Unfreeze, Change, And Refreezing Model

Trying to implement a major change program in an organization is often difficult. People usually resist change, and it can be hard to make change stick in the long term. A useful way to get a better understanding of this process is to use Kurt Lewin unfreeze, change, and refreezing model. This is based on the analogy of melting a block of ice, and then refreezing it into a new shape. The first stage in Kurt’s model is unfreezing. During the unfreezing phase, “all factors that may cause resistance to change are considered. Other people that could be affected by the change are sought out to determine whether they recognize that a change is needed and to determine their interest in participating in the process” (Zerwekh& Gameau, 2015, p.230).
In the moving phase, “a group of individuals are selected to take on the responsibilities for implementing the change. The group begins to sort out what must be done and the sequence of action that would be most effective” (Zerwekh& Gameau, 2015, p.230). This is where people begin to get used to the idea that things will be different. Then the leader has to communicate how the change will benefit the people involved, so that they continue to support it. It’s also important to note that the change doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s best to give people a plenty of time to adjust to
At the center, each CNA was expected to provide care for fifteen patents. If it was a day shift, it would be possible to provide care for all the patients because you could ask for help form other CNS. However, I was working in the night shift, so I couldn’t get any support and it was challenging to provide care for fifteen patents. As a result, i notified my supervisor about the situation on my floor and explained to him that it was challenging to provide quality care for fifteen patients. The following week, the management got together and decided to allow two CNAs to work on each floors. Most CNS was relieved by the decisions because now they are able to effectively do their jobs. However, other CNAs were not happy because the facility hired more CNAs and there were no overtime. Our supervisor understood that some people were not happy with the change, and he reassured them that this is only a temporary change. For few months, the work load was easy and every one worked in a relaxed environment. However, this did not last for long time; most of the rehab patients were getting better and moving out of the facility. This meant that there were fewer patients and more CNAs. The management decided to retrain some of the CNS in to assistant physical therapist. As usual there were many reactions to the change, but I was happy to be part of this new transition. So I was retrained as an assistant physical