Images of Change Agents in Organizations by Nina Kisch 

In your organization, are you a player, coach, or pawn? Perhaps you see your role as more of a doctor, teacher, or revolutionary? Metaphors “can create powerful insights that also become distortions, as the way of seeing created through a metaphor becomes a way of not seeing” (Gareth Morgan).

A facility with metaphor enables us to read a situation well. Even an external consultant is not a passive observer; our interpretations shape our actions and interventions.

What does it mean to be a change agent, and how does the meaning change depending on whether the organization is a “well-oiled machine” or a “living organism?”

In this DD, we will explore how different metaphors influence our language and perspective. We will discuss how the images of organizations shape how we think we serve our organizations and how the organizations perceive the value of that service.

Nina Kisch is a team leader and change management practitioner. She has a habit of double-majoring (BA in English & Drama; MA in I/O Psychology & Counseling) and is working toward a Ph.D. in Organizational Development and Change. You should hire her to build out your organization’s change management function because she builds great teams and insists on data-driven, realistic solutions.

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