External and internal pressures arising from dynamically evolving business environments inevitably and continually create an unsustainable tension between the desire for stability and the need for change within organizations (Graetz & Smith, 2010) . Organizations respond to these tensions by engaging in processes of strategic renewal through the implementation of “planned change” (Spector, 2010). Planned change, according to Cummings and Worley (2009), fundamentally concerns the process of changing organizational behaviors. More specifically, new behaviors must replace old ones or be adapted or integrated with existing behaviors to enable successful change (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009; Schein, 1993, 2004). This article outlines the three phases of Lewin's planned change model – unfreezing, moving, and refreezing – and discusses the importance of each in relation to changing employee behaviors. Lewin's three-phase model Lewin's approach to planned change (Burnes, 2004) derives from his research into the forces and dynamics that govern the social behaviors of groups and individuals. Concerned with identifying and resolving the causes of social conflict, Lewin formulated four essential elements relating to the psychological dynamics of human behavior change which, together, constitute an integrated approach to planned change (Burnes, 2004). Field theory explored the forces that influence and constrain individual behavior. Group dynamics emerged from Lewin's belief that individual behavior was strongly influenced by group interaction. Action research, which incorporated field theory and group dynamics, embodied Lewin's iterative learning approach to analyze the situation and identify possible alternatives for actionable actions. approach. Journal of Change Management, 10(2), 135-154. doi:10.1080/14697011003795602 Meyer, J., Becker, T., & Vandenberghe, C. (2004). Employee commitment and motivation: A conceptual analysis and integrative model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(6), 991-1007. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.89.6.991Palmer, I., Dunford, R., & Akin, G. (2009). Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Schein, E. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Schein, E. (1999). Kurt Lewin's theory of change in the field and in the classroom: notes towards a managed learning model. Reflections, 1(1), 59-74. doi:10.1162/152417399570287Spector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change: Theory and practice (2nd ed.). Boston: Prentiss Hall.