Don't Just Anticipate Change -- Drive It

Ellen Davis likes to anticipate what's coming and prepare herself and her team for the future.

She believes that helped her save jobs at MortgageLink, the mortgage brokerage firm in Gaithersburg where she has pushed training that helped workers build long-term relationships with clients.

"Forecasting into the future is a wonderful thing," Davis said. Some salespeople focus on the moment -- their current deal. "If I look at tomorrow, I can work my day today so that I can get to tomorrow. A true change agent needs to create that."

Change agents are rare in corporate and government jobs, yet their talents are increasingly valuable, career experts say. The financial and economic crisis makes the ability to lead change, and to encourage workers to adapt to it, a sought-after skill set. President-elect Barack Obama's banner of change gives added status.

Yet it takes more than a self proclamation to sell yourself to a new employer as a change agent. If you've made waves that also added revenue, you're likely to win a promotion or new gig. If you've reorganized a department and improved productivity by 35 percent, that will impress hiring managers.

If you led initiatives, mobilized supporters or improved an organization, "that means you've got a record of success," said Frank Ostroff, a D.C. management consultant who concentrates on the public and nonprofit sectors. Change must improve results while supporting the mission of the organization to be valuable, Ostroff said.

In times of change, Davis said, play to your strengths and use a network of smart people around you. "You can do anything that you have your strengths in," she said.

Davis counts among her strengths the ability to connect with people and to see clients' financial goals five years ahead.

"It was training our staff to think that way -- about clients' needs and financial desires" and "to actually take the time to know their clients," even when the phones were ringing off the hooks during the real estate boom, that strengthened the business, she said. MortgageLink still employs half of the 28 loan officers it once had, while other mortgage firms have shut down.

To be sure, some organizations still see change agents as agitators or overly risky. Some don't really want to welcome a "why not?"

So job candidates need to check the organization's culture and determine whether it's open to their approach. Ask the department head or chief executive what proportion of their time they spend on change-making activities and communication.

Ostroff said he uses this "acid test" to see if bosses are genuinely committed to embracing new approaches. He expects at least 10 percent of the leader's time to be dedicated to creating the roadmap, developing other change agents and otherwise leading through change activities.

To be successful as a change agent while switching jobs, you need a strong reputation and deep knowledge. "It's all about becoming an expert and declaring myself one," said Limor Schafman, president of Keystone Tech Group, which helps brings products to market. She has a broad background in video games, branding, film, marketing and convergence, and describes herself as an "evangelist," speaking at trade association meetings about IPv6, an emerging set of protocols for routing information on the Internet.

"I was usually several years ahead of the marketplace. People would look at me and think 'We don't know what to do with you,' " said Schafman, who is considering some career shifts for herself along with the economic and tech market shifts in progress.

After describing your talents and skills to a recruiter or hiring manager, Schafman suggests asking, "Where do you think I would fit in this organization?"

She and others think there's more openness to change agents these days. Candidates who declare "I can make this happen for you" and have a record of success -- as well as both vision and practical execution skills -- are in demand.

"Change is life," said Davis, whether in mortgage brokerage tactics or in a new job that embraces your talents as a risk taker.