Change is an inevitable part of running any organisation. However, it’s not always easy to get people on board with changes, even positive ones.
Lewin’s Change Management Model is a simple, effective strategy that can help team leaders and members navigate changes with ease.
This guide outlines the advantages and disadvantages of Lewin’s Change Model and provides real-life examples of how you can implement it.
Lewin’s Change Model was developed by Kurt Lewin, a German American psychologist who studied human social behaviour and group dynamics.
Lewin’s model features three stages that illustrate how people react when they’re faced with change — including changes in the way their workplace runs.
The three stages are as follows:
Understanding the average person’s response to change can help team leaders prepare for upcoming changes. Managers can also use this information to give their employees the tools they need to navigate the changes successfully.
Managing change is always a popular topic that we cover in our Management Training Courses because every organisation is constantly changing and evolving – or it should be anyhow. Before diving into the pros and cons of Lewin’s Change Model, let’s break down the three stages that comprise it in more detail:
In business, the unfreeze stage of Lewin’s Change Model is all about preparing team members to accept that changes must take place. These changes could be financial, organisational, managerial, etc.
When executing the first step of Lewin’s model, managers and leaders must craft a compelling story to explain why the current way of doing things is no longer effective and how change can make things better.
For example, a team leader might reference the company’s steadily declining sales numbers or collection of negative customer satisfaction surveys. They can then use this information to explain the need for a change in the sales team’s approach or the way the customer service team operates.
Often, the Unfreeze stage is the most challenging phase. People naturally get confused or frustrated when they learn they must change the way they do things, and it can take time to get them on board.
If you do an adequate job at convincing people to re-examine the company’s core values or current approach, you can gain buy-in from others and get the engagement needed to bring about legitimate, positive change.
After you’ve obtained buy-in from others and your organisation is ready to change, you’ll move into the second stage — aptly labelled “Change.”
During the Change stage, you’ll start acting and making adjustments to the way your team or business does things.
To succeed during this stage, you must clearly communicate your plans and explain why you’re making certain decisions. You should also focus on short-term wins to keep people motivated and encourage them to continue moving forward with your plan.
A common obstacle that comes up during the change stage has to do with fear. Your team members might feel uncertain about or afraid of your decisions or plans. They may be hesitant to make changes or push back when you suggest they do something differently.
To combat this issue, you must demonstrate why your ideas will be effective and how they will provide long-term benefits to the company (increasing productivity, improving financial performance, etc.). Celebrating milestones and small victories also helps during this stage.
The final stage, Refreeze, solidifies your team, and gets them comfortable with the new status quo. When you progress to this stage, everyone will have bought into the changes and committed to upholding them long-term.
For many managers and leaders, it’s easier to move into this stage when they review what they’ve accomplished, celebrate wins, and address issues that have arisen along the way.
Ideally, at the end of the third stage, your team or organisation will be stronger and better prepared to deal with upcoming challenges.
If you don’t get to the Refreeze stage — meaning employees still haven’t bought into your vision and are resistant to change — you’ll need to go back to one or both previous stages and troubleshoot.
The following are some examples of changes you can make to get your team to the Refreeze stage:
After implementing these steps, you’ll have an easier time gaining team members’ buy-in and getting everyone on the same page.
Updated on: 23 March, 2023
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