Kurt Lewin 3 stage model: how to support change

The life of a company is characterized by organizational change and project implementation. Kurt Lewin proposes a multi-stage model to guide companies through the process of change, to reduce confusion among employees. When properly applied, Lewin’s coaching model enables employees to combine their strengths to better manage the change process. Discover the 3 phases of Kurt Lewin’s change model to guide your company to success throughout the change process.

Who is Kurt Lewin

Specialist in social psychology, Kurt Lewin adopts a particular approach to change through his work. Due to his German origins, Lewin’s work was influenced by the rise of Nazism in his native country. From the age of 19, the future psychologist was passionate about the concepts hidden within human groups. Lewin’s work on change management is symbolized by the metaphor of the block of ice in three phases.

Through his democracy-promoting work, Lewin represents the company’s current situation as a cubic block of ice. The different cycles of his model are there to explain the process of changing the block from the cubic shape to another:

• unfreeze or refreeze, which consists of making employees understand that a change is necessary and that it corresponds to a transformation in everyone’s behavior,
• change, which corresponds to the introduction of innovation and new behaviors at work,
• refreeze or recrystallization, where the action taken must be frozen in the habits of the individuals and the group of employees. This phase eliminates any risk of resistance to change.

This model is based on the values ​​of tolerance and freedom and has already proven itself in the world of business, where it is used to introduce change. With its simplicity, the Lewin model is ideal for driving change within the company without encountering too much resistance from employees.

The change support model includes different cycles. To ensure success using Kurt Lewin’s model and his theory of dynamics in your business, each phase must be respected. Each step of the process has its importance for a real institution of innovation. Interested in exploring other change management models for digital transformation initiatives?

The Lewin model, grounded in the principles of tolerance and freedom, has proven highly effective in the business world for introducing change. Its simplicity makes it ideal for guiding organizational transformation while minimizing employee resistance.

At the heart of this approach is Lewin’s Force Field Theory, which emphasizes the balance between forces driving change and those resisting it. The model outlines clear steps that must be followed for change to take root successfully. Each phase plays a crucial role in fostering lasting innovation within the organization. Curious to discover other change management models for your digital transformation projects?

1. The Unfreeze phase

This stage of the Lewin Model project begins with an awareness and assessment of the need for change within the company. The behaviors of the individuals in the group are analyzed to identify problem areas at every level.

The next step is to establish communication with all employees, prioritizing listening. All employees must be made to understand the rationale behind the change the company is working to achieve.

You can use analysis data and studies to support your communication. By doing so, resistance to innovation is reduced, enabling more effective organization at the next stage.

2. The Change phase

As an intermediate stage in the change process, the “change” phase plays a pivotal role between the other two stages. Together with employees, you define the new vision and the new practices to be implemented to ensure its success.

During this phase of the change project, change agents are key to managing the situation. Kurt advocates freedom, particularly through his change management model. So it’s only natural to allow each member of the group to express themselves during the feedback sessions.

From time to time, touch base with each employee to provide reassurance and spread the right information incrementally. Above all, you need to focus on the objective, to get all employees to support the change.

3. The Refreeze phase

The “refreeze” stage concludes the application of the change model and confirms its acceptance within the company. During this phase, it’s a good idea to put all skills to the test, so as not to have expended all previous efforts in vain.

More than ever, democracy within the employee group needs to be promoted using internal marketing techniques. New behaviors must be linked to the corporate culture to create a strong personal commitment for each individual.

The action of fixing all the new elements and changes resulting from the previous stages in everyone’s habits is a priority. There are many well-known examples of corporate change models, such as Nissan. As a business leader, Kurt Lewin’s model is a practical tool that will frequently serve as a guide.