Innovation is a key element of competition and of the ability of an organization to flourish. Innovation requires change. As we now know, rapid and continuous change is often more disruptive that it is productive.

As organizations respond to this need to innovate, they are becoming what Tom Peters describes as “networks of projects”. Cross-functional teams are being formed for more and more large-scale change efforts. We are putting the future of our organization in their hands!

Success of these projects demands much more than a well-designed project plan. The unique challenges of bringing people together in a matrix reporting structure include role confusion, decision fuzziness, and the constant demand for their attention in both the project and their departmental assignment.

Studies indicate that 90% of change project failures are due to the lack of clarity in transitional roles and tasks. Amethyst Associates specializes in building competency in each of the three critical roles change, creating clarity that leads to successful change.

The three roles – Sponsors, Agents and Targets – form a system that can effectively support change, making it fast and painless. When this system malfunctions, change is almost always painful and unsuccessful. Many organizational resources are wasted and energy declines.

We will help you organize your team into the following essential roles:

Sponsors:
A sponsor is an individual or a group that has the power to authorize a specific change. They determine priorities, communicate those priorities and create an effective environment that ensures the success of the change.

Agents:
An agent is the individual or group that enables a particular change. The agent must possess the skills to guide the change process and maintain the relationship with the sponsor.

Targets:
The individual or group that makes change happen. The name “target” is used because these roles are designed to focus on the change effort. It is critical to create a close working relationship between targets and the change sponsor in order to ensure that targets receive critical support during the change process.