A What Agent????
Today I’d like to discuss the possibility of becoming a change agent, but first . . . what in the world do they do?
Change agents are professionals whose task is to solve business problems. To be more specific, here is a list of duties that a change agent may perform on a daily basis (http://www.prsolutions.biz/blog/what-is-a-change-agent-and-why-might-you-need-one).
- Change agents are individuals who have the knowledge, skills and tools to help organizations create radical improvement.
- They choose the right improvement projects to work on by diagnosing the real issues effecting the organization.
- Organize the project so that it has the best chance to succeed, by uncovering the project’s success criteria, securing management support, and building the right team.
- Navigate the politics of change; ensuring radical ideas become radical improvements that dramatically impact the bottom line.
- They have the ability to do a lot of unstructured work, to custom design processes to meet the goals of an organization, and are able to inspire people through self-confidence balanced by humility and a sense of humor.
They usually spend a ton of time working in interactive media, which bring us to the next question: What in the blazes is interactive media?
Understanding Interactive Media
Interactive media, by definition, is the integration of digital media including combinations of electronic text, graphics, moving images, and sound, into a structured digital computerized environment that allows people to interact with the data for appropriate purposes. The digital environment can include the Internet, telecoms and interactive digital television.
Even I Could Be a Change Agent Man
Considering my current level of experience in interactive media over the last 12 years, I can see myself in a possible the role as a change leader. According to cio.com, I need to ask myself, “How you will earn that credibility?” The key is to spend time with the people you want to lead, listen more than you talk, and when they test you to see what you are made of, and take the challenge. It hardly matters what happens. People just want to see if you can walk a mile in their shoes before they decide to follow you.
Watch Out For Mobile Development
The technology that could make the biggest impact in the next decade is mobile development in general. If Google is successful, iPhone, Symbian, Windows Phone and BlackBerry might become operating systems that are used on niche products. Maybe the makers of phones based on these operating systems should start thinking about specializing rather than generalizing their offerings so as to have some unique selling proposition.
Staying On Top of Things
In order to remain on top of things in the world of technology, especially as a change agent, there are multiple ways to stay on track. One of them is through blogging (SURPRISE!) and a majority of the websites for user interfaces post almost daily on downloads and upgrades for software. You can also form a network of trusted professionals who correspond through emails, blogs, twitter and local meetings in your area.
There are also unlimited resources on the World Wide Web for you to refer to, including company websites and most of them have blogs (imagine that?) where you can asks questions and view consumer feedback. Try it! You just might like it.
