Change management: Our approach

Introducing a new system means changing the way staff work. Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory in Social Science (1951) introduced the three-step change model. He views behaviour as a dynamic balance of forces working in opposing directions. Driving forces facilitate change because they push employees in the desired direction. Restraining forces hinder change because they push employees in the opposite direction. Therefore, these forces must be analysed and Lewin’s three-step model can help shift the balance in the direction of the planned change. According to Lewin, the first step in the process of changing behaviour is to unfreeze the existing situation or status quo. Unfreezing is necessary to overcome the strains of individual resistance and group conformity. Existing beliefs and behaviours are challenged; participants in the change process are made aware of the necessity of change. Lewin’s second step in the process of changing behaviour is movement. In this step, it is necessary to move the target system to a new level of equilibrium. Three actions that can assist in the movement step include: persuading employees to agree that the status quo is not beneficial to them and encouraging them to view the problem from a fresh perspective, work together on a quest for new, relevant information, and connect the views of the group to well-respected, powerful leaders that also support the change. The third step is refreezing. This step needs to take place after the change has been implemented in order for it to be sustained or “stick” over time. It is likely that the change will be short lived and the employees will revert to their old equilibrium (behaviours) if this step is not taken. It is the actual integration of the new values into the community values and traditions. The purpose of refreezing is to stabilize the new equilibrium resulting from the change by balancing both the driving and restraining forces.