MODELS OF CHANGE

MANAGEMENT

Change is a critical aspect of every business.

According to Burnes (2004), change is an ever-present

feature of organizational life, both at an operational and

strategic level.

According to Kotter (2011), change management is an

approach to shifting or transitioning individuals, teams

and organizations from current state to a desired future

state.

What is Change Management

Some of the models are:

Kurt Lewin’s classic three-phase model of change

The Prosci ADKAR model

John Kotter’s popular 8 step change model

The McKinsey’s 7-S model

Beckhard and Harris formula of change

Streich 7 stages of change/change curve

Models of change management

Change should only be implemented for good reason.

Change should always be gradual.

All change should be planned, and not sudden.

All individuals who may be affected by change should be

involved in planning for the change.

Kurt Lewin identified several rules that should be followed in implementing change:

Kurt Lewin introduced the three- step change model:

Unfreezing

Change

Refreezing

the diagnosis stage

At this stage people realize that something is going to

change and they are dealing with strong emotions such

as denial, impatience, uncertainty and doubt.

Participants are made aware of problems in order to

increase their willingness to change their behaviour.

Unfreezing

Changing the intervention stage

Individuals experiment with new workplace behaviour.

Re-freezing the reinforcement stage

Individuals acquire a desired new skill or attitude and

are rewarded for it by the organization.

Fig 1Source: Adapted from Schein Edgar (1999). Kurt Lewin’s change theory in the field and in the classroom: Notes toward a model of managed learning. Reflections, 1(1), 59-74.

Lewin’s change model

According to Hiatt (2006), “Effective management of the

people aspect of change requires managing five key goals

that form the basis of the ADKAR model:

Awareness of the need for change

Desire to participate and support the change

Knowledge on how to change

Ability to implement required skills and behaviors

Reinforcement to sustain the change

Prosci’s ADKAR MODEL OF CHANGE

Awareness involves:

informing/sharing that a change is happening.

answering the Why question.

Desire involves:

making a personal decision to support and participate

in the change.

It is regarded as the most difficult stage.

Knowledge involve:

Skills and behaviors needed to support change once it

occur. It is only effective when individuals already have

awareness & desire the change.

Ability involve:

This is where change actually occurs.

Required skills and behavior being implemented.

Coaching and mentoring.

Reinforcement involve:

applying incentives and rewards that will help the

change stick.

learning from early mistakes.

personal recognitions.

Fig 2:

Source: Adapted from Hiatt (2006). ADKAR: A model for change in Business, Government and Community. Loveland, CO: Prosci Inc.

 

A

 

Awareness of the need of change

 

D Desire to participate and support the change

 

K

 

Knowledge on how to change

 

A

 

Ability to implement required skills and behaviors

 

R

 

Reinforcement to sustain the change

A CASE STUDY OF RADIANT WELLNESS CENTER:

USING KURT LEWINS MODEL OF CHANGE MANAGEMENT

For better understanding of Lewin's change model of

Unfreezing, Change and Refreezing, here is an

application of the model using Radiant Wellness

Center.

Applying Lewin's Three Steps

Radiant Wellness Center is specialized in Network Spinal

Analysis established in 2005 by Dr. Brian Ghessi, in UK.

It is a unique chiropractic and healing experience with the

wisdom of traditional approaches to produce breakthrough

results for patients.

Radiant wellness center has decided to switch from using

hand-written medical records to electronic ones.

Background information of the firm

All of the staff have always relied on hand-written medical

records when performing their jobs and have expressed

concerns about switching to the new electronic format.

However, management believes that making the switch

to electronic records will increase efficiency and reduce

the amount of time that it takes to record patient

information.

Cont……

First, the management of Radiant wellness center will have to

spend time unfreezing the employees' belief that the old

way of recording patient records is adequate.

The management team will need to communicate the

perceived benefits of the new electronic method, making

sure to demonstrate how the pros outweigh the cons.

The staff will need to understand how much more efficient

the new method of electronic recording will be in comparison

to the old hand-written process.

Next, management will need to transition into the

changing stage by implementing the new electronic

recording system.

This will mark a time of uncertainly in the staff, making it

necessary for the management team to offer training and

support as the employees become familiar with the new

electronic system.

Finally, management will need to refreeze the new method

of recording into the organization's culture, making sure

that the staff recognizes the electronic system as the new

norm and the manner in which they will record patient

information going forward.

The management team would also recognize the efforts

made by the staff members to learn and use the new

system by offering them some sort of reward and praise.

1. Surprise and fear of the unknown

2. Fear of failure

3. Loss of status and/or job security

4. Peer pressure

5. Past success

6. Personality conflicts

Impacts of these changes to the firm’s bottom-line

1. Provide as much information as possible to employees

about the change.

2. Inform employees about the rationale for the change.

3. Conduct meetings to address employee’s concerns.

4. Provide employees the opportunity to discuss how the

proposed change might affect them.

Recommendations to the firm’s management

Change should not be a threat, but should be seen as a

new challenge that will energize and motivate everyone.

Change management increases the success of

organizational change and project initiatives by applying

a structured framework of methods, tools and processes

managing the change from a current state to a future

state.

Conclusion

The Kurt Lewin and Prosci’s ADKAR models can be used by

organizations to manage the change component

successfully.

There is no right or wrong model of change management.

Management should create a vision for change,

communicate the vision for change and remove fears from

the minds of those who will get affected by the change.

Cont…..

Burnes, B. (2004). Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational

Dynamics, 4th ed. (Harlow: Prentice Hall).

Hiatt, J. M. (2006). ADKAR: A model for change in Business, Government and

Community. Loveland, CO: Prosci Inc.

Kotter, J. (2011).

"Change Management vs. Change Leadership -- What's the Difference?". Forbes

online. Retrieved 12/21/11.

Schein, E. H. (1999). Kurt Lewin’s change theory in the field and in the classroom:

Notes toward a model of managed learning. Reflections, 1(1), 59-74.

REFERENCES