Releasing The Change Initiative To the Change Team Once the Change Agent finishes researching and planning the initiative, it's time to let the Change Initiative and the Change Team go. This is probably the hardest thing for a Change Agent to do. S/he has poured heart and soul into the initiative and now it's time to say goodbye. Change Agents have to trust their preparation and the teams they have recruited. After recruiting just the right people to join the Change Team, Change Agents arrange for the team to go through a tough two-day development and planning process. During this time, both the initiative and the team undergo a "trial by fire" to assure they are strong enough to succeed in implementation. Each team presents its initiative to several other teams that are also going through the development session. It's up to the other teams to poke holes in the initiative -- to take exception to the plan, to find wider implications, to point out reasons that the plan will not work. During this testing period, both the Change Agent and the Champion serve as a resource for the team to help create a presentation that is bulletproof. While these resource are available, though, only the team makes the presentation. If the initiative is unable to stand up against this "classroom" attack (or if the team cannot effectively defend the initiative), it is probably not time for implementation. It may be appropriate for the Change Agent -- AND the team -- to decide to withdraw, strengthen the weaknesses in the initiative (or in the team), regroup and come back to a later development session. Effective research, planning, recruiting and team preparation can prevent this withdrawal. Sounds pretty tough, doesn't it? But if you think about it, the test is the closest thing to a guarantee that the Change Team will be ready for the task at hand. Making change is not easy. Making change stick is even harder. Teams must be fit to respond to the opposition they will encounter throughout their work. Once the initiative is accepted by other teams in the development group, the Change Agent is no longer needed. The team now owns the initiative. The team can continue with its Champion and Team Coach, developing itself and planning its work. Letting go of a project can be extremely difficult for a Change Agent. But this testing process allows everyone to have confidence that the team can survive and the planned initiative can become a change. Both will further the transformation of the organization. Written by Veronica Boaz. Heidi Jeanne Hess and Doug Wesley (James Lloyd edited) Check Point (Please complete and submit the Form below) When
you are finished Updated: July 5, 1998 |
