THE CHANGE AGENT'S GUIDE

Gathering Resources with a Strategy in Mind

“Resources” come in many forms: people, finances, space, time, technology, and especially knowledge of other change efforts, successful and otherwise. Just plain ideas can also be useful resources.

Take Time to Take Stock

Resource acquisition is the stage most underrated and most frequently slighted by busy and confident change agents, too easily deluding themselves into thinking that they know it all already. IGNORE THIS STEP AT YOUR PERIL!

Think you already have all the resources that could be useful? YOU DON’T!

Think that this project is so innovative that past experience is irrelevant? IT ISN’T!

No project is ever so new and creative that it can’t be improved substantially by applying information from the past.

Think there is no relevant knowledge elsewhere that applies to this case? THAT IS NEVER THE CASE!

Feel that other resources are too hard to go after? WRONG! IT IS ALWAYS WORTH A TRY!

In the digital age, it is increasingly easy and inexpensive to gain access to an incredibly rich and diverse resource universe.

Make it Easier by Having a Strategy

The task of information retrieval can be handled with a minimum of effort if searchers think about what they need before they start and set an acquisition strategy that makes sense in terms of their needs.

Photo: person looking at iPad with ACQUIRE stage flowchart

Graphic: Clipboard with 3 ACQUIRE questions

Exploring ACQUIRE Topics

With an adequate definition in hand, the change agent and the system can begin to reach out for resources that might be relevant. "Resources" come in many forms: people, finances, space, time, technology, and knowledge , especially knowledge of other change efforts, successful and otherwise. Just plain ideas can also be useful resources.

The Change Agent's Guide explores Stage 4: ACQUIRE through these sub-steps:

Stage 4.1: The Seven Reasons to Acquire Resources
Stage 4.2: Acquisition Strategies
Stage 4.3: Acquisition Tools
Stage 4.4: Building an Acquire Capacity

To explore these topics, read The Change Agent's Guide.

Graphic: open book with change cycle on left page and ACQUIRE flowchart on right page

ACQUIRE Summary

The Change AGent's Guide provides an overview of many types of resources to consider and resource acquisition strategies for problem solving. The change agent and the client system must decide:

1. How much time?

2. How much money? and

3. How much energy and effort?

The investment in the search must be weighed against the desired goals of the project or program. Spending time, money, and energy on resource acquisition should always be based on a reasonably clear idea of what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you are too broad and loose in defining your needs and in defining relevance, you will be swamped with information you cannot use.

On the other hand, if you define your information needs too narrowly, you may overlook some of the critical facts that are required to make problem solving and innovating effective and beneficial. The knowledge universe is expanding rapidly, so change agents and their clients need to develop the capacity to plug in and to home in on the contents of this universe whenever and wherever they need help.