level employees, rather they are the lower-level employees with good communication skills, personality traits, and the capability to guide and lead others.

People Oriented Change Agents

People-focused change agent are the specific individuals who have a good communication skill to boost the morale and confidence level of employees. They precisely know the reason for employees’ resistance to the change project and they know how to deal with the barriers to the change project. However, their role is to decrease the employees’ dissatisfaction level and negative outcomes of the change project.

Internal Process Change Agents

Internal process change agents outline the communication, decision-making, and interaction among intergroup and interdepartmental in the organization. They employ cultural change methods comprising employee surveys, team building, and sensitivity training programs.

Organizational Structure Change Agent

The organizational structure change agents focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. They employ a great variety of analytical methodologies to recognize the loopholes and structural gaps inside the organization.

Role Change Agent in Organizational Change Management

Let’s discuss the role of change agent in organizational change management; they’re as follows;

Knowledge Creators

First of all, change agent should develop a knowledge base for the team members to take action and implement changes. They gather data from various sources to learn key insights and comprehend patterns of who is involved in the change process. However, the knowledge base ensures the successful implementation of the change initiative.

Trainer

Trainers are the change agents who guide and assist team members and employees based on new knowledge, skills, and expertise. They would impart the knowledge, skills, and expertise required for the change initiative. However, they teach employees and team members how to successfully execute the changes with the new skill set.

Change Leader or Champion

Change champions are the individuals and team members who proactively participate in the change project. They start talking about the change project and its benefits to the employees to boost their morale. However, they advocate the change project on every platform; it allows them to decrease the resistance among employees towards the change project.

Mediator

Change is a complex and complicated process and employees have different priorities and comprehension levels for the change project. It is one of the main causes of conflicts among employees towards the change. However, companies need mediation to resolve conflicts for the change project.

Conclusion: Change Agent in Organizational Change Management |Change Agent in Change Management

After an in-depth study of the change agent in organizational change management; we have realized that change agents play a key role in the change project. If you are learning about the change agents in change management; then you should keep in mind the abovementioned roles, benefits, types, and traits.