Answer 3 for LDR 615 Discuss the importance of a change agent and a guiding team
The effectiveness and simplicity of the change process depend on the implementation strategies and the traits of individuals and teams. The importance of a change agent and a guiding team cannot be overlooked due to their influence, expertise, and facilitation. Indeed, change can only be successful if the change agent and the guiding team play their roles effectively. According to Ericson-Lidman and Strandberg (2023), a change agent’s primary mandate is to get others engaged in the change process. Given the complexity of change and the inevitability of cultural and technical barriers, it is crucial to have individuals who champion and support renewals and continuous improvements. Change agents help organizations and group members interpret the present situation and formulate effective strategies to address desirable changes (Ericson-Lidman & Strandberg, 2021). The guiding team is critical to successful change implementation by providing the theoretical and technical expertise/guidance needed for implementing and sustaining the change. The team comprises of members with diverse skills to help in strategic planning, leadership, and other aspects of change.
Several traits make a change agent and a guiding team successful. The most valuable trait is idealized influence. As Barrow et al. (2022) noted, many people embrace change efforts late, hence the need for change leaders to reduce change barriers as much as possible. The change agents’ and the guiding team’s ability to stimulate, facilitate, and coordinate the change effort is critical to the early adoption of the desired change. The other important traits include competence and experience. Desirable capacities include leadership skills, strategic planning, developing colleagues’ motivation and energizing them (Ericson-Lidman & Strandberg, 2021). These capacities enable the change agent and guiding team to succeed in implementing the needed culture change in an organization.
References
Barrow, J. M., Annamaraju, P., & Toney-Butler, T. J. (2022). Change management. National Library of Science.
Ericson-Lidman, E., & Strandberg, G. (2021). Change agents’ experiences of implementing a new organizational culture in residential care for older people: a qualitative study. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 41(3), 149-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057158521995994
Ericson Lidman, E., & Strandberg, G. (2023). Meanings of being a change agent in implementing a new organisational culture in home care services: a phenomenological hermeneutic study. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 43(1), 20571585231157505. DOI: 10.1177/20571585231157505
