Curtis Cannon, Former City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director – Characteristics of a Change Agent
Curtis Cannon is a former City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director, and he has served as a change agent for several government and public organizations. As a change agent, Cannon’s role is to be the catalyst for change, and he does this by leading and applying his professional characteristics that he has fostered over the past several years. Curtis Cannon developed many of these skills during his 16 years with the City of Oxnard, California, but others are natural characteristics. Common characteristics required in change agents include:
- Vision – Change agents do not always need to be in management or leadership positions to do their work, but they do need a clear vision of the situation. You must have a clear view of the situation at hand, the possible methods of improvement and all current issues. In addition to a clear vision, you need to be able to communicate your vision to others.
- Strategic – Change agents need to see the steps required to change a situation and then develop a clear strategy to follow through with them. You must also strategically plan when to take these steps for the best outcome for the organization that you’re working with. In applying strategy, you also decide when to call it quits on a failing project.
- Bold – Change agents must be bold enough to ask the tough questions. Your sole job as a change agent isn’t to develop strategy, but also to help an organization grow from within. You must have the courage to ask an organization leader what is best and to help them come to conclusions, even if the questions are uncomfortable or harsh.
Whether you’re Curtis Cannon City of Oxnard, working with the City of Oxnard, or Jane Smith, working with a local elementary school, these traits will help you become a better change agent.
Curtis Cannon City of Oxnard 