Managers and Early adopters stepping up as Change Agents
Change is never easy, but it’s a necessary part of growth and progress for organisations. And having more change ambassadors in an organisation can make the change process smoother and more manageable.
A change agent, also known as an advocate of change, is someone who acts as a catalyst for the change management process. They help organisations transform how they operate by inspiring and influencing others. The goal of a change ambassador is to promote, enable, and support an organisation’s change implementation.
To create more change ambassadors within an organisation, there are several steps that management can take. Firstly, they can encourage employees to voice their opinions and provide a comfortable environment for open communication. This can help to increase change advocacy and create a more positive attitude towards change.
Additionally, employee training is crucial for creating change agents and a smooth transition within the organisation. By educating employees on new company procedures, their attitude towards change will be more positive and they will be better equipped to deal with change.
Another important aspect is managing employee expectations. Employees will always have questions about how change will affect their job, pay, and benefits. Change management should be ready with answers to these questions to mitigate any negative effects on employee morale.
For change to be successful, it’s essential that management and leadership are on board. Change management skills should be a requirement for management and leadership positions, and not just a preferred or desired skill. Organisations need to place a higher value and necessity on change management skills to ensure that they become requirement skills for management and leadership roles.
There are many different ways for staff to play a role in change advocacy. We have identified eight personalities in change, known as our Change Avatars. Each avatar represents a different role in change advocacy, such as focusing on people, research, or getting others on board.
In conclusion, cultivating change ambassadors is crucial for the success of any change initiative. The more individuals who are on board, the smoother and more manageable the change process will be. Organisations should place a priority on developing change ambassadors who can advocate for change and make the process as effective, harm-free, and exciting as possible.
Contact us on info@harmonisingchange.co.za for more information on how we work with teams to humanise change management strategies by seeking out and empowering ambassadors for change within the workplace.
Contact Harmonising Change here.
