Who are the key change agents in the story and what each of their roles (contributors or deterrents) in the change process?

The book called “Our iceberg is melting” offers a clear understanding of the significance of decision making in action. The book provides useful information through different characters about the stakeholders in an organization who play a crucial role in the change process. The first change agent in the book is a penguin who is characterized as the emperor of Antarctica.  Additionally, we find another change agent called Fred who discovers that they are facing a severe problem (Iceberg) which requires immediate attention from the entire community lest they face extinction. However, most of the leaders in society do not recognize the urgency nor the seriousness of the matter, and this makes it difficult for Fred to implement a change program. Fred is given the mandate to come up with an appropriate plan to come up with steps to prevent the community from being destroyed by the iceberg while the penguin as the leader is responsible for implementing Fred’s program of change. Fred is perceived to be creative, curious, observant and very cunning. These traits put him in a better position to spearhead the entire change process as he was the first person to notice the icebergs melting slowly.

Louis is also among the change agents since he was among the leadership council of the penguin. His title made him respected among the penguins, and therefore he was in a position to act as a role model for the change process. The book highlights Louis as a smart, respectful and patient penguin who is not as intelligent as Fred. However, Louis created a team composed of the professor, Fred, Buddy and Alice to ensure that the issue of the melting Iceberg was solved before it could destroy their habitat. Alice is highlighted as a member of the leadership council with traits such as being tough and not easily intimidated by anyone. Alice is a significant change agent because she was the one who was bold enough to raise Fred’s issue to the council so that solutions can be drawn. The professor also referred to as Jordan is also a significant change agent because he is a member of the leadership council. Jordan was highly educated and was mostly fascinated by different questions that he came across in his environment. The professor was given the mandate to analyze and obtain useful information regarding the iceberg effectively.

On the other hand, Buddy is outlined as one of the most handsome penguins in the colony who was respected and trusted by all. However, the book perceives Buddy as neither ambitious nor intelligent. His objective was to ensure that he was in a position to communicate the change process and offer viable solutions to save the penguins. Nono is viewed as the only bird responsible for predicting the weather and was older than all other characters. Nono was not in agreement with Fred’s issue of the Iceberg. Therefore, he was not involved in the change process. However, he focused on trying to sabotage any solutions that were created by Fred and the entire team.

What are the relationships like among the various change agents?  Are there any key relationships that facilitate or hinder the change?  If so how and why?

Characters in the book possessed different aspects or somewhat different viewpoints on the issue of the iceberg. For instance, Buddy is highlighted as a caring and loving penguin who always placed the well-being of other penguins first. This makes him a vital change agent in the entire change management process. He ensured that he took part in communicating the change to other penguins to ensure that they were educated and felt as if they were part of the change. However, Nono is characterized as an individual who is trying to destroy the relationships between the penguins. The book clearly outlines Nono in different situations trying to sabotage and tamper with information that was aimed and finding solutions to solve the issue of the iceberg. He was also responsible for different calamities and challenges that faced most penguins. However, Louis, Fred, Alice and Jordan have perceived as highly influential and change-oriented characters in the text. The characters worked together with other people in society to ensure that the issue of the iceberg was solved. Through their endeavors, the problem was solved, and good relationships were created. They used wisdom, wit and different ideas to overcome any obstacles that were presented before them.

Reflect on your tendencies for change, which character is most like how you would tend to react?  Is this tendency in line with your desired leadership style?  If so, how is it aligned, if not, how is it misaligned with the leadership style that you strive for.

My tendencies for change involve using the eight models of Kotter to implement any change process in my organization. The process consists of establishing the vision of the organization and the desired change which creates urgency in the organization. This is followed by building a team to ensure that possible solutions can be discovered. This is followed by coming up with a set of rules and regulations to ensure that the answers are achieved. Communication to all team members then follows to provide that all employees feel as if they are a part of the desired change in the organization. Creating a team then follows and ensuring that all wins by the group are celebrated makes it easy to implement the change process. This system falls in line with my transitional form of leadership which involves utilizing everybody in my team to increase productivity.

What are the implications or take-aways from this book so far regarding being an active organizational change agent that you will make a note of? -Highlight the key lessons that can help you to embrace better change yourself and those which can help you to assist others around you to better (more easily) embrace change.

From the book our ice is melting, I have learned that change management is a crucial aspect of any organization. The book offers extensive knowledge which ensures that any leader is in a position to understand fundamental concepts relevant towards creating organizational change. The book stresses the significance of identifying any form of urgency in an organization which requires change. This is then followed by creating an appropriate team to ensure that the desired changes and solutions are implemented. Communication within team members is also perceived as an essential change, management process because it provides that everybody is sensitized on the change. I have also learned that celebrating short- wins is also crucial in the change process. These points are vital for any leader to ensure that they can implement any change process.

Reference

Kotter, J. P., & Rathgeber, H. (2006). Our iceberg is melting: Changing and succeeding under any conditions. Macmillan.

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