Is This Initiative Legitimate Or Not?

Because our approach to transforming a company gives Change Agents and Change Teams great freedom to take action, there must be some limits and checks to keep the change process in bounds and focused on legitimate results. Each Change Team creates its own "license" that shows how the initiative is legitimate. Anyone in the company has a right to check a Change Team's license and even to challenge the license. The teams have an obligation to take these challenges seriously and to respond appropriately to anyone who challenges.

Test the legitimacy of an initiative you have in mind by checking it against the criteria required for a Change Initiative in your organization.

The Change Agent is responsible for making sure the initiative s/he releases to the Change Team meets the criteria of the organization. And the team must keep the initiative in bounds during implementation. Everyone associated with an initiative should be able to honestly defend its legitimacy

Volunteers in all roles of transformation must be aware of -- and understand -- the criteria for legitimacy. The Champion has an opportunity to stop a Change Agent before s/he recruits the team by challenging the legitimacy of the initiative. Champions and Team Coaches only continue their involvement with teams working on legitimate Change Initiatives. If the team's Champion or Team Coach ever believe the team's initiative no longer meets the criteria for legitimacy, they have an ethical obligation to challenge the team. If the team does not agree and if it does not alter its course, the Champion or Team Coach must immediately resign from the team.

Since teams can only work if they have BOTH a Champion and a Team Coach, people in these roles serve as a balance for the transformation. Champions and Team Coaches who have resigned because the initiative has strayed out of bounds are likely to inform their colleagues about the resignation. Other Champions and Team Coaches will likely not work with the team unless the team brings the initiative back in bounds.

© 1997 ChangeCraft ™

Written by Heidi Jeanne Hess and Veronica Boaz
(Doug Wesley contributed)

Check Point

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