Ethics

             Change Agent Issues.
             A change agent can be an individual or a team who takes responsibility for driving the change process. They need to be directly involved in the change process. They engage in the change, not just provide advice! They therefore assume responsibility for the actual change processes and strategies. A consultant can only be held accountable for the advice given not the implementation which they have no control over.
             Change Agent Skills.
             A range of skills is required in order to successfully introduce, manage, implement and evaluate change. Many of these are interpersonal skills relating to the management of the people experiencing the transition. We can identify three sets of critical skills.
             Knowledge/Discipline Skills: critical knowledge concerning the nature of the change, eg organisational theory, strategic planning, human resources etc.
             Change Management skills: understanding of planned change, action research and data collection, intervention models, assessment and evaluation active listening, facilitation, counselling etc.
             The Professional Consultant.
             The professional consultant's role has been described in terms of a continuum ranging from client centred to consultant centred. Traditionally OD Consultants have promoted a set of humanistic and democratic values: ie. sought to build trust and collaboration. Greater conflict is arising in values due to greater push for efficiencies rather than a focus on effectiveness and human satisfaction. The rise of external stakeholders, particularly in the financial markets, who promote efficiency, profit maximisation and increasing returns to stockholders, has increasing this conflict. This has created more pressure on consultants and change agents around their ethical responsibilities.
             Ethical Responsibilities.
             Most discussion around the ethical responsibilities of consultants and change agents has focused on issues relating to confidentiality, the use of information from competitors etc.