Are You A Skilled Agent Of Change?

How well you do you manage the demands of change?

Heller (1998) in his book ‘Managing Change’ offers us a useful assessment to work out where we are at when it comes to change management.

Take his assessment and see where you fall.

For each statement you consider your own experience and answer as follows:

1 = Never

2 = Occasionally

3 = Frequently

4 = Always

Add your scores together and then see where you are at the end analysis.

You…

1. try to anticipate and lead change within your organisation.

2. make full use of the latest worthwhile IT developments.

3. take any competitive, technological, and market changes very seriously.

4. look for opportunities for radical as well as continuous change.

5. look to be different, and seek productive ways of creating difference.

6. take an open-minded approach towards new ideas and possibilities.

7. link change to any known needs of the customers.

8. keep your change philosophy simple and concise.

9. involve customers and suppliers in your plans for change.

10. make a full and careful business case for change and change projects.

11. break change projects down into manageable components.

12. consult widely in the process of deciding on strategy and action.

13. obtain people’s agreement to the actions demanded of them.

14. use and develop teams as the basic units of change management.

15. use quick-fix changes for instant results early in the change programme.

16. plan well ahead for the long-term pay-offs of change.

17. are careful not to create over-optimistic or over-pessimistic expectations.

18. seize opportunities to reward, celebrate, and encourage successful change.

19. make sure every body knows the answer to “What’s in it for me?”.

20. have effective and adaptable contingency plans available.

21. anticipate adverse reactions and plan how to deal with them.

22. use well-designed pilots and experiments to test your change plans.

23. share relevant information with colleagues and staff as soon as possible.

24. work closely with like-minded people who are keen to change.

25. own behaviour is flexible and highly adaptable to changing needs.

26. encourage people to speak their minds openly and to air their concerns.

27. tackle resistance to change promptly, fairly, and vigorously.

28. use quantitative measurement to obtain the results that you want.

29. review and revise the assumptions that underlie the change plan.

30. ensure that thorough training keeps people up to date with change.

31. start the next change project as another draws to close.

32. use self-appraisal to check on yourself and the organisation.

Analysis

32-64: You are resisting change or are unsure of its potential benefits. Overcome your fears, and learn to plan for change.

65-95: You understand the need for change – now you must develop your skill to achieve it successfully.

96-128: You are a skilled agent of change, but remember that change is a never-ending process, so keep planning ahead.