Conversations with a Change Activist

The idea of taking action to get results is not new in the world of work -- indeed, that's what most companies expect of their employees. But how many of us actually work toward ensuring that we add real value and make a meaningful contribution? The author of Change Activist: Make Big Things Happen Fast, just published by Financial Times/Pearson Education, Carmel McConnell believes that it is only a true change activist that achieves this to the max. Here she talks with MWorld about what it means to be a change activist in the New Economy.


MWorld: What is a change activist?

CM: Someone who chooses a career path, which honours their values. Someone who takes action to get results. Someone who wants meaningful, rewarding work which is both ethical and profitable and who knows it is up to them to make it happen

MWorld: How did you become a change activist?

CM: I became a social activist in my early 20s, part of a peace camp at Greenham Common. Originally I went to write an article on the camp, and I was so moved by the argument against nuclear missiles that I decided to help out. I ended up working on the campaign for three years. How did I become a change activist? The Greenham experience taught me personal responsibility for my life choices. This meant that when I went to work as an IT manager and then management consultant I went for results rather than reasons why we couldn't.

MWorld: What would you say was your greatest professional achievement?

CM: Seeing the whole of my IT project team get promotion as a result of our good work, in a large telecommunications firm. Generally delivering big impact projects in a way that encourages respect for each individual in the team, as well as driving business benefit for the firm as a result of being a change activist

Also, Starting the Magic Sandwich -- a new charity which will work with schools and the private sector to provide food and nutrition advice to malnourished children in the U.K. My profits from the Change Activist book will go to the Magic Sandwich charity. And, starting a new venture called Active Change Technology (ACT) to bring Change Activist principles to a wider corporate audience.

MWorld: Who else in the world of work would you describe as a change activist?

CM: Anita Roddick created a new business model and continues to inspire. She was the first to show that social awareness can also bring brand advantage and I think a lot of companies want to know how to build better trust with their stakeholders. Also Mohammed Yunus, who has turned a small micro lending operation in Bangladesh into a global financial services company, providing credit to people who normally get excluded from financial support.

MWorld: What would you like the reader to take away with them from reading the book?

CM: To get optimistic about their own personal power to make changes. To encourage each person to become passionate about their own lives. It is up to YOU not the boss or your partner or the government. Choose to be happy now rather than later. Don't leave your life to later sometime. Start now!

MWorld: Finally -- how can someone tell if they are a change activist?

CM: Here is a quick checklist that might help:

• What is most important to you in your life?
• When are you really yourself, and happiest?
• What do you do that makes you feel most fulfilled and rewarded?
• Does your life right now align with those things you have just listed?
• If there are gaps between what you do each day and what you value most, what action can you take to make a change?