Which statement about Lewin's change phases is true?

• A. They are not clear-cut and overlap.
• B. They are linear and strictly sequential.
• C. They do not apply to healthcare settings.
• D. They occur in isolation from implementation.

Answer: (A)

Lewin's change phases are a simple way to think about how change happens, but they aren’t a rigid, step-by-step ladder. In real life, the stages blend together and you often move back and forth between them as problems, feedback, and new information arise. Unfreezing prepares people and the system for change, the actual change is implemented, and refreezing stabilizes and reinforces the new way of doing things. Yet, as soon as the change is underway, you may encounter new challenges that require revisiting earlier steps, adjusting tactics, and reinforcing the new behavior over time. This iterative, overlapping nature is why the statement that they are not clear-cut and overlap is true, and it aligns with how change is actually managed in healthcare settings.

For example, when a hospital adopts a new discharge workflow, leaders work on readiness and motivation (unfreezing) while beginning to pilot the change. As staff gain experience, tweaks are made (the change phase), and practices are solidified through training and performance monitoring (refreezing). Because needs and constraints shift, the cycle isn’t strictly linear and fixed in place.

The other options misstate how Lewin's model works. The phases aren’t strictly linear and sequential; they’re often shown as a framework but are frequently revisited. They do apply to healthcare and are used to guide implementation, not to be ignored. And they don’t occur in isolation from implementation—implementation is the process that carries the change through the phases.