COMMUNICATION AND ADOPTION 3(3+0)

Lesson 28 : Change Agent

Sequence of change – agent roles

In the earlier class you have come to know the factors for the success of a change agent and the seven role of change agent. In this class you will know what sequence of activities the change agent will follow to bring about the desired change. The seven roles of a change agent mentioned in the previous class are explained.

1. Develops need for change: Rural folk are often unaware of new technologies available to them. In such conditions a change agent is required to help his or her clients become aware of the need to alter their behavior. In order to initiate the change process, the change agent points out new alternatives to existing problems, dramatize the importance of these problems, and may convince clients that they are capable of confronting these problems. The change agent assesses client’s needs at this stage, and also may help to create these after consulting the farmers/ farm women.

2. Establishes information – exchange relationship: Once a need for change is created, a change agent must develop rapport with his or her clients. The change agent can enhance his or her relationship with clients by creating credibility in his or her competence, trust worthiness, and empathy with the client’s needs and problems. Clients must accept the change agent before they will accept the innovations that he or she promotes, because the innovations are often judged at least to certain extent on the basis of how change agent is perceived.

3. Diagnoses their problems: the change agent is responsible for analyzing his or her client’s problem situation in order to determine why existing alternatives do not meet their needs. In arriving at such diagnostic conclusions, the change agent must view the situation empathically from the client’s perspective, not his or her own. The change agent must psychologically put him or herself in to the client’s shoes, and see their situation through their eyes.

4. Creates intent to change in the client: After a change agent explores various avenues of action that his or her clients might take to achieve their goals, the change agent seeks to motivate an interest in the innovation. But the change must be client- centered, rather than innovation-oriented, focusing on the client’s problems.

5. Translates intent in to action: A change agent seeks to influence his or her clients’ behavior in accordance with recommendations based on the clients’ needs.

6. Stabilizes adoption and prevents discontinuance: Change agents may effectively stabilize new behavior by directing reinforcing message to those clients who have adopted, thus “freezing” the new behavior. This assistance is frequently given when client is at the implementation or confirmation stage in the Innovation-Decision process.

7. Achieve a terminal relationship: the end goal for a change agent is to develop self-renewing behavior on the on the part of the client system. The change agent should seek to put him or herself out of business by developing the clients’ ability to be their own change.