Top managers cannot expect to roll out a change initiative and leave it to 2nd tier managers and supervisors to make that change happen. Ideally, this role should be handled by experts in the field of change management, with specific knowledge and experience working with individuals to create change. Most managers and supervisors do not have the soft skills needed to work with individuals to facilitate change. This role requires a skill-set of someone versed in the complexities of human behavior and why people do what they do.

It is therefore imperative that top managers retain someone skilled in human behavior, as well as one having experience within the context of an organization, to walk alongside the stakeholders as these change initiatives are instituted.
This Change Agent will be able to guide top managers on how best to disseminate change initiatives so that stakeholders “buy in” to the process, resulting in less friction between those instituting change, and the ones expecting to carry it out.
This requires top management to be extremely transparent in the type of change they are working toward, the reason for the change, and how this change will affect the individual and benefit the organization as a whole.
Changes must be instituted in small increments. Otherwise employees will become too overwhelmed and “freeze.” No more than two changes should be instituted at any one time, and these changes should be aligned to benefit each other. In other words, they should not be so different that they begin to “look” like two different changes. For example, if employees are now required to use a specific system to enter information that will enable faster delivery of information to the customer; the second change could be to have these updates made before a certain time that will give the best indication of the most up-to-date information there is up to that point. These two changes work in tandem with each other, even though they are probably performed by different employees.

The change agent will also be able to counsel top managers on some of the reasons why certain individuals may not readily come on board with the change initiatives. The reasons are not always black and white. There could be changes that would negatively affect an individual and they are uncomfortable with it. Suppose for example the change initiative requires more traveling to other states or countries and the individual it will affect has a fear of flying? You see how this could negatively affect this employee, right? It does not have to be a blatant non-acceptance of the change initiative – sometimes it’s just personal. Perhaps they have a sick child or spouse at home that they need to be able to take care of. There are so many other reasons.
These shows of resistance to change are not readily seen by managers who do not have training in human behavior, and that is why it is really important to have a Change Agent involved in any change initiative top management wants to be a success.
I am not saying that having a Change Agent will solve all the problems involving change initiatives; however, it will certainly lessen the possibility of failure, and, there is also the option of taking another tack, in order to solve any issues that come up. The Change Agent will also have ideas on how to do this.