Change Agents

What is a change agent

Four types of change agents that Daniel P Forrester identifies in his book The governments New Breed of Change Agents Leading the War on Terror:

1. "Transformational leaders- Bold visionaries and often senior political appointees. Modes of operation : Forceful, focused, tenacious, seasoned.
2. Over Authorized Senior Directors: ‘Make it all happen’ major program managers, Modes of operation: Collaborative, manage up,down and inter-agency
3. Functional Mavens-Deep subject matter experts with critical cross-agency inputs to change and transformation Modes of operation: Seek to innovate functional expertise within context of a common vision
4. Dogged Conceptualizers- The big idea people who act patiently and know intuitively that “every good idea has its day "Modes of Operation : Independent operators who powerfully feed concepts to Transformational Leaders, Over-authorized Senior Directors, and Functional Mavens."(Forrester)

Differences between Internal and External Change agents

- Internal agents works within and organization to bring about change.

- External agents works outside an organization to bring about change.

Differences between Formal and Informal change agents

- Formal agents has a formal responsibility for change

-Informal agents bring about change in an informal way

Differences between Administrative and "grass roots" change agents

- Administrative agents is a person who has administrative responsibility form the top down

- Grass roots agents are people who want to bring about change from the bottom up

Strategies used by change agents to bring about change from "The Change Agent’s Strategy"
by Alex Bennet

-" The change strategy model can be viewed in terms of orchestrating and implementing twelve specific elements. These elements are: creating a shared direction; building the business case; demonstrating leadership commitment; facilitating a common understanding; setting limits; sharing new ideas, words, and behaviors; identifying the strategic approach; developing the structure; measuring and incentivizing; providing tools; promoting learning; and envisioning an even greater future." Bennet is applying this model to ICAS( Intelligent Complex Adaptive Systems) I have made general comments on Bennets strategies below.

- Creating a shared vision - Come up with common goals

- Building the business case- "This business case lays out the current organizational effectiveness level, identifies needed changes and, most importantly, describes the anticipated changes and expected results of those changes in terms that make sense from a business perspective. " (Bennet)

- Demonstrating Leadership Commitment- " demonstrates commitment to a vision through words and actions" (Bennett)

- Facilitating a Common Understanding- by determining the reasons behind the movement towards a vision or goal

-Setting Limits- set limits so that you can focus on the concept of the vision and communicate about it

- Sharing new ideas, words, behaviors- if new thinking occurs new words occur resulting in new behaviours

-Identify the strategic approach- people need to think strategically at all level and for all levels of the organization

- Developing Structure - develop an organizational structure that will facilitate change

- Measuring and incentivize- measure how effective you are and what incentive you need to implement to bring about change

-Providing Tools- provide resources to help bring about change

-Promoting Learning- encourage learning and put in place systems that help facilitate learning

-Envisioning a greater future- envision how the change will impact the future

Chart from Marian High School of Organizational structure is a typical school structure found in most schools.

- In a typical school structure the Principal is responsible for all change in the school.

Job description for change agent

• Looking for a Student Union Consultant to advise on reorganizing the Student Union so that student concerns are considered and brought to school council and the administration's attention.

-Ways to asses change: Surveys, case studies, history(looking back in the past to see what changes have occurred), interviews, news, online forms, and scientific research(statistical research) .

Outcomes of Middle school

"Intended outcomes for transition to middle school in Spruce Grove

• June 2004 Board direction to administration:
• Design an implementation plan for 12 months leading to the opening of early & middle years schools§
• ensure parents, students, staff & other stakeholders play an integral role
• address concerns of stakeholders, expressed during community consultations in spring 2004
• address stakeholder concerns; exemplify PSD’s commitment to vibrant, healthy schools
• ensure stakeholders are informed

Community needs best served if process were to ensure:

• list of special needs services by school is defined
• Gr. 5 – 9 student given opportunity to become more responsible, in a safe and caring environment
• outline accessibility to complementary programs
• school events are collaboratively planned
• new attendance boundaries are clearly outlined
• parents choice is reviewed & communicated
• parents given opportunity to participate in process
• stakeholders are apprised of process
• presentations on the implementation framework (IF) with staff & business community
• standing agenda items at Board, Leadership & Centre for Education meetings
• updates through On-line, Intranet (Jan.1), press releases,The Advocate, Website
• advertisement - public meeting dates
• brochures for early & middle years"

Actual outcomes and process of change

• See previous post on change

Change Agents

• Parkland Administration and two principals of three proposed Middle Schools were primary change agents
  
• Community members that proposed changes were given minimal consideration

Key Elements to bring about change

• Shared vision
• Collaboration amongst stakeholders
• Well thought out and executed implementation plan

Role of Time

• There needs to be sufficient time for most people to participate in changes
• Changes need to be made on schedule and not delayed so as to cause frustration among stakeholders