Change Management and Change Agents

There are two types of turnaround/change leadership. First is the one in which you are a chief executive and you simply have to bring about the change down the hierarchy. The second type of turnaround/change management is the one in which you are not the chief executive and you need to bring the change/turnaround down the hierarchy as well as up the hierarchy. I have been involved in both the capacities. In the second type of turnaround/change management it takes at least two to three years to bring about a cultural change. Change is not only about hiring or firing,  which has its own side effects and repercussions, if not handled delicately. The real change is brought about your carefully chosen change agents and enabling them to post "small wins"  (low hanging fruits) for which all credit is given to them. You may lose unintended more valuable change agents by crude hirings and firings. The more difficult change is overhauling  processes and business process re-engineering. This requires attention to detail and ability to drill down and peep into the future realization of processes. Cultural change requires developing and empowering "change agents". The change is  communicated by your personal example and more potently through the example and communications of the change agents......