Please describe Lewin. Theory of Change. Give an example where you or organization used this theory to implement change. Was the change successful or unsuccessful? Why? Include change theory elements in your rationale. If the change was unsuccessful, what could the organization have done differently (include utilization of a different change theory)?

Implementing change in organizations is a challenging task that managers face most of the times. Effective implementation of change can be achieved with the use of a change model (Valiga, 2019). Lewin’s theory change is an example of change that can be used to promote behavioral change in staffs.

According to Lewin’s theory, change occurs sequentially. People have to be moved from a stage of unprepared, preparedness, adoption of change, and maintenance of change (Ten Have et al., 2018). These stages are summarized into steps of change according to the theory that include unfreezing, changing, and refreezing.

The unfreezing stage focuses on raising awareness about the need for change in an organization. The adopters are made to understand the negative effect of their existing behaviors and the need for change. Changing stage entails the transitioning to a new state of behaviors. Refreezing entails the adoption of stabilized behaviors and reinforcing them to prevent relapse (McGrath & Bates, 2017).

The organization I work with once utilized Lewin’s theory of change to implement new processes. It used it to introduce new health information systems to be utilized in the provision of care. The adoption of the new system entailed the upgrade of the existing systems. The staffs had to be informed about the inefficiencies associated with the traditional system.

This was important for them to identify the need for improvements. They were then informed about the new system and trained on its use. The implementation process was successful since the staffs had the knowledge and skills that were needed for the successful implementation of the system. Reinforcements such as rewarding them through paid lunch during training were utilized to encourage its adoption.

The change was successful because of several reasons. One of them was the preparation of the staffs for the change. The staffs were trained to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge for use of the system. They were also motivated to ensure the successful adoption of the system. Therefore, the concepts of Lewin’s theory of change were utilized successfully.

References

• McGrath, J., & Bates, B. (2017). The Little Book of Big Management Theories … and how to use them. Pearson UK.
• Ten Have, S., Rijsman, J., ten Have, W., & Westhof, J. (2018). The Social Psychology of Change Management Theories and an Evidence-based Perspective on Social and Organizational Beings. Routledge.
• Valiga, T. M. (2019). Leaders, managers, and followers Working in harmony. Nursing2020, 49(1), 45-48.