Change is in the air

One of toughest jobs a person can take on is that of a change agent.

According to the quality magazine Six Sigma, a change agent is “a person who leads a change project or business-wide initiative by defining, researching, planning and building business support and carefully selecting volunteers to be part of a change team.”

Change agents deal with facts, even as they focus on the future. They establish “what is,” then help their constituency see “what can be.” Once everyone has the same dream, they help make it become real.

Chiropractic’s newest change agent is Gene Veno, the recently appointed president of the nonprofit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP). We might call Veno chiropractic’s “unofficial” image change agent, because it will be his job to “define, research, plan and build business support” for the national public relations program that was launched by Kent Greenawalt, CEO and president of Foot Levelers and now the founder emeritus.

Acting as a change agent is nothing new to Veno.

He helped solidify the unification of the two largest chiropractic organizations in Pennsylvania. And in January 2004, he was instrumental in unifying six diverse chiropractic groups in New Jersey.

How did he do this? How, in fact, does any change agent succeed?

The answer is simple: Find the common ground and build on it. A good change agent doesn’t actually try to change anyone’s mind. She or he tries to find a solution that all parties can buy into and does this while honoring everyone’s convictions and beliefs.

Veno’s job, of course, is not to unite the various associations into one chiropractic group. It is to unite them for one focus — a focus that is also the “common ground” of the public. And finding that common ground will allow him to execute his mission: positive press for chiropractic.

In July of 2003, my editorial read: “The public’s perception of chiropractic is one-sided. That perception has to be changed.”

The change has started. When (not if) the campaign Veno leads is successful, the public will see chiropractic in a positive, new light.

Veno is the agent, but he needs your help. By the time this is written, the Web site for the Foundation (www.foundation4cp.com) will be up. Visit the site and contact him at gveno@foundation4cp.com.

Give Veno and the FCP your support. Help make chiropractic a household word.

Until next time,

Linda Segall, Editor-in-Chief