Being a change agent can be tough. Whether you’ve been given the job or you’re the one identifying the need for change in your organization and working to bring others along the Agile transformation journey, it can feel like an impossible mission. Yet, we believe there’s an effective path you can take.
Do you know who frequently takes on seemingly impossible missions and achieves success? James Bond. Sure, you’re (probably) not taking on a larger-than-life villainous mastermind, but let’s see what we can learn about being an effective change agent from 007…
Know what you’re fighting for
Bond always has a clear driving motivation for what he’s doing. Each mission brings its own unique challenges and needs, but the desired outcome is always clear: take down the criminal genius, stop the missile launch, and save the day! He’s aligned with his allies, clearly communicating the plan of action (subject to change at a moment’s notice, of course) and driven by a healthy sense of urgency. One of the most common stumbling blocks in the mission is when it turns out people aren’t aligned at all (traitors!).
As a change agent, you’ll need to establish the compelling purpose of the change, build the right team for the journey, and communicate a vision to achieve it.
Be flexible and ready to adapt
Sometimes Bond’s cover is blown, or an ally is lost, or a subplot is revealed. Perhaps what Bond had originally planned will no longer work or he has to switch gears. Does he double down and just do what he was originally going to anyway? Of course not. Bond is a master of adapting on the fly.
Being a change agent means you’re already on board with change, right? The clue’s in the name, after all. However, there’s a difference between the transformation plan and the approach you take to achieve it.
You might find that the approach or tools you had in mind aren’t the best ones for the job, and that’s ok. Implementing a tool or framework isn’t the goal, after all, it’s just a means to get there. Don’t be rigid, be open and ready to adapt. Like Bond, adjust your approach as new information or challenges arise. With a strong, clear goal as a guide, everyone can pivot with confidence.
Listen, learn, and communicate
One of Bond’s keys to success is reconnaissance–he listens to a mission brief from M, absorbs the intel that MI6 supplies, and builds an initial plan accordingly–but it doesn’t stop there. During the mission, he gathers more information–he listens to the contacts he makes, learns more about the challenge or the villain, and uses all the information to his advantage.
Being observant, empathetic, communicative, and collaborative is essential for you to be a good agent for change. Find out everyone’s needs and learn about the nature of the challenges they face. This openness and desire to include others in the mission fosters the trust and buy-in you’ll need to help the changes take root.
Open communication helps reveal impediments or reasons for resistance to change–once these things are identified they can be addressed and the mission can move forward–collectively. Bond is never effective going entirely solo.
Don’t drink too much of your own martini
Bond is only human. Every now and then he gets a little too sure he’s right, digs his heels in, and dismisses the advice of his allies. Sometimes these moments put the entire mission in jeopardy.
Leading change isn’t about being an unchallenged expert who doesn’t need others. Once you quit listening to people, people quit listening to you. Remember, the change isn’t about you and you’re not above it, you’re part of it too.
He’s trained for this
Bond wasn’t born able to operate any vehicle on Earth and navigate tense criminal underbellies. He had to go through training first. While your own organizational change may not require scuba-diving or bomb diffusing skills, there are other key skills and capabilities you’ll need.
Our Path to Agility Practitioner workshop is designed to equip you with the knowledge to take on the mission of being an effective change agent in your organization. Focusing on outcomes over outputs, the practical learnings in this class will elevate your skill set to help drive change towards business goals that matter to your organization. (SCUBA lessons, btw, are not included.)
