Managing change: The great differentiator.
Kurt Lewin, renowned physicist, presents the Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze model he developped in the 1940s. A 3 phase look at managing change. This type of change can take place in an organization (new reward system), to a department (new way of onboarding new hires) to a personal matter (kids attending new school).
Picture a cube of ice that is whole, melted and refrozen into a new shape.
How does this work?
Unfreeze: In this model, Lewin suggests that if you’re looking to make a change, first you must identify what needs to be changed and why it must be changed. Why is this change necessary now?
In this phase, we will see the greatest level of resistance. Because we know that change is hard. We also know that most people don’t change until it’s too painful not to. And so it’s critical to discuss the disadvantages of the current state- from an organizational level to a personal level. Your team should understand: What is impact of the current state? And, how will this change benefit me?
Change: Once your team softens (or melts in this case) to the idea that change is necessary and beneficial to the organization as a whole, it’s important to then help identify why it is also advantageous to them as individuals.
This phase takes time. And will require direct communication and engagement. The more clear and transparent we can be, and the more involved our people are in the process, the more successful the change process will be.
There will be naysayers. Even in a world where everyone wins. Work with them. Make them feel heard. (This is where a number of people drop the ball, quit the game or simply settle. This is where adapatbility and resilience reign. Ask yourself: why is this change so important now? How will this impact us? What is the value of forging ahead?)
Re-freeze: The change has been accepted. Updated roles and responsibilities are clear. A new wave of stability and consistency is established. This is critical. While change is ongoing, it’s necessary for your team to feel secure in their space and roles. How do we do this? Celebrate the hard work that went into making the change possible.
Again, communication and listening are key. Make your team feel heard, seen and acknowledged.
Motivation > Empowerment > Celebrate
There are an infinite number of ways to change, manage change and champion change. Does it come down to the framework, the WHY or the person leading it? Is one better than the other?
What do you think? What’s worked for you? What’s one change you were involved in that did not work at all— what happened?
And lastly, what’s not working for you right now? What needs to change?