The final archetype was the “Change Agent.” As with Specialists, Change Agents focused on execution. In contrast to Specialists, Change Agents acted through the business units as facilitators to ensure that strategies were enacted with fidelity. One such CSO described the role as “an enabler. Sometimes the gears don’t mesh in an organization. And you’re there to try and bring the people together.”
Change Agents spent the majority of their time with business unit heads working on implementation. As one said, “Where most time goes is once you’ve done the business planning or once you’ve done the corporate strategy, you then end up with a series of conclusions and action points, and actually what I spend most of my time doing is then trying to implement the decisions that we arrive at toward the end of those two processes.”
As with Coaches, the success of the Change Agents depends upon their knowledge and network within the organization. As such, the Change Agent also tends to be recruited from within, generally from among people in senior roles with the business units. Change Agents also tend to remain in their role for an extended period — often working for a number of CEOs during their tenure.
Questions:
1) Rumelt talks about inertia (routine, culture) as a the unwillingness or inability of an organisation to adapt to changing circumstances. Discuss how the change agent can help the organisation to adapt. (5 Marks)
2) Rumelt talks about entropy as the weeds and decay that flouirish in poorly managed businesses. What can the change agent do to bring focus back to the organisation.? (5 Marks)
Explain both of the questions with real life example
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