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Facilitation

Lewin's Change Model (Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze)

Lewin's Change Model describes change as moving a group from one equilibrium to another in three stages: unfreezing the current state, moving to a new one, and freezing it in place. It rests on his force-field idea that behaviour is held steady by driving and restraining forces, and that group norms matter more than individual persuasion.

3 phasesFacilitation
When to Use This Framework

When a few voices dominate or quieter people don't contribute

Your group discussions aren't balanced, you need better ways to include everyone, or conversations go in circles.

When a programme is meant to change how a team or organisation works, not only what people know.

The 3 Steps
Follow this sequence to apply Lewin's Change Model (Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze)
1

Unfreeze

Help people see why the current way no longer works and lower the forces holding it in place. In a workshop: shared data, stories of the problem and space to voice concerns.

2

Change (moving)

Try out and learn the new behaviours or ways of working with support. In a workshop: practice, experiments, coaching and clear next steps.

3

Refreeze

Make the new way stick through routines, structures, agreements and reinforcement, so people do not slide back. Plan this before the session ends.

What You'll Achieve

Ensures every voice is heard and the group's collective intelligence is unlocked.

Use the three stages to plan a change programme around workshops: an opening session that unfreezes, practice sessions that move, and agreements and follow-up that refreeze new behaviour.

Practical Tips
How to get the most out of this framework
  • 1
    Use structured turn-taking to balance voices
  • 2
    Start with individual reflection before group discussion
  • 3
    Create safe spaces for minority opinions
  • 4
    Summarize and synthesize regularly
Best For
  • Organisational and team change
  • Introducing new processes or tools
  • Culture and behaviour programmes
  • Planning follow-up after workshops
Key Principles
  • Behaviour is held by opposing forces
  • Change groups, not only individuals
  • Readiness before action
  • Stabilise the new equilibrium
Watch Out For
  • Often criticised as too linear and static for continuous change.
  • Historians (Cummings, Bridgman & Brown, 2016) argue the neat three-step model was largely built by later writers; Lewin wrote of 'freezing', and 'refreezing' came later.
  • Pays little attention to individual emotions during change; pair with Bridges' Transition Model for that.
Related Frameworks
Other Facilitation frameworks you might find useful
Belbin Team RolesThe Belbin Team Roles framework identifies nine distinct behavioral clusters that contribute to effective team performance. By understanding these roles, facilitators can build balanced teams, leverage individual strengths, and mitigate potential weaknesses to enhance collaboration and achieve team objectives.
Liberating StructuresA repertoire of more than 30 simple interaction patterns, such as 1-2-4-All, Troika Consulting and 15% Solutions, that replace presentations and open discussion with structured formats where everyone contributes. Each structure is specified by five design elements: invitation, space and materials, distribution of participation, group configuration, and steps and timing.
Six Thinking HatsEdward de Bono's method of 'parallel thinking' in which a whole group adopts the same mode of thinking at the same time, signalled by six coloured hats: facts, feelings, caution, benefits, creativity and process. It reduces adversarial debate because everyone looks at the issue from the same angle before switching.