What does a Change Architects do? Are they the future of change in our Society, in business and the new leaders we have been waiting for?
We all know what an architect is, right? I think architect, Sotiris Tsoulos, sums it up beautifully:
“Architecture has always been changing the world and has always been leading into changes… The whole notion of architecture is about change and making things better. It’s the responsibility of the architect to explain, to make the developer its partner and to hold the hand of the people responsible for change in order to apply it…”
You may ask, what on earth has this to do with Change Architecture? Why would I need to know anything about a Change Architect? I am not wanting to build a house, so, what relevance has a Change Architect to offer me? How does it apply to my personal or business life?
The duties and responsibilities of a change architect can vary, depending on the type of transformations they need to assist to create. Their tasks is somewhat similar to the undertaking performed by an architect working in construction. Architects plan out a building, such as a house or high rise building, envision the entire structure, planning it out through drawings and models, and usually supervise the work performed in its design. Similar, a change architect formulates ways in which different transformations can be implemented within an organisations or individuals. He creates a plan and ensures that they are conveyed appropriately to get the required results.
The Fear of Change
This means that the work of a change architect begins with identifying the issue or problem within an individual or a company. Let’s be honest, the biggest fear here for most individuals is the word “change” – not many like change, true? Today, both employer and employees share this fear about how change will affect them personally or their business. Everyone wants to be treated fairly, but how does one successfully implements those changes is the biggest challenge.
While managing how information, and change, gets communicated within a business is important, it can have its challenges. It can backfire if a company tries to withhold important information or control everything. Everyone likes to be in the “picture” and knows what is going on. Otherwise the rumour workshop becomes the breeding ground circulating wrong information.
Start the Process of Planning
An early planning process is just the starting point, frankly, it comes down to communication, and a lot of it. Collecting information and feedback from employer, mangers, leaders and employees is critical to implement successful changes within an organisation. The gained knowledge assists to evaluate the readiness of each individual to support the changes and establishes the level of change required.
Once this is established, then the change architect can create a plan of action and an overall model for how it can be implemented, similar to the models and blueprints made by an architect in construction.
The change architect then supervises the project of these modifications within the company or for an individual. This means, that the change architect does not perform these tasks; it is the responsibility of the organisation to ensure the process happens in much the same way other professionals are charged with actually constructing a building.
Ongoing Support until the End
During the process of the projects, an architect may need to make changes to an existing plan in order to improve the building, without compromising its quality. In much the same way, a change architect may need to alter the plan during its procedure; they supply ongoing support that continues the process with the end result in mind.
During the time I lived in Vienna – it is said, “If everything is energy, anything is possible.” Vienna is a beautiful city and when it was built at the turn of the century, its leaders and architects were giving credit to its future greatness to distinction of “Memory and Prophecy.” They created the magical rich environment by blending their tradition with the exciting sensation of embracing the new. When discovering new grounds one needs to embark into engaging communication and a change architect is a master in doing so.
TO YOUR SUCCESS
GG Frantz
