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Talking About Organizations Podcast

55: Group Dynamics and Foundations of Organizational Change – Kurt Lewin (Part 2)

Jun 12, 2019
Renowned guest Kurt Lewin discusses the three phases of organizational change: unfreezing, moving, and freezing in this podcast. The discussion also explores the pitfalls of blindly applying Lewin's change model, the power of group dynamics, advancements in measuring organizational dynamics, and the importance of involving groups in organizational change.
49:24

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Lewin's three-step change model has become popular in change management literature, but its simplicity and context-free nature may oversimplify the complexity of managing change.
  • Lewin's original article offers valuable insights on cultural change, resistance, and group dynamics that are often overlooked due to the overshadowing popularity of his three-step model.

Deep dives

Legacy of Kurt Lewin's Three-Step Change Model

Kurt Lewin's three-step or three-phase process of unfreezing, moving, and re-freezing has become a popular framework in the change management literature. Many change management books reference Lewin directly, but some question the accuracy and simplicity of his model. The appeal of the unfreeze-move-freeze model lies in its context-free nature, allowing it to be easily applied to different situations. However, it is important to note that change management is a complex process, and the context plays a significant role. Misusing or over-relying on this simple model can lead to disappointing results and resistance to change.

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