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So, you want to be a change agent, eh? You've found--or maybe even created--an innovation, and you're confident it exhibits the attributes Rogers talks about. You're familiar with the environment in which you want to implement it, and it appears to meet enough of Ely's conditions for you to be confident "the time is right" for change. You've read Fullan's suggestions for a change agent in your role, and you're ready to go--but where do you start, and what should you expect? What can the literature tell you about where you should focus your attention as the effort proceeds?
Some things are fairly clear. You're going to have to study the problems that call for change. You'll need to identify the key stakeholders in the environment, and get to know their hopes and concerns. Even with an innovation already in mind, you should probably explore alternative solutions--if only so you'll be able to defend why your recommendation is best. You'll also want to reach out and identify resources that can help you and your clients implement your innovation successfully. Finally, of course, there will come a time when you must move on, returning to your normal duties or seeking new situations that call for change--and you'll want the system you leave behind to be able to sustain itself, and continue to evolve, in your absence.
These steps and others may naturally come to mind as you consider what is necessary to implement change--but how do they relate to one another? Is there any typical sequence in which they should be undertaken? What activities and interventions are involved in each step? Planning your approach to each particular implementation project, and carrying it out successfully--to include gathering feedback and adjusting your tactics as necessary--requires a focus on the change process and the role it plays in service of the total change effort.
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