From a Lewinian perspective, how can you pen a defence of insights you can reflect

on from your consulting group’s experience? Which principles that Lewin

articulated stand out for your group across the phases of consulting you engaged
in? – 1500 words

Change is a constant in all businesses, regardless of their size, industry, or

age. The world is changing at a breakneck pace, and businesses must
adapt to keep up. Organizations that deal effectively with change thrive,
while those that don't may struggle to stay afloat.

In today's business world, the concept of "change management" is well-

known. However, depending on the nature of the organisation, the change,
and the people involved, how firms manage change (and how successful
they are at it) varies greatly. And a big part of that is how well the
employees in the organisation understand the transition process.

Kurt Lewin devised one of the most important models for understanding
organisational transformation, and it still remains true today. Unfreeze –
Transformation – Refreeze is the name of his model, which relates to the
three-stage change process he explains. Lewin, a physicist and social
scientist, used the analogy of changing the shape of a block of ice to
explain organisational development.

Lewin's equation, B = ƒ (P, E), is a psychological equation of behaviour

developed by Kurt Lewin. It states that behaviour is a function of the person in
their environment

The enlightened approach opens up substantial opportunities for altering

the field as it enters the millennium's next stage of transformation. Through
an enlightened consulting approach, it is possible to innovate and create
new ways of dealing with human system possibilities and issues.
Integration and extension of present knowledge could pave the way for the
new renaissance in social sciences that Lewin envisioned.

The opportunistic approach may encourage quick-fix consulting and

interventions in exchange for instant enjoyment and benefits. It may avoid
doing important research, diagnosing difficulties, and solving problems that
develop and apply appropriate ideas and concepts for understanding the
dynamics of a situation, as well as long and short problems and solutions.
Performance is considered as an economic asset that must be enhanced in
order to maximise earnings.

Efforts to develop and rejuvenate the potentials of human systems are also
exploited, obscured, and thwarted by technological developments. For
example, re-engineering change initiatives targeted at improving
organisational efficiency take survey methodologies from more enlightened
Lewinian action research, but they are applied for reasons that are
incompatible with humanitarian values. The emphasis is on increasing
short-term production while stressing human systems, as well as
community development, work-life quality, and employee participation in
issue solving. For example, Lewin's work on the force-field model of
change is employed in autocratic procedures to strategize and implement
top-down management choices.

As a student, we found the client-consultant engagement in class to be

quite beneficial in understanding how OD consultants work on the ground.
Rethinking from Lewinian perspective, few of the many lessons learned
will stick with us for the rest of life, and we will be able to apply them to
real-world problems.

Kurt Lewin Theories w.r.t to client consultant activity

1. Leadership styles and their effects :

We observed that our client group mostly followed a democratic style of working, as
every member had an equal say in the decision-making process. However, we also
noted that in some situations a particular member’s opinion was given priority over
others. We also inferred from our experience that leaders and managers may
change their styles and be trained to enhance their leadership and adopt suitable
management styles for their situation and context.

2. Group decision making:

Group members were involved and engrossed in discussion of the issues among
themselves and were able to make their own decisions as a group most of the
times. Whenever two members from client group were having conflicting ideas,
they were asked to present pros and cons of their idea or theory, then group
would vote on which one is better. Also, theory which will have more pros will be
selected and a theory was selected when all the members were convinced. Client
group also checked which member’s theory is closer to model assigned to them.
Our client group was using this methodology for group decision making.
 3. Action research:

The involvement of participants from the community under study, as well as the
pursuit of separate but concurrent processes of action and evaluation, are central to
action research. We followed a similar approach where we looked & evaluated all the
members of the group individually, as well as evaluated the group as a whole.

Principles that stand out for your group across the phases of consulting we
engaged in-

1. The ability to effectively assess client and organisational needs is

one of the most important tools and approaches in the organisational
development (OD) practitioner's repertoire. The initial debate is, in
fact, an important part of the technique. It's essential for creating
focused solutions because it allows for a thorough evaluation of
clients' acknowledged and unspoken (possibly undiscovered) wants.

2. Although it may appear paradoxical, devoting time to the initial phase

can help prevent guessing and assumptions that might cause delays
or the need to redo work. A thorough investigation prepares the
ground for a well-thought-out strategy to OD interventions. Without
the knowledge obtained from a thorough dialogue, the chances of
finding solutions that add value and satisfy corporate objectives are,
at best, bleak.

3. The intentional procedure allows practitioners to have a better

understanding of the client's needs. Unstated biases and
preconceived notions about the emerging issue, such as its source,
cause, and even expected remedy, may arise. But pay attention to
the latter. If clients make their own suggestions, there may be an
unspoken expectation that you would follow through. The risk is that
you'll be perceived as an order-taker rather than a consultant. Rather
than making assumptions or reaching unjustified conclusions, pay
much attention to data points that help define the type and quantity of
support that is appropriate for the perceived need.
4. It is always advised to have a collaborative working connection with
clients, and this may be effectively utilised at the initial discussion.
Establishing a solid relationship helps practitioners to successfully
counsel and confront, raising the tough questions that lead to viable
and practical approaches and the development of effective
programmes. Those that have a clear understanding of the business
and are laser-focused on improving performance and accomplishing
corporate goals are able to build trusting relationships.

5. Practitioners who are absolutely clear on the what, how, and why of
their techniques give value when delivering feedback to clients about
solutions. Remember to be sensitive to your client's desire for
complete transparency and clarity. This is best accomplished by
utilising "simple speech," which means avoiding jargon and technical
terms specific to your field. Instead, when delivering feedback or
expressing your results and any recommendations that follow, use
industry- or institution language.