External Forces often include technology, regulations, competitor moves or sustainability, and resources. For Example, Brexit affects the stock market. Regardless of how fast change happens, we must ensure that the leaders capitalise on these dynamic forces.
Internal forces
While internal change can hold much more control, as you know, it is coming. It’s about strategic and nonreactive measures and how the team responds to ensure effective change.
Kurt Lewin’s developed a change model. Unfreezing, changing, and refreezing are practical, simple, and relatable…
Unfreezing
Before the change, it must go through the initial unfreezing step. Because many people will naturally resist change, the goal during the unfreezing stage is to create an awareness of how the status quo, or current level of acceptability, somehow hinders the organisation. Old behaviours, ways of thinking, processes, people, and organisational structures must all be carefully examined to show employees how necessary a change is to create or maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Communication is critical during the unfreezing stage so that employees can become informed about the imminent change, it’s logic behind it and how it will benefit each employee. The idea is that the more we know about a change and feel it is necessary and urgent, the more motivated we are to accept it.
Changing
Now that the people are ‘unfrozen’, they can begin to move. Lewin recognised that change is a process where the organisation must transition or move into this new state of being. This changing step referred to as ‘transitioning’ or ‘moving,’ is when most people struggle with the new reality. It is a time marked with uncertainty and fear, making it the most challenging step to overcome. During the changing stage, people learn new behaviours, processes, and ways of thinking. The more prepared they are for this step, the easier it is to complete.
For this reason, education, communication, support, and time are critical for employees as they become familiar with the change. Again, change is a process that must be carefully planned and executed. Throughout this process, employees must be reminded of the reasons for the change and how it will benefit them once fully implemented.
Refreezing
Lewin called the final stage of his change model freezing. Still, many refer to it as refreezing to symbolise the act of reinforcing, stabilising, and solidifying the new state after the change. Changes to organisational processes, goals, structure, offerings, or people are accepted and refrozen as the new norm or status quo. Lewin found the refreezing step especially important to ensure that people stay within their old thinking or doing before implementing the change.
Team Care Compliance Consultants believe the recipe for change to be successful in providing an inclusive and process-driven approach that would support strategic changes within a company.