Perhaps when it was introduced people got angry, stated how ridiculous it was and even claimed it would never work? Conversely, have you witnessed change done really well?  Where people embraced change and were able to agree that their current way of doing things was in need of improvement? The difference between these two scenarios is generally the result of successful change management, more specifically a step called unfreezing. Unfreezing is just one of three steps in the Lewin’s Model of Change Management, and probably the most important principle you will ever learn as a business coach. Episode outline: Four reasons a business will enact change: * Not profitable * Staff not performing * Losing market share * Mergers and takeovers Businesses need to continually improve and to do this they need change - otherwise a business will stagnate.  If a business fails to change, then they can become very noncompetitive. 7 groups that can resist change: * Employees * Managers * Shareholders * Customers * Suppliers * Governments * Community groups It is important to identify possible resistance and determine strategies to break down this resistance. 4 reasons why employees don’t like change: * Dislike of uncertain or unfamiliar work environments * Feel like past performance is being criticized * Can’t see that it will work * Distrust of management 10 reasons an employee may resist change: * Resistance to a perceived change in workplace culture * Poor training * Feeling like their working relationships are being threatened * Feeling like their status and power are being threatened * Worry that their position, status and power may be lost * Worry that corporate traditions they identify with are being changed * People fearing failure in the new environment * Lack of commitment to new way of doing things * Belief that the changes won’t work * Too lazy to care To identify employee resistance ask yourself, "Who will lose power, prestige or income?" 3 Steps To Effective Change Management (The Lewin’s Model of Change) * Unfreezing - This is about unsettling the status quo, making people question whether the present situation is suiting them. As coaches, we do this through asking the right questions.  The Business Needs Analysis discussed in session seven and eight, as well as many of the worksheets to come, is designed to really unfreeze the status quo.  They push our clients to think about things, and supported with the right frameworks, they are then ready to make the change.  This is a very important step in the change process.  Miss this step and the change won’t work as people will never accept it. * Changing - When the desire for change is there and we have made the appropriate shifts in the person or the business owners we can then put the change in place. We do this by introducing the right values, attitudes, behaviours, systems, training and communication to support the change. * Refreezing - This is to make sure that the change sticks. If a change is not refreezed in the organization and embedded in the culture, then they will go back to the previous situation.  Support the new behavior with praise, reward, and recognition of improved performance. 3 benefits of successful change for employees: * Better pay and job security, due to better business profits * More interesting jobs * Progression in the company,