Let’s talk about one of the most misunderstood models in change management: Kurt Lewin’s Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze.
It sounds like something your microwave would do to a frozen dinner. But it’s a straightforward, durable way to understand how people (and organizations) actually move through change.
And when applied correctly, it still works.
Step 1: Unfreeze (Translation: Wake People Up)
Most change efforts stall here. Leaders announce a big shift and expect everyone to leap into action like it’s a Black Friday doorbuster. But people don’t move just because someone said go.
Unfreezing means disrupting the comfort zone. It’s about creating just enough discomfort that staying the same feels riskier than changing. That might sound harsh, but it’s essential.
Example: You don’t ditch the bloated spreadsheet until someone shows it’s burning 10 hours a week and there’s a tool that handles it in two clicks.
Unfreezing = clarity + urgency + motivation. No fluff. No jargon. Just shared truth: the current state isn’t working.
Step 2: Change (Where the Mess Lives)
Once people let go of the old way, now they’re in the messy middle.
Old habits don’t fit. New ones don’t stick yet. Everyone’s uncomfortable, including you.
Here’s where leaders usually:
- Panic and roll everything back
- Micromanage the chaos
- Or… support people like adults
The key? Don’t over-script it. Give people space to learn with the right support, training, feedback, and time. Change isn’t install-and-go. We have to test-and-adjust.
Step 3: Refreeze (No, Not Like Elsa)
Refreezing gets a bad reputation. People assume it means locking things into place forever. That’s not it.
It means giving the new way enough structure to hold so teams don’t default to the old way the minute no one’s watching.
Think of it like this:
- Unfreeze = Break the habit
- Change = Build the new one
- Refreeze = Make it stick
You’re not sealing it in carbonite. You’re giving it enough shape to stand on… for now.
Why This Still Works
Trendy frameworks come and go. This one sticks because it reflects how people actually process change.
They resist it. They need time. They want to understand what’s changing and why.
Lewin’s model becomes a mental checklist:
- Have I made the current state impossible to defend?
- Have I created real support for the new way?
- Have I reinforced the change enough that it doesn’t unravel?
If yes, you’re already doing better than most.
Final Thought
Change isn’t an event. It’s a shift in how people think, act, and work. And it doesn’t happen all at once.
Break the status quo. Make the shift. Let it set just long enough to hold.
Then keep going.
(And no, don’t actually microwave your change plan.)
