1.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE
CATALYST OR CHANGE ADVOCATE
ADE JUWAEDAH

2/11/2022
THE ESSENTIAL POINT THAT THE CATALYST CHANGE AGENT STRSSES IS THE NEED FOR CHANGE
AND FOR SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE DISADVANTAGED GROUP.

CATALYST CAN PLAN THEIR ACTIVITIES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, BASICALLY, THIS
MEANS BEING SENSITIVE TO THE POINTS AND ISSUES ABOUT “PROCESS”RAISED . HOWEVER
MUCH THEY CARE OR FEEL ABOUT THE OPPRESSED AND THE OPPRESSORS, THEY SHOULD
THINK REASONABLY ABOUT THE STEPS THAT NEED TO BE FOLLOWED TO WIN SUPPORT FOR
THEIR CAUSE AND TO REDUCE RESISTANCE TO THE CHANGES THEY WISH TO SEE COME
ABOUT.

PROBABLY THE HARDEST TASK FOR THE CATALYST IS TO SEE THESE SITUATIONS FROM THE
POINT OF VIEW OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM LEADERSHIP (“ THE ESTABLISHMENT”). Such
understanding helps the catalyst to know when and how he or she can be an effective
influencer. He needs to know this because sooner or latter he or she will be required to
confront the leadership and either overcome their resistance or win their support.
Another special skill which the catalyst must cultivate is developing indigenous leadership for
change among the people he or she is serving . Disadvantages minorities are disadvantaged
partly because they are disorganized, isolated, and powerless. Often they do not even
recognize a common cause. The catalyst change agent therefore needs to be an organizer and
a promoter of togetherness, one who can infuse a feeling of common identity and purpose.

A catalyst must also be sensitive to the fact that he or she alone does not have the full range of
skills to bring change about. One of his or her problems as a change agent is that may be seen
by many in the client system as “ troublemaker” and “deliberate disrupter”
Teamwork, collaboration, and utilization of both inside and outside resources remain
important aspects of change planning even for the catalyst.

Finally, a catalyst must cultivate a sense of timing. He or She must be willing to wait for and
able to judge the most opportune moments for change. Several factors are involved in good
timing
 2. HOW TO BE A SOLUTION GIVER
• DON’T IGNORE THE REAL NEEDS OF THE CLIEN SYATEM, AND MAKE A
SINCERE EFFORT TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE BEFORE YOU
DECIDE THEY NEED WHAT YOU HAVE GOT (SEE STAGE 2)
• DO WHAT YOU CAN TO ADDAPT INNOVATIONS SO THAT THEY ARE
MAXIMALLY RELEVANT AND BENEFICIAL FOR PARTICULAR CLIENT (SEE
STAGE 4)
• Have more than one solution to offer and think flexibly and diversely
about the number of ways you might be helpful as a resource
• Try to provide help for a client beyond the point of adoption so that
they can use and continue to use the innovation to best advantage
• HELP A CLIENT TO BE A GOOD JUDGE OF INNOVATIONS, YOURS INCLUDES, SO
THAT THEY CAN EVALUATE AND DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHEN ONE SHOULD
BE ADOPTED AND ANOTHER DISCARDED. IN THE SHORT RUN THIS MAY WORK
TO YOUR DISADVANTAGE, BUT IN THE LONG RUN IT WILL BUILD TRUST
BETWEEN YOU AND CLIENTS SO THAT THEY WILL LISTEN WHEN YOU HAVE A
GOOD SOLUTION
• TRY TO BUILD AN OPEN AND AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR WOULD-BE
CLIENT. WITHOUT ENCOUNTER, DIALOGUE, AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING,
NEITHER YOU NOR CLIENT CAN KNOW YPUR ACTUAL HELPING POTENTIAL FOE
EACH OTHER.
• FINALLY , TRY TO MAKE YOURSELF MORE THAN A SOLUTION GIVER BY
BECOMING A RESOURCE LINKER
 3. HOW TO BE A RESOURCE LINKER
• A LARGE PART OF SUCCESSFUL CHANGE IS EXCHANGE. Eaach of us
has needs and problems and each of us also has knowledge resources
which can be useful to both ourselves and other in solving problems.
Hence problem solving is in large part of a matter of matching
resources in one person or groups with needs in another. Yet most of
us have difficulty in asking for help and giving help. This is why
persons with special skills is communicating and relationships building
are important change agent
OUT SIDE ONE-WAY RESOURCER/ CLIENT LINKING

RESOURCER CLIENT

NEED
OUT SIDE ONE-WAY RESOURCER/ CLIENT LINKING

HELP

RESOURCER CLIENT

NEED

NEED EXPRESSION
BY CLIENT
WHITIN RESOURCER/ CLIENT LINKING

RESOURCER LINKER CLIENT

 4. HOW TO BE A PROCESS HELPER
• A PROCESS HELPER IS SOMETHING LIKE A PSYCOTHERAPIST, BUT INSTEAD OF HELPING AN
INDIVIDUAL PERSON, YOU ARE HELPING A CLUSTER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RELATED TO ONE
ANOTHER AS A SYSTEM. THIS MAY BE RATHER DIFFICULT IDEA TO GET ACROSS FOR A
NUMBER OF REASONS. FOR ONE THING, UNLIKE A PERSON, THE SYSTEM HAS NO CLEARY
BOUNDARIES. FOR ANOTHER, IT CANNOT BE SAT DOWN AND LISTENNED TO FORM A
SINGLE VOICE AT A SINGLE TIME. THERE ARE MANY VOICES, MANY CONCERNS, MANY
LEVELS OF CAPACITY AND INTEREST IN CHANGING ALL WITHIN THE SAME “SYSTEM”
• THE PROCESS HELPER IS THERE TO HELP THE CLIENTS HELP THEMSELVES. NO THE CHANGE
AGENT. YOU ARE THERE TO STIMULATE THEIR THINKING, TO GET THEM TO REFLECT ON
WHAT THEY ARE DOING, AND HOW WELL THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER AS A SYSTEM, TO
CONSIDER WHAT GOALS THEY ARE ACHIEVING, AND HOW WELL.
• THR PROCESS ROLE REMAINS PRIMARILY TO HELP THEM HELP THEMSELVES, NOT TO DO IT
FOR THEM.
 AVOID THE SUPER-PERSON TRAP
• PEOPLE WHO TAKE ON CHANGE AGENT ROLES ARE VERY OPTEN
MULTI TALENTED PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF LEADERSHIP POTENSIAL.
THEY MAY ALSO HAVE REAL POWER AND COMMAND MAJOR
RESOURCES. IT IS GREAT TO HAVE ALL THESE QUALITIES, BUT THE
TEMPTATION WHEN YOU HAVE THEM IS TO TAKE THE WHOLE
PROCESS OFCHANGE ONTO YOUR OWN SHOULDERS.
• DON’T DO IT
• IT’S BAD FOR YOU AND IT’S BAD IN THE LONG RUN FOR THE PEOPLE
YOU ARE TRYING TO SERVE.
• FACILITATING CHANGE IS A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS
PENDEKATAN PERUBAHAN

• EDUCATION
• PERSUATION
• “POWER”