Agent of Change

Hardest part:  Someone has to deliver the news.

Easy part:  Realizing something ain't right.

Hard part:  Accepting things are going to be different.

Easy part:  Believing in the new cause.

Hard part:  Identifying the solution.

I have been dealing in the world of change for a good amount of time.  From an organizational point of view, change is usually defined by a business need, change in environment or change in technology.  When I first started working, 13-columnar paper was still useful in the Accounting world.  I remember people opposed to moving to a computer environment.  30+ years has seen many innovations and technological advances that have made work life significantly easier.  Similar technology, which in the “olden” days was unaffordable to the masses are now part of everyday life.  My cellphone, as an example, has more power and ability than my first PC, is smaller than the floppy disc that I needed to insert to start the computer and smaller than the remote to the fancy TV sets my parent could not afford.

In hindsight, it is easy to identify the benefits of change.  As an agent of change, we have to be able to paint the picture that tells the story of how things will be, the benefits and the positive future impacts.  Our audience, in most cases, does not initially see the benefits and in 8 out of 10 cases are comfortable with the way things are.  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is the age-old adage, however, it then sets us up for failure, because it allows the world to pass us by while we remain where we are.  Someone has long since moved the cheese, even though we still see it sitting there, a mere vestige of the tasty morsel that it once was.

As the messenger, who will be shot at, tarred and feathered, then drawn and quartered, the words and vision that we present have to clearly project the ideas of what can be and the risk of doing nothing.  As we are more comfortable with things, ideas and processes, we tend to be less open to new things, new ideas and new processes.  There is the chance, with the wrong words, to have the audience turn before we get into the issue.  There is the chance that I will sound pompous, insincere and out of touch because I am not aligned with those before me.  There is a chance, however, that I can catch their attention, provide the right story which leads down the path where I take everyone with me.  Sometimes, someone else is better equipped to handle the deed.  It is like tiptoeing across a blades edge, where each step must be gentle enough so you do not slice open your foot, yet firm enough so that you do fall into the abyss that is on either side. 

In actuality, we are all agents of change.  As we go through life, all of each reach a juncture where we have to make choices with an impact.  Some effect only ourselves, while some effect those around us.  Be bold, be wise, ask advise and be willing to do what you believe is right.  Change is never easy and sometimes we have to shoulder the hardest part – delivering the news to others.