| In the early 20th century, the psychologist Kurt Lewin | | | | misunderstanding before they get to the other side. |
| developed the model - known as "Lewin's Freeze | | | | Many different approaches are used to achieve this |
| Phases" - and which still forms the underlying basis of | | | | and frequently fail. In fact 70% of ALL change |
| many change management theories models and | | | | management initiatives fail. |
| strategies for managing change. | | | | It is painfully clear that managing the transition requires |
| His model suggests that change involves a move from | | | | time and sensitive skillful leadership - exercised within |
| one static state via a state of activity to another static | | | | people-focused change management processes. |
| status quo -and all this via a three-stage process of | | | | Then the final phase is the "refreezing" - which |
| managing change: unfreezing, changing and re-freezing. | | | | basically means institutionalising the change - and many |
| Kurt Lewin's change model recognises that people like | | | | differing approaches are used to attempt to achieve |
| the safety, comfort and feeling of control within their | | | | this. However, as already stated, most don't succeed! |
| environment. It also recognises that they derive a | | | | In my view, the Kurt Lewin change model is very |
| strong sense of identity to from their environment. | | | | mechanistic and comes from a Newtonian world view |
| Thus change is threatening to that status quo and | | | | and a control oriented view of change that is imposed |
| causes discomfort. Lewin regarded this as a 'frozen' | | | | from the top down. |
| state and suggested that significant effort may be | | | | However, I feel there is value in Lewin's model in that |
| required to 'unfreeze' them in order to get them to | | | | recognises that (a) people are "stuck" or attached to |
| change. This usually requires some form of intervention | | | | "how things are" and thus potentially resistant to |
| to to get them moving - such as a restructuring, or the | | | | change, and (b) that there are stages to change |
| creation of a some form of real crisis - or the | | | | process and the change experience. |
| perception that it is real! Or, another common strategy | | | | Clearly what is needed is a change management |
| is to present the "cold hard logic" of "irrefutable facts" | | | | process that is people oriented and that takes full |
| that make change inevitable - basically, any form of | | | | account of the human dimension of the change |
| intervention that is designed to destabilise people and | | | | process. |
| render them susceptible to change. | | | | Strategies for managing change in the current |
| A key part of Lewin's model is the idea that change, | | | | economic and business climate are exercised to best |
| even at the psychological level, is a journey rather than | | | | effect when employing the holistic and wide view |
| a simple step. This journey may not be that simple and | | | | perspective of a programme based approach to |
| the person may need to go through several stages of | | | | change management. |