Stage 1 of Lewin's Change Management model is Unfreezing. What does this stage primarily do?

• A. Makes the organization aware of the problems and the need for change, with a compelling message and sense of urgency
• B. Introduces new policies without preparation
• C. Consolidates improvements and produces more change
• D. Institutionalizes changes in culture

Answer: (A)

Unfreezing is about getting people ready to change by disrupting the current comfort with the status quo and building motivation to move away from it. It centers on making the organization aware of problems and the need for change, and it often uses a compelling message plus a sense of urgency to overcome complacency. This preparation helps reduce resistance so the change can be embraced in the next stage.

The other actions described fit later steps: introducing new policies without proper preparation skips the readiness that unfreezing provides and tends to meet resistance; consolidating improvements and producing more change happens during the actual change phase as new ways are implemented; institutionalizing changes in culture occurs in the final stage when the new practices become the norm.