One of the fundamental ideas in the corporate sector is change. The term “change management” is widely used in today’s industries. However, the type of the business, the change, and the people involved all have a significant impact on how businesses handle change. Organizations and entities that don’t adapt to the status quo change eventually stop operating. In order to be relevant, organizations must continuously change.
Even though we are aware that change is necessary, we can’t seem to change over time. It’s crucial to be flexible when it comes to one’s plans and preparations. Organizations and institutions may find it challenging to implement modifications or deviations due to complex procedures.
“If you want truly to understand something, try to change it.”
Kurt Lewin
Kurt Lewin came up with a straightforward strategy to help firms transition smoothly in order to ease this issue with change management. Despite being introduced in 1940, Kurt Lewin’s change management model is still the best way to accomplish organizational changes.
What is Lewin’s Change Management Model?
Business organizations can easily implement Lewin’s three-stage model of change management. The three phases are unfreeze, modify, and refreeze. Organizations may easily adjust to complex and constantly changing situations according to the concept.
This change model calls for preparing the organization’s environment to accept one or more changes, carrying out the necessary adjustments, and finally stabilizing the organization following the implementation of the changes. The workflow of the company is unaffected by these three phases.
The degree to which an organizational transformation is successful essentially depends on how effectively the organization’s personnel comprehend:
- Why the changes should be made
- The strategy to use in order to execute it precisely
- What’s required of them when the change has been made
Phase #1: Unfreeze
In Lewin’s view, change can only take place when there is a strong motivation to do so. People inside the organization will need to be convinced of its necessity because they are habituated to the status quo and will need convincing. They must be open to change and recognize that it is required for advancement. They must be ready for a new way of doing things.
Management needs to let the team know why things are changing.
To facilitate this process, focus on:
- Clearly communicating the plan
- Establishing a change’s vision
- Obtaining agreement from all parties, including high management
- Encouragement of input to improve the process
You must assess the current circumstances before deciding on a course of action. Understanding an organization’s underlying principles and beliefs is necessary to comprehend driving and restraint forces. The organization may occasionally need to unlearn things.
It takes a lot to unlearn. The organization’s fundamental ideas and principles have, after all, guided the decisions that have been taken up to this point. Which values underpin the conventional approach? How did they influence the state you are in today?
Before there can be true unfreezing, it is necessary for those at the top of an organization to grasp what has to be “unfrozen.” Communication is necessary once a predetermined plan is in place. The entire organization must agree on the necessity for the change and what attitudes, principles, or practices need to be replaced.
Change will probably encounter resistance. Management will also have an easier time preparing for any pushback as well as finding ways to increase the driving forces towards change by gaining a thorough understanding of both the driving and restraining forces within the organization.
Phase #2: Modify
It’s understandable that it will take some time for everyone to fully accept the change, even though the first phase’s goal is to build support for it. However, as time passes, employees within the organization should progressively adapt their behaviors and perspectives to the new method of operating.
The process of change modifies an organization’s actions, perceptions, and emotions. Top management should actively involve every employee in the change process in addition to explaining the advantages of change to the organization. The why and how of change should be understandable to all people.
When through a transition, it will be beneficial to:
- Maintain ongoing dialogue about the advantages.
- Give each team member a full understanding of the change’s effects.
- Be receptive to questions, as this will assist to debunk any rumors.
- Engage everyone in the process to make them feel like they are a part of the transformation.
- Prepare yourself for challenges.
Phase #3: Refreeze
The change has fully integrated by this point in the process, and the team is already operating in the new manner. It’s a return to stability, and that’s what matters here.
A positive affirmation of the success of the changes is necessary, because while it is accepted that change is inevitable, and that it will happen again in the future, there must be a positive assessment of the change’s value.
The team should still have access to support at this point to help them internalize the new procedure. In order to keep the changes from failing, it will be beneficial to:
- Assist people in their new roles with continuing training and assistance.
- Decide which roadblocks need to be overcome in order for the change to be sustained.
- Encourage the group to share their opinions.
- Share any advantages or achievements brought about by the change.
It’s crucial to maintain a positive attitude and to recognize the success of the transformation. This serves to support the original motivation and, ideally, inspire the team to feel optimistic about the organization’s further growth.
How Can a Business Implement Lewin’s Change Management Model?
Any organizational transformation can be analyzed using Lewin’s paradigm. Perhaps one team should be merged into another. You might have to switch to a new content management system. Even shifting your workplace or allowing more staff members to work remotely are possibilities.
Let’s look at a quick case study.
Background
The case study focuses on a management consulting company that offers advice to the healthcare sales and marketing sector. With a trillion-dollar market, major consulting firms compete globally for major projects with major pharmaceutical companies.
It used to be that the firm’s quotation for client’s work contracts and developing solutions was much higher than its competitors. The company’s top management determined that the fundamental issue was ignorance of the intricacies of flat pricing for FTEs when determining project quotations, regardless of the many roles that each individual employee played.
The organizational reform programme was started with the creation of five sub-tracks inside the functional group, with people assigned to each sub-track based on their core capabilities. Depending on how difficult the tasks and activities were, each of these sub-track groups had a different FTE pricing.
What impacts might change implementation have on the workforce?
The staff may get new confidence as a result of a successful shift. The team is more likely to agree to make the change again when the time comes once things have calmed down and the benefits of making the change can be seen.
People are frequently held captive by their fear of change until they can muster the courage and resources necessary to establish the “new normal.” A smart manager can explain the justifications for and strategies for change in the workplace with ease. citing evidence of increased output as a result of, say, acquiring a business that possesses a technology their business requires.
Or explaining how the adjustment will help the business stay relevant and competitive. A competent team leader may persuade even the most wary of employees to become more tolerant of the change by assuring them that change also presents chances for growth, development, and future success.
Communication is key to leadership, and a good leader will evaluate both the positive and negative impacts of change within their team. A leader who understands and utilizes the factors that drive change in the workplace in order to lead his or her company through that change will be a better leader.
Conclusion
One of the best models you can utilize to assist in managing significant change projects is Lewin’s Change Management Model. It emphasizes people as the most precious resource, ensuring that individuals involved feel as though they contribute significantly to the success of your business and are therefore more willing to accept these changes without feeling resentful or resistant.
This model can also be used to make sure that the changes you’re making are long-lasting and align with the long-term objectives of your business. Remember that learning about a change model is not something you can do once and then expect to remember it later. If you want it to function well for your business and contribute to the change that everyone is hoping for, it demands a significant, continuous commitment.
Find out more about managing change, and how the Front Line Leadership Program can transform your organization, by contacting us at +91-966-779-779-1 or by filling out the form on our contact page.