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Force Field Analysis

Analyzing the pressures for and against change.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Some people struggle when they have tough decisions to make. They hash through the pros and cons, and agonize over making the right call.

When you're making difficult or challenging decisions, it pays to use an effective, structured decision-making technique that will improve the quality of your decisions and increase your chances of success. Force Field Analysis is one such technique and, in this article and in the video, below, we'll explore what it is and how you can use it.

About Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis was created by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s. Lewin originally used it in his work as a social psychologist. Today, however, it is also used in business, for making and communicating go/no-go decisions.

The idea behind Force Field Analysis is that situations are maintained by an equilibrium between forces that drive change and others that resist change, as shown in figure 1, below. For change to happen, the driving forces must be strengthened or the resisting forces weakened.

Figure 1 – Force Field Analysis

force field analysis problem solving technique

The tool is useful for making decisions by analyzing the forces for and against a change, and for communicating the reasoning behind your decision.

How to Use Force Field Analysis

To carry out a Force Field Analysis, use a blank sheet of paper or a whiteboard, or download our worksheet and follow these five steps.

Step 1: Describe Your Plan or Proposal for Change

Define your goal or vision for change, and write it down in a box in the middle of the page.

Step 2: Identify Forces For Change

Think about the kinds of forces that are driving change. These can be internal and external.

Internal drivers could include:

  • Outdated machinery or product lines.
  • Declining team morale.
  • A need to increase profitability.

Your external drivers could include:

  • A volatile, uncertain operating environment.
  • Disruptive technologies.
  • Changing demographic trends.

It's important to identify as many of the factors that will influence the change as you can. Where appropriate, involve other people, such as team members or experts in your organization.

The following questions may help you to identify forces that will influence the change:

  • What business benefit will the change deliver?
  • Who supports the change? Who is against it? Why?
  • Do you have the resources to make the change work?
  • What costs and risks are involved?
  • What business processes will be affected?

Tools such as the Futures Wheel , Impact Analysis , "What If" Analysis , Stakeholder Analysis , and brainstorming can also help with this step.

When you've identified the forces that are driving change, add them to the left-hand side of your Force Field Analysis.

Step 3: Identify Forces Against Change

Now brainstorm the forces that resist or are unfavorable to change.

Internal resistors and restrainers could include:

  • Fears of the unknown.
  • Existing organizational structures.
  • " That's not how we do it here " attitudes.

External factors might be:

  • Existing commitments to partner organizations.
  • Government legislation.
  • Obligations toward your customers.

Now add the forces against change to the right-hand side of your Force Field Analysis.

Step 4: Assign Scores

Next, score each force, from, say, one (weak) to five (strong), according to the degree of influence each one has on the plan, and then add up the scores for each side (for and against).

For a visual representation of the influence that each force has, draw arrows around them. Use bigger arrows for the forces that will have a greater influence on the change, and smaller arrows for forces that will have a weaker influence.

By now, your Force Field Analysis should look something like the example in figure 2, below.

Figure 2 – Example Force Field Analysis

force field analysis problem solving technique

Image adapted from “ Tools for Knowledge and Learning A Guide for Development and Humanitarian Organizations ” by Ben Ramalingam © Overseas Development Institute 2006. Adapted with permission from Ben Ramalingam.

Step 5: Analyze and Apply

Now that you've done your Force Field Analysis, you can use it in two ways:

  • To decide whether or not to move forward with the decision or change.
  • To think about which supportive forces you can strengthen and which opposing or resisting forces you can weaken, and how to make the change more successful.

If you had to implement the project in the example above, the analysis might suggest a number of changes that you could make to the initial plan. For instance, you could:

  • Train staff to minimize their fear of technology. The +1 cost of training increases "Cost" to -4 but the -2 benefits reduce "Staff fearful of new technology" to -1.
  • Show staff that change is necessary for business survival. This new, +2 force supports the change.
  • Show staff that new machines would introduce variety and interest to their jobs. This new, +1 force also supports the change.
  • Raise wages to reflect new productivity. The +1 cost of raising wages takes "Cost" to -5, but the -2 benefits reduce "Loss of overtime" to -1.
  • Install slightly different machines with filters that eliminate pollution. The -1 benefit of the new machines eliminates "Impact on environment" as a force against change.

These changes would swing the balance from 11:10 (against the plan), to 13:8 (in favor of the plan).

Some factors, where you need absolute certainty in order to make a good decision, don't fit well with this approach. Considerations that affect people's health and safety, for example, aren't suited to Force Field Analysis. Be sure to deal with these appropriately, whatever the outcome of your analysis.

Bear in mind that, while Force Field Analysis helps you to understand the impact of different factors on your decision or change, it can be subjective. If you're making an important decision, using it alongside other decision-making tools such as Decision Matrix Analysis , Decision Tree Analysis , and Cost/Benefit Analysis will help to reinforce the quality of your decision.

Don't underestimate how much work a Force Field Analysis can involve. We've used a simple example here, but there will be many factors that you'll need to consider for complex decisions and changes.

Force Field Analysis helps you to think about the pressures for and against a decision or a change. It was developed by Kurt Lewin.

To carry out a Force Field Analysis, describe your plan or proposal in the middle of a piece of paper or whiteboard. Then list all of the forces for change in a column on the left-side, and all of the forces against change in a column on the right-side.

Score each factor, and add up the scores for each column. You can then decide whether or not to move forward with the change.

Alternatively, you can use your analysis to think about how you can strengthen the forces that support the change and weaken the forces opposing it, so that the change is more successful.

Download Worksheet

Ramalingam, B. (2006). ' Tools for Knowledge and Learning: A Guide for Development and Humanitarian Organizations ,' London: Overseas Development Institute. p.32.

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  • Force Field Analysis for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Learn all about Force Field Analysis, a problem solving and decision making technique, and how to use it to make informed decisions.

Force Field Analysis for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Force field analysis is a powerful tool for problem solving and decision making, enabling individuals and organizations to make informed choices. By providing a structured approach to identifying the forces that are driving or preventing change, it can help you to identify the levers that will help you to reach your goal. In this article, we will explore how force field analysis works and how it can be used to help you make the right decisions. Force field analysis was first proposed by Kurt Lewin, a German-American psychologist and management consultant who developed the field of social psychology. Lewin argued that, in order to make progress, it is necessary to identify and understand the forces that are driving or restraining change.

It can help identify the areas of effort that need to be addressed to move a project forward or make an informed decision. Force field analysis is a very useful tool for problem solving and decision making because it provides a systematic way to analyze a situation, identify the forces that influence it, and determine how best to move forward. Force field analysis has four main components: objectives, forces, options, and actions. First, objectives are identified.

These objectives should be specific, measurable, and achievable. Next, all of the forces that can affect the achievement of these objectives are identified. These can include external forces such as economic trends or competition, as well as internal forces such as organizational culture or individual attitudes. Once all of the forces have been identified, options for how to address them are developed.

Finally, specific actions are identified that need to be taken in order to achieve the desired objectives. Force field analysis can be applied to a variety of contexts, such as business, education, organizational planning, and more. For example, in business, force field analysis can help identify the driving and opposing forces in a new product launch or market entry. In education, it can be used to analyze a new curriculum or program.

In organizational planning, it can help identify the forces that will influence a new strategic plan. The advantages of using force field analysis include its systematic approach and its ability to identify both driving and opposing forces. It is also relatively easy to use and requires minimal resources. The disadvantages include its reliance on subjective interpretations of the data and its inability to take into account long-term effects.

It also does not provide concrete solutions; instead it provides guidance on how best to move forward. Force field analysis is similar to other problem solving and decision making techniques such as SWOT analysis or Six Sigma in that they all focus on identifying potential obstacles and developing strategies to address them. However, force field analysis is unique in that it focuses on identifying both driving and opposing forces, which can provide a more comprehensive view of the situation. There has been some research into the effectiveness of force field analysis for problem solving and decision making.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Force Field Analysis

Advantages of force field analysis, disadvantages of force field analysis, components of force field analysis.

It consists of two components - driving forces and restraining forces - which can be used to identify areas of effort that need to be addressed in order to move a project forward or make an informed decision. Driving forces are the positive influences that propel a change forward. They are the factors that support the desired change and include resources, skills, knowledge, and commitment. Restraining forces are the negative influences that impede progress.

These are the factors that create resistance to the proposed change such as lack of resources, fear of failure, and lack of support. Power relationships between stakeholders also play an important role in identifying driving and restraining forces. For example, if a stakeholder has a lot of influence over the decision-making process, then their opinion may be weighted more heavily than other stakeholders’ opinions. Force field analysis can be a useful tool for problem solving and decision making by helping identify areas of effort that need to be addressed in order to move a project forward or make an informed decision.

Comparing Force Field Analysis to Other Techniques

It is useful in understanding the current context and identifying potential areas of improvement or risk. Unlike force field analysis, SWOT does not focus on the forces that drive or oppose a change. Instead, it looks at the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. Brainstorming is an idea generation technique that is used to generate creative solutions to a problem. Unlike force field analysis, it does not analyze the forces of a particular situation.

Instead, it encourages team members to generate ideas by quickly jotting down any thoughts they have related to a problem. It is also important to note that brainstorming does not analyze the viability of any given idea. The five-whys technique is a problem solving tool that can be used to identify the root cause of a particular issue. It involves asking five “why” questions in order to get to the root of a problem. Unlike force field analysis, which focuses on the forces driving or opposing change, five-whys looks at the causes of an issue by probing deeper into the underlying causes. Force field analysis is a powerful tool for problem solving and decision making.

Examples of Force Field Analysis

In each case, force field analysis involves assessing the driving forces that support a change or decision, as well as the restraining forces that oppose it. By weighing the pros and cons of each factor, it becomes easier to determine which actions need to be taken to push forward with the project or make an informed decision. One example of force field analysis in practice is when a company evaluates whether to launch a new product. In this case, the driving forces might include customer demand, competitive pressure, and potential financial gains.

The restraining forces could include the cost of development, the risk of failure, and the time needed to bring the product to market. By examining and analyzing each of these forces, the company can then make an informed decision on whether to go ahead with the project or not. If there are more driving forces than restraining ones, then this could be an indication that launching the product is the right choice. Another example of force field analysis is when an organization looks at making an organizational change.

In this case, the driving forces might include increased efficiency, improved morale, and cost savings. The restraining forces could include employee resistance to change, disruption to current processes and systems, and potential risks associated with the change. By weighing up these different factors, the organization can then decide whether or not to go ahead with the proposed change. If there are more driving forces than restraining ones, then this could be an indication that implementing the change is the right choice. Force field analysis is a useful problem solving and decision making technique that can help identify factors driving or opposing a change.

It involves mapping out the factors driving and opposing a change in order to help identify areas of effort that need to be addressed to move a project forward or make an informed decision. Force field analysis can be applied in different contexts, and can be used in combination with other problem solving and decision making techniques. It provides an effective way to visualize the forces affecting a situation, and helps identify strategies for overcoming obstacles and achieving desired outcomes. The advantages of using this technique include its ability to quickly identify key issues and areas of focus, as well as its ability to provide an objective view of the forces affecting a situation. In comparison to other problem solving and decision making techniques, force field analysis can provide a more thorough understanding of the forces affecting a situation.

It can help to identify both positive and negative forces in order to determine the most effective course of action. Additionally, it can provide insight into how one factor may be influencing another, which can be useful when considering different solutions or decisions. Overall, force field analysis is an effective tool for problem solving and decision making, and can be used in a variety of contexts.

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  • Guide: Force Field Analysis
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Force Field Analysis, developed in the 1940s by Kurt Lewin, stands as a cornerstone in understanding and managing change both organizationally and personally. This strategic tool delves into the dynamics of change, identifying driving and restraining forces that impact change initiatives.

Its core function is to serve as a diagnostic instrument, enabling the development of strategies to bolster driving forces or mitigate restraining ones, thus facilitating efficient and effective change implementation. Notably, its ability to bring structure and clarity to the complexities of change processes marks its significance in diverse change management scenarios.

Table of Contents

What is force field analysis.

Force Field Analysis is a strategic tool that plays a pivotal role in change management, both within organizations and on a personal level. This technique was developed in the 1940s by Kurt Lewin, a prominent psychologist and a founding figure in social psychology. Lewin’s contribution to this field was substantial, with Force Field Analysis being one of his most influential concepts.

The aim of Force Field Analysis is to facilitate the process of understanding the dynamics of change in various situations. It serves as a diagnostic tool that helps in identifying the different forces that may affect a change initiative. These forces can either be in support of the change (driving forces) or against it (restraining forces). By understanding these forces, an individual or organization can develop strategies to either strengthen the driving forces or weaken the restraining forces, leading to a more efficient and effective implementation of change.

force-field-analysis-example-Learnleansigma

One of the key reasons why Force Field Analysis is so valued is its ability to bring clarity and structure to the often chaotic process of change. Change, by its very nature, can be complex and fraught with challenges. This tool provides a systematic way to approach this complexity, making it easier to manage and navigate.

How to Do a Force Field Analysis

Conducting a Force Field Analysis involves a structured process that allows individuals and organizations to visually map out and understand the forces affecting a change initiative. Here’s a detailed look at each step involved:

Step 1: Identify the Current Situation

The first step in Force Field Analysis is to establish a clear understanding of the current situation. This involves a comprehensive assessment of the status quo – what is happening now, what are the key characteristics of the current state, and why does it need to change. This step sets the stage for the entire analysis and requires a deep and objective understanding of the present circumstances.

Alongside understanding the current situation, it’s also important to define the desired end state or goal. This goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound ( SMART ). Having a clear vision of the desired outcome helps in identifying which forces will support or hinder this goal.

Step 2: Determining the Driving Forces

Once the current situation and desired state are clearly defined, the next step is to identify the driving forces. These are the forces that are pushing or pulling the situation towards the desired change. They can be internal or external to the organization or individual.

Internal driving forces might include factors like employee motivation, recognition of inefficiencies within existing processes, or a desire for improvement. External driving forces can encompass technological advancements, changes in market trends, competitive pressures, or regulatory changes. Identifying these forces requires looking at both the internal dynamics and the external environment.

Step 2 Force field analysis

Step 3: Identifying the Restraining Forces

Concurrently, it’s essential to identify the forces that are resisting the change – the restraining forces. These forces work against the desired change and can arise from various sources.

Restraining forces might include organizational culture and traditions that are resistant to change, resource limitations (like budget or time constraints), lack of necessary skills or knowledge among staff, market stability, or even psychological factors such as fear of the unknown or resistance to change among employees. Understanding these restraining forces is crucial for developing strategies to overcome or mitigate them.

Step 3 Force field analysis

Step 4: Analyzing and Prioritizing Forces

With all forces identified, the next step is to analyze and prioritize them. This involves assessing each force in terms of its strength and impact on the change initiative. Some forces will have a greater influence on the current situation than others.

This step is critical because it helps in understanding which forces need more attention. It might be found that some restraining forces are too strong and need significant effort to overcome, or some driving forces are so powerful that they can be leveraged more effectively.

Step 4 Force field analysis

Step 5: Developing Strategies

The final step in Force Field Analysis is developing strategies that aim to strengthen the driving forces and weaken or eliminate the restraining forces. This is where the actual planning for change takes place.

For strengthening driving forces, strategies might include enhancing employee engagement, investing in new technologies, or capitalizing on market opportunities. To weaken restraining forces, strategies could involve organizational restructuring, training and development programs, addressing cultural issues, or reallocating resources.

In developing these strategies, it’s important to maintain a balance. Overemphasizing on driving forces without adequately addressing restraining forces can lead to resistance and conflict, while focusing too much on restraining forces can dampen motivation and slow the pace of change.

Applications of Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis, with its foundational principle of identifying and assessing forces that affect change, finds application in a variety of areas. Here’s a detailed exploration of its primary applications:

Organizational Change Management

In the context of organizational change, Force Field Analysis is used extensively to understand and manage the dynamics of change within a business. It helps leaders and managers to identify forces that could drive or hinder organizational change, including internal factors like employee attitudes and external factors like market trends. This understanding is crucial for successfully implementing new strategies, processes, or cultural shifts within an organization.

Personal Development and Self-Improvement

On a personal level, Force Field Analysis can be a powerful tool for self-improvement. Individuals can use it to identify personal driving forces (like motivation, goals, aspirations) and restraining forces (such as fear, lack of skills, or external obstacles) that impact their ability to achieve personal goals. By understanding these forces, individuals can develop strategies to enhance positive forces and mitigate negative ones, leading to more effective personal growth and development.

Project Management and Decision-Making

In project management, Force Field Analysis aids in making informed decisions by identifying all the forces affecting a project. Project managers can use this tool to foresee potential risks and obstacles (restraining forces) and harness positive influences (driving forces) like team strengths or resource availability. This holistic view enables more strategic planning and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

Problem-Solving in Team and Individual Settings

Force Field Analysis is also an effective tool for problem-solving, both in teams and individual settings. By visually mapping out the forces influencing a particular problem, teams can gain a better understanding of the factors at play. This process not only aids in finding more comprehensive solutions but also fosters a collaborative environment where team members can contribute their perspectives on potential driving and restraining forces.

Advantages and Limitations

Structured Approach: Force Field Analysis offers a clear and systematic way to analyze the factors involved in decision-making, ensuring that all relevant forces are considered.

Comprehensive Analysis: It encourages an in-depth examination of the current situation, taking into account both positive and negative factors, which leads to a more rounded understanding.

Effective Change Management: By identifying and understanding the various forces at play, it becomes easier to develop strategies to manage and implement change effectively.

Limitations

Subjectivity: The process of identifying and assessing forces can be subjective, leading to biases in the analysis. Personal perceptions and experiences can influence how forces are viewed and prioritized.

Lacks Direct Solutions: Force Field Analysis provides a framework for analysis rather than direct solutions. It identifies what needs to be addressed but doesn’t always offer specific answers.

Risk of Oversimplification: There’s a risk of oversimplifying complex situations, especially when multiple forces interact in complicated ways.

Force Field Analysis offers a structured approach to dissecting and understanding the multifaceted nature of change. Its application spans across organizational change management, personal development, project management, and problem-solving, providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

While it excels in offering a systematic way to evaluate factors affecting decisions and change, it also contends with limitations like subjectivity and the potential for oversimplification. Nonetheless, its comprehensive perspective in assessing both positive and negative elements makes it an indispensable tool in the realm of effective change management, underlining its enduring relevance and utility.

  • Baulcomb, J.S., 2003. Management of change through force field analysis .  Journal of nursing management ,  11 (4), pp.275-280.
  • Swanson, D.J. and Creed, A.S., 2014. Sharpening the focus of force field analysis.  Journal of change management ,  14 (1), pp.28-47.

Q: What is Force Field Analysis?

A: Force Field Analysis is a strategic tool developed by Kurt Lewin in the 1940s. It’s used to identify and understand the forces that influence a particular situation or change initiative. The analysis involves identifying both driving forces that promote change and restraining forces that hinder it, allowing for the development of strategies to enhance or mitigate these forces, thereby facilitating more effective change management.

Q: How is Force Field Analysis used in organizational change?

A: In organizational change, Force Field Analysis helps leaders and managers to understand the factors that support or resist a change initiative. By identifying these forces, organizations can develop targeted strategies to strengthen positive drivers of change (like employee engagement or market opportunities) and address or reduce barriers (such as resistance to change or resource limitations). This process aids in smoother and more successful implementation of organizational changes.

Q: Can Force Field Analysis be applied to personal development?

A: Yes, Force Field Analysis can be effectively applied to personal development. Individuals can use it to identify personal driving forces (like motivation and aspirations) and restraining forces (such as fear and skill gaps) that impact their personal growth and goal achievement. Understanding these forces enables individuals to devise strategies to enhance positive influences and overcome personal barriers, leading to more effective personal development.

Q: What are the main steps involved in conducting a Force Field Analysis?

A: The main steps in conducting a Force Field Analysis include: 1) Identifying the current situation and desired outcome, 2) Determining the driving forces that support the change, 3) Identifying the restraining forces that oppose the change, 4) Analyzing and prioritizing these forces based on their impact, and 5) Developing strategies to strengthen driving forces and weaken or eliminate restraining forces, thus facilitating the desired change.

Q: What are some limitations of Force Field Analysis?

A: Some limitations of Force Field Analysis include its subjective nature, as the identification and assessment of forces can be influenced by personal biases and perceptions. Additionally, while it provides a framework for analysis, it doesn’t offer direct solutions to problems. There’s also a risk of oversimplifying complex situations, particularly when multiple interacting forces are involved. Despite these limitations, it remains a valuable tool for understanding and managing change.

Daniel Croft

Daniel Croft

Daniel Croft is a seasoned continuous improvement manager with a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. With over 10 years of real-world application experience across diverse sectors, Daniel has a passion for optimizing processes and fostering a culture of efficiency. He's not just a practitioner but also an avid learner, constantly seeking to expand his knowledge. Outside of his professional life, Daniel has a keen Investing, statistics and knowledge-sharing, which led him to create the website learnleansigma.com, a platform dedicated to Lean Six Sigma and process improvement insights.

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Force field analysis is an important problem-solving technique that helps identify and analyze the forces that drive and resist change. It is a useful tool for problem-solving, process optimization, and decision-making. In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of force field analysis, including its purpose, process, and applications. Force field analysis is a powerful tool for understanding the dynamics of any situation. It helps identify the factors that are driving or resisting change, allowing you to make better decisions and optimize processes.

Benefits of Force Field Analysis

Using Force Field Analysis can help teams identify competing forces at play in any given situation, such as those that may be driving or preventing change. By understanding these forces, teams can develop strategies for overcoming obstacles, or for amplifying the effects of those forces that are driving successful change. Force Field Analysis can also help teams identify potential areas for improvement, as well as potential risks associated with making changes. This helps teams make more informed decisions about their process optimization initiatives, allowing them to avoid costly missteps.

Steps Involved in Conducting a Force Field Analysis

2.brainstorm possible driving forces and restraining forces, 3.identify each force’s level of influence on the issue, 4.evaluate the driving forces and restraining forces, 5.identify potential solutions or strategies for overcoming obstacles, 6.implement your chosen solution or strategy, 7.monitor progress and adjust your approach as needed.

By identifying the competing forces at play and the potential areas of improvement, teams can gain insight into their environment and make more informed decisions. With its easy-to-understand approach, Force Field Analysis is a valuable tool for any team looking to optimize their processes and solve problems.

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learn how to conduct a force field analysis with these visual templates

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding the Force Field Analysis

Updated on: 5 January 2023

This guide will help you understand what a force field analysis is and how to conduct it in 6 simple steps. 

You’ll find 

If you are looking for a tool that will help you make business-related decisions faster and better, you will find the force field analysis useful. 

Let’s get started.

What is Force Field Analysis

The force field analysis is a widely-used change management model ; it works as a diagnostic tool and a powerful decision-making tool during change planning. 

You can use it to identify – by visually mapping – the driving forces and restraining forces for and against the initiative and thus work on leveraging the factors in favor while reducing the unfavorable ones to ensure the successful implementation of the change plan.  

The force field analysis tool was developed as a change management model in 1951 by the German-American psychologist, Kurt Lewin who is also known for being a founder of modern psychology. Today, the tool is even widely used to inform business decision-making.

The basis of the tool 

The basic idea behind the force field analysis is that a certain given situation remains the way it is because of counterbalancing forces, or because of the state of equilibrium between forces that drive change and oppose change.

In order to promote change, either the driving forces should be strengthened or the resisting forces should be weakened.

And it integrates with Lewin’s 3-stage theory of change .

Force Field Analysis

When to use the tool 

The force field analysis is ideally used for diagnosing a problem. You can use it to 

  • Analyze the balance of power
  • Identify the key roles involved in decision-making 
  • Identify who supports and opposes change within the organization
  • Explore ways to influence those who are against change  
  • Decide whether to go ahead with a proposed change or not 

How to Conduct a Force Field Analysis 

The analysis is best carried out in small groups of 5 to 9 people who are directly involved in the change implementation process. 

It’s important that everyone else who is also likely to be affected by the change is kept in the loop. To gain their commitment and support for the deployment of the project, they should be kept informed about and involved in planning, development and decision-making from the very beginning.

For a more productive discussion, have a force field analysis worksheet ready at the beginning of the meeting. 

The worksheet can be paper-based, or you can use the following Creately template to start right away. Simply add the email addresses of the other group members to the document to give them edit/ review access. This way everyone can collaborate on populating the worksheet. 

Force Field Analysis Worksheet

Step 1: Assess the current situation

You need to start the session by discussing the current situation of the organization in terms of the issue at hand with the key stakeholders.

This may include determining where you are at, the challenges you are facing due to the issue you are trying to solve, the reaction of the employees, etc. 

It’s also important to clarify where you want to go or the desired state you want to achieve with the initiative. At the same time, consider what will take place if you fail to take action to change the current situation. 

Here you can do a quick SWOT analysis to understand what strengths you can use to overcome the existing threats and see how you can work on overcoming weaknesses and take advantage of the presented opportunities. 

SWOT Analysis

Step 2: Define the objective 

The next step is to identify the expected outcome of the change initiative. Once you have clearly defined the goal(s), write them inside the box in the middle of the template provided above. 

Step 3: Identify the driving forces

Driving forces are the factors that are in favor of the proposed change or the ones that support the achievement of the defined goal.

These are considered positive and usually includes factors like advancing technology, changing industry trends, increasing competition, opinions of customers or shareholders, incentives, etc. 

In this step, your task is to brainstorm as many driving forces as possible with the team and list them in the relevant field of the worksheet.

Of course, you can turn to people outside the team (interview them), people who are specialized in the subject area to find the information you need during this step. 

Step 4: Identify the restraining forces

These are the factors that will block your path to achieving your goal. They tend to restrict the impact of the driving forces. For example, these may include the fear of the individuals, organizational structures and negative attitudes of employees, etc. 

The list of forces that are against change should be listed on the right-hand field of the worksheet. 

One thing you need to keep in mind is not to be subjective when deciding which forces to add to the force field analysis and which ones to leave out. 

Step 5: Evaluate the forces

You can evaluate the influence of each force by assigning them scores. 

Using a numerical scale (10 being extremely strong and 1 being extremely weak), assign each force a score based on the impact they have on the change initiative.

You can also assess the forces by focusing on the impact each of them may have. This way you can ditch assigning each force a score. 

Based on the effect they have, you can decide whether the proposed change is viable. Accordingly, you can discuss how you can influence the forces in favor of change: you can weaken the restricting forces by strengthening the driving forces.

Step 6: Create an action plan 

Based on how you want to go about strengthening driving forces and weakening restraining forces, you can create a quick action plan.

This can help you clarify what needs to be done, who is responsible, the resources needed, and the due dates you need to be concerned about, etc. 

force field analysis problem solving technique

What’s Your Opinion? 

The force field analysis is a great tool to evaluate if the proposed change is practical or not and identifying the blockers against change. Its outcome will help you identify possible solutions to remove these obstacles and effectively work on achieving your change management goals. 

How do you go about decision-making and problem-solving? Do you currently use any other tool other than the force field analysis? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Your article was super helpful for me. I love the way you laid out the topic and the templates are a lifesaver. I’ve struggled to understand one point of the force field analysis, and I was wondering if you could help explain it to me. Since I am currently doing a force field analysis – I want to know the best way to support the restraining/driving forces when it comes to evaluation. Is it best with a numerical scale? Or does a qualitative take on the effects, like you said, show a more holistic approach?

I would really appreciate your response!

Sincerely, Gabrielle

Hi Gabirelle,

Thank you and glad that you found the article helpful. And yes you can evaluate the factors by assigning each factor a score, or you can consider the impact they may have on the initiative. It really depends on which method you would find effective and easy; however, both help out just the same.

Cheers, Amanda

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Introduction to Force Field Analysis

Struggling to make strategic decisions? Take a look at this decision making framework…🤔

Man stands between a left arrow and a right arrow on the floor to represent the decision in Force Field Analysis

Table of Contents

Shields up! This is a framework to aid strategic decision making. It’s a useful tool to help you map out a decision process and weigh up the reasons for and against, in order to decide the right path for your company.

What is Force Field Analysis?

The Force Field Analysis is a framework used to aid business decisions, often in the context of strategic planning, implementation or change management. The framework assumes there are forces in favour of the decision and forces against the decision.

Force Field Analysis

If you want the decision to be made or the change to happen, the forces against that change must be weaker than the forces making that change.

The forces that can impact a business decision might include:

  • Cost of the decision
  • Ongoing impact on productivity
  • Opportunities and benefits that may be presented

Each force is given a value of 1 – 4, the larger the value the higher the impact is on the business and thus more weight for or against the decision. It’s easier to look at an example, let’s say a business is reviewing a new IT system. It’s a big decision, so what would the pros and cons look like…?

Force Field Analysis Example

In the above simplistic example, the decision should be to do the IT change, as the total forces for the decision add up to 11, whereas against it would be a 9.

Real life examples of Force Field Analysis will likely be produced in much more depth, in order to really analyse the impact a decision will have on the company.

What are the advantages of Force Field Analysis?

Advantages of the Force Field Analysis include:

  • It provides a clear analysis for a decision to be made
  • It identifies the negative forces that should be removed to ensure successful implementation of the change
  • It is a fair analysis and allows everyone to list their pros and cons
  • It can be used as a group or individual

What are the limitations of Force Field Analysis?

There are some limitations of the model including:

  • There are decisions that do not work well with FFA, anything involving health and safety or personal security are two notable examples
  • The subjective nature of the scoring
  • Some decisions are complicated and can break the framework
  • It relies on all the information being captured in the analysis
  • It can add time to decision making

What preparation should be done before using Force Field Analysis?

You should prepare by gathering as much information as possible about the decision, the context you’re making it within, and the areas it will impact. FFA is often done best by consulting with other parts of the business and your peers, in order to produce a comprehensive list of forces.

What are alternatives to Force Field Analysis?

There are a range of decision making tools and frameworks that can be used to complement or replace the FFA, such as Cost/Benefit Matrix or Scenario Analysis.

Who invented Force Field Analysis?

Force Field Analysis was created by Kurt Lewin in 1951.

How often does a company’s Force Field Analysis get used?

FFA can be used for strategic decision making, but it’s unlikely to be effective in the day to day tasks. It can add too much time and become an unhealthy decision by democracy. In short – a useful tool, but one to use only where appropriate.

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force field analysis problem solving technique

Published September 08, 2022

What is force field analysis what are the 3 steps of the force field.

Do you know what force field analysis and the different steps of force field are? If not, check out this blog today!

What is Force Field Analysis? What are the 3 Steps of the Force Field?

What is Force Field Analysis?

Force Field Analysis

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When to use the force field analysis.

  • Identify if there is a balance of power within the organization.
  • Know how your team members think about the problem/ solution at hand.
  • Identify the key decision-makers.
  • Encourage the critics to see the value that the proposed decision/ change brings.
  • Identify alternatives.
  • Promote teamwork.

Advantages of Force Field Analysis

Limitations of force field analysis, the 3 steps for implementing force field analysis, step 1: discuss the positives and negatives of the proposed solution/ decision/ change..

Forces for change

  • The factors can be both internal and external.
  • It can be helpful to consider how the proposed event would impact the overall business (consider both positive and negative impacts).
  • Think about the implementation costs and the efforts required.
  • Consider the impact of the proposed action on the business processes in place.
  • It is also much useful to discuss the current situation and the possible situation after the implementation.

Step 2: Assign scores to each of the factors on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 = weakest and 5 = strongest.

Step 3: sum up the scores and analyze and plan the next steps., wrapping it up, you might also like:.

  • SaaS Value-Based Pricing: All You Need to Know –  Are you curious to learn about SaaS value-based pricing? If yes, check out this blog today!
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Rakhin has over 10 years of experience driving business development and client services. In his prior roles, he stayed close to customers to understand their requirements and help them achieve their business goals. He is passionate about customer success.

Published September 08, 2022, Updated September 08, 2022

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Force Field Problem Solving Model

Provide groups with a reliable and systematic framework for solving complex problems with the Force Field Model for Problem Solving, based on Kurt Lewin's original work with force-field theory. Participants will learn a five-step process to guide them from defining a problem to creating action plans for strategies and help them make their organizations more productive.

How It Works

Provide groups with a reliable and systematic framework for solving complex problems with the Force Field Mode l for Problem Solving, based on Kurt Lewin's original work with force-field theory. Participants learn a five-step process to guide them from defining a problem to creating action plans for strategies and help them make their organizations more productive.

The Five-Step Force Field Training Model

  • STEP 1: Describe the Current Situation and Define the Problem
  • STEP 2: Decide on a Solution Objective
  • STEP 3: Identify the Forces
  • STEP 4: Determine the Importance and Ease of Change for Each Force
  • STEP 5: Create Change Strategies and Develop Action Plans

First, participants thoroughly discuss a particular problem and prepare a complete but brief problem statement. After defining a solution objective, the group then identifies the forces that impact the problem. When all possible forces have been identified, participants determine which forces have enough relevance to warrant their attention. Strategies are then devised to alter those forces. Participants develop an action plan and assign responsibility for the different strategies to the appropriate individuals involved with the problem. Throughout the "force field" process, participants are given the opportunity to evaluate their performance in each of the five problem-solving steps. Task and process evaluation questions for each step are listed in the back of each self-assessment.

Uses and Applications

Although the "Force Field" concept has been used widely as a technique to tackle complex organizational issues, the Force Field Problem Solving Model can be used for everyday problem-solving efforts. The instrument is effective when used alone or as part of a larger training program.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Learn basic task and process skills that can be applied to any problem
  • Distinguish driving forces and restraining forces
  • Understand how drivers and restrainers impact problem solving
  • Move an actual problem toward a solution
  • Discover how to design an action plan to achieve an objective

Product Details

Product Type: Problem solving workshop. The Facilitator Guide is designed as a detailed resource workbook used by the trainer to deepen participants’ understanding of the concepts throughout this workshop.

Target Audience: All individuals of an organization.

Measures: Employees' ability to problem-solve under pressure.

Dimensions: Communication, problem-solving, and assertiveness.

Time Required: 1-2 hours.

What to Order

Facilitator Guide: Order One Guide Per Trainer.

Facilitator Guide includes:

  • Administrative guidelines
  • Theoretical background
  • The "Force Field Problem-Solving Model"
  • PowerPoint presentation

Paper Assessment 5-Pack: Order One Pack for Up to Five Participants.

Paper Assessment includes:

  • The "Force Field Problem Solving Model"
  • Problem-solving activity
  • "Force Field" chart
  • Action planning

About the Authors

The HRDQ Development Team creates soft-skills learning solutions that help to improve the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. At HRDQ, we believe an experiential approach is the best catalyst for adult learning. Our unique Experiential Learning Model has been the core of what we do for more than 40 years. We combine the best of organizational learning theory and proven facilitation methods with an appreciation for adult learning styles, our philosophy initiates and inspires lasting change.

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Force Field Analysis

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A Decision Making tool

Force-Field Analysis is a tool for studying a situation that you want to change. The method was first described by Kurt Lewin and is based on the observations that, in general, a situation can be described as a balance between two types of forces.

First, the forces on both sides must be identified. Then they must be weighed in terms of the amount of force they exert. When we can see more clearly what these various forces are and how significant (or strong) they are, there is a better chance of bringing change in the direction we seek. For example,look at the basic force field analysis below you decided to make for the new idea you have for improving service before you push your suggestion to your manager.

Steps in Force Field Analysis

1. Identify problem - describe in writing the change desired. 2. Define problem in terms of: a) Present situation b) Situation you desire to see when problem is solved 3. List forces working for and against change. 4. Underline the most important forces/give a weighting. 5. For each restraining force list actions you could take to reduce/eliminate that force. 6. For each driving force list actions which would increase that force. 7. Determine most promising steps you could take in sequence. 8. Re-examine your steps for resources required and omit steps which do not help achieve your goal. 

Using Force Field Analysis as a means of conceptualising a change, highlights then, certain forces which are promoting change and others which are resisting it.  Changing the balance could involve: • adding or strengthening driving forces • removing or weakening restraining forces • a combination of these

Example of Force Field Analysis

Present situation: Unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, gaining weight

Desired Situation: Fitter, more energy, long term health

For more creativity and problem solving tools, check out our instant download training package: Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making.

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Home » Change Management » How Do You Use the Force Field Analysis in Business?

How Do You Use the Force Field Analysis in Business?

How Do You Use the Force Field Analysis in Business?

The force field analysis is a model that can be used in business to evaluate the feasibility of proposed organizational change projects.

When used in conjunction with other change management tools and models , the force field analysis can help improve the chances of successfully leading business changes.

In this post, we’ll learn more about this model and how it can help change managers.

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What is the force field analysis of change?

In a nutshell, the force field analysis is a framework for understanding the factors that influence a potential change. In the context of business, the changes looked at are usually organizational changes . 

The model, developed by social psychologist Kurt Lewin , describes situations as an equilibirum between two types of forces – forces that are either driving movement toward a goal (helping forces) or blocking movement toward a goal (hindering forces).

The forces that are driving change (helping forces)

Many types of forces can push a business change forward, such as:

  • Market forces
  • Digital innovation and disruption
  • Geopolitical change
  • Organizational culture change
  • Legacy IT systems
  • Poor employee performance

The degree of support for a change usually correlates with the need for a change and the chances of success. Those forces, however, must be weighed against opposing forces.

The forces that are blocking change (hindering forces)

Changes are prevented by forces that oppose change, which maintain equilibrium, as mentioned above.

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In a business scenario, examples of hindering forces can include:

  • Organizational inertia
  • Mindsets and attitudes
  • Financial constraints
  • Poor employee training
  • Government regulations

The general idea behind this model is that hindering forces can prevent a project’s success if they are not handled properly.

By properly using the force field analysis, however, change managers can improve the likelihood of success.

Why Use the Force Field Analysis?

The force field analysis can help change managers and leaders:

  • Reduce barriers to change. Understanding the forces that are driving or hindering your work can help identify what forces are preventing forward movement and what is needed to overcome those barriers.
  • Inform decision-making. Like other business assessment tools, the force field analysis can offer insights and, in turn, help stakeholders and project leaders make better decisions.
  • Solve problems. An analysis of helping and hindering forces can also help decision makers better understand a business problem and, as a result, create better solutions.
  • Create an effective communication plan. In an organizational setting, attitudes and mindsets are common hindering forces. Understanding the nature of those emotions can help managers create more effective change management communication plans .
  • Reduce resistance to change. Employee resistance is a common obstacle to change, and in many cases, it will appear as one of the hindering forces in a force field analysis. Understanding the reasons for that resistance can help change leaders develop strategies for reducing it.
  • Assess costs. A force field analysis can help managers understand exactly what types of resources are needed to minimize hindering forces and maximize helping forces. That information can, in turn, aid with budgeting.
  • Influence the outcomes of a change project. Ultimately, a well-conducted force field analysis can increse the chances of a change project’s success, making this tool one of the most valuable in the change manger’s toolbox.

Finally, another reason to use this tool is that it is easy to implement – the force field analysis can be conducted with little effort and it can offer quick insights into a business scenario.

The Force Field Analysis in Practice

Here is how the force field analysis can be applied:

  • Describe the proposed change project
  • Identify helping forces
  • Identify hindering forces
  • Weigh the two types of forces
  • Find ways to strengthen helping forces and weaken hindering forces

As with any other major business initiative, it is important to evaluate proposals carefully.

The force field analysis can be useful, but it should be used in conjunction with other assessments and analytical tools.

Using the Force Field Analysis with Change Readiness Assessments

Change readiness refers to how open, willing, and capable an organization is to a particular change proposal.

Force field analyses can help assess readiness, especially if they are augmented with assessments such as:

  • Employee surveys and polls
  • Technology acceptance model questionnaires
  • Skills assessments
  • Culture assessments
  • Digital maturity assessments
  • SWOT analyses
  • Gap analyses

All of this information should be combined to create a detailed overview of the change proposal, its feasibility, its potential costs, and its chances for success. 

Key Takeaways

The force field analysis is a simple, easy-to-use tool that can help managers quickly assess a proposed change project.

By understanding the forces that both support and hinder change, stakeholders can determine whether the change should be implemented, what would be needed to succeed, and more. 

For best results, this tool should be applied as part of a comprehensive project assessment that includes other analyses, such as those listed in the previous section.

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Varieties of Qualitative Research Methods pp 197–201 Cite as

Force-Field Analysis

  • Keith D. Walker 4  
  • First Online: 02 January 2023

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Force-field Analysis was introduced by Kurt (Field theory in social science, Harper and Row, 1951), based on his earlier Field Theory developments, as a framework for studying the forces that influence individuals and their situations. Lewin described the ‘field’ as the individual’s mental construct that contained their motives, values, needs, goals, anxieties, and ideals. He theorized that an individual’s interaction (experience) with an external stimulus was important in their development or regression. Lewin applied these principles to the analysis of societal group behaviour in several areas in order to determine whether there would be forward movement or retreat from progress. (Thomas in Long Range Planning 18:54–59, 1985) explained that, although Force-field Analysis had been used in various contexts, it was rarely applied to strategy; but he suggested that the method could provide new insights into the evaluation and implementation of change. Maslen and Platts (Maslen and Platts in Force field analysis: a technique to help SMEs realize their intended manufacturing strategy. In: Proceedings of Operations strategy and performance, first European Operations Management Association Conference, University of Cambridge, pp 587–588, 1994) introduced the direct application of Force-field Analysis to manufacturing strategy and organisational change. Today, Force-field Analysis is widely used to inform decision making, particularly in managing and planning change in organisations. Force-field Analysis is a powerful method of gaining a comprehensive overview of the different forces acting on a potential change issue, and for assessing the source and strength of these impinging influences. Force-field Analysis can also now be approached through imputing quantitative and qualitative data into computer software.

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Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science . Harper and Row.

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Maslen, R., & Platts, K. W. (1994, June). Force field analysis: A technique to help SMEs realize their intended manufacturing strategy. In Proceedings of Operations Strategy and Performance, first European Operations Management Association Conference (pp. 587–588). University of Cambridge.

Ramalingam, B. (2006). Tools for knowledge and learning: A guide for development and humanitarian organizations (pp. 32–33). https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/188.pdf

Thomas, J. (1985). Force field analysis: A new way to evaluate your strategy. Long Range Planning, 18 (6), 54–59.

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Additional Resources

1. What is force-field analysis Youtube (2:27 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjuGmhYhxgA

2. Force-field analysis Youtube (4:49 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKR4uf74WWA

3. Lewin’s force-field analysis Youtube (8:31 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ujAtYAfqU

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Training for Business, Communications and Creativity

Organising Information: The Force Field Analysis

  • by Andy Eklund
  • in Problem Solving · Public Relations · Research · Strategic Thinking · Tools
  • — 26 May, 2009

The original model was developed in the 1960s by German psychologist Kurt Lewin to visualise the opposing forces inherent in any issue or situation.  The analysis of these forces – both the driving forces (those promoting change) and the restraining forces (those resisting change) – helps determine an appropriate plan of action.  Lewin’s original model and its methodology can be seen here .  (You will need to sign-up for free access.)

It’s strictly a personal preference, but I find the Force Field Analysis is more useful than a SWOT Analysis because the situational columns help define the existing, preferred and worst mindsets or perceptions of important audiences.  In turn, this helps identify the key business or communications opportunities to leverage and the business/communications issues to address.  It’s also an excellent resource to develop a message house , and of course, a terrific way to start a brainstorm.

I use a variation of the Force Field Analysis model from my days at MasterCard.  It re-arranges the columns to allow a team to separate and articulate the drivers and opportunities from the barriers and issues .

Notice the columns are not sequential from left to right or vice versa.  The tool starts with the first column (in yellow, right) which outlines the current situation today, both good and bad and neutral.  Then, the tool shifts to the far right column (in red) to outline the best realistic perception or situation, and then the far left column (in blue) to outline the worst realistic perception or situation.  The operative word is realistic.  It’s important not to romanticise or exaggerate both the best and worst perceptions.  Simply outline the situation as objectively as possible.

Once the end and middle columns are completed, the real exercise begins.  If the current situation is yellow and the worse potential situation is blue, what drivers or opportunities (green column) will prevent the worst situation from happening, if not help promote change or inspire action.  If the current situation is yellow) and the best potential situation is red, what barriers or issues will prevent the best situation from happening.  The final step is then sorting, organising and prioritising the barriers/issues and drivers/opportunities so the appropriate action can be taken.

Instructions, Part 1: Completing the Model

  • Hang five flipchart pages on a wall, or create five columns on a large page of paper in front of you.  See either graphic to check order of columns.
  • Using the conclusions of your research or information gathering, begin adding data to each column.
  • Use bullet points as you add information to each column.  You’ll find it easier to analyse each individual point when moving between columns.
  • Choose one audience or one issue.  Or, use a different FFA for each issue or audience.
  • Complete the Current Perception column (#1) by describing the existing environment, either from a market analysis or situation point-of-view, or from the perspective of a single target audience.  The statements of fact may be good, neutral or bad perceptions, held by the target audience or believed by a majority of the audiences.
  • Complete the Best Perception column (#2) .  What is the best perception that the target audience might think, feel or believe about the specific topic?
  • Complete the Worst Perception column (#3) .  What is the worst perception that the target audience might think, feel or believe about the specific topic?
  • Complete the Drivers/Opportunities column (#4) .  What “forces” (the drivers, opportunities, assets, or general good news) will prevent the target audience from shifting from the current situation to the worst perception?
  • Complete the Barriers/Issues column (#5) .  What “forces” (the barriers, issues, challenges, liabilities, or problems) will prevent the target audience from shifting from the current situation to the best perception?  Phrase each statement as an issue.  For example, “Compliance” is a vague statement. “Patients are not compliant” is an issue.

For the next set of instructions, I’ve created a Force Field Analysis on Aries Pty Ltd, an imaginary company.  Some of the points below will reference this chart specifically.

Instructions, Part 2: Analysing the Results

  • Check to see if any element in the Drivers/Opportunities column (#4) counter any element in the Barriers/Issues column (#5) .  Do they cancel each other out?  If so, draw a line through both elements in both columns.  In the example, you might chose to cancel out 5F (Loss of Key People) with 4A (New CEO).
  • In the Barriers/Issues column (#5) , remove any specific element which communications cannot change by itself.  General examples include: “Poor economy” or “Strong competition.”  Or, re-word the statement as a true communications issue.  “Strong competition” might become “Our product has no differentiation from competitor’s products.  In the example, you might strike out 5C (Two unflattering lawsuits) as it’s past history, and little can be done about it now.
  • Flag any individual element in the Barriers/Issues column (#5) which the organization needs to address independently or concurrently.  In the example, the problem with IT and servers needs to addressed, but it’s not an external communications problem at the moment. It’s often helpful to put due dates for each so you can check-up later on.
  • Prioritize all elements in the Drivers/Opportunities column (#4) .  These often turn out to be the core of future key messages, and if so, what is the critical order to deliver more tailored messages during the campaign?  Also, identify which individual element in the Drivers/Opportunities column (#4) might be used to address or impact another element in the Barriers/Issues column (#5) .
  • Prioritize all elements in the Barriers/Issues column (#5) , and flag the top three to five issues or challenges that must be addressed in your campaign.  In the example, I’ve highlighted the top three issues that communications needs to address in red bold .
  • Draft communications strategies for each of the three to five issues in the Barriers/Issues column (#5) .
  • You can now use the completed Force Field Analysis to start a brainstorm.  What ideas can (help to) address, alleviate or neutralise the three to five issues in column #5?  What ideas can leverage any of the opportunities in column #4?

A Final Tip: If doing this as a group exercise, find a room with a large blank wall to hang the flip-chart paper, and involve a neutral facilitator to write out the group’s comments and opinions.  This will allow all team members to engage, focus and analyse the group’s conversation.

Any comments or suggestions?  Any other tool you’ve used to help organise and decipher information?   Please add your thoughts below.

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Solve problems faster with these 9 visual thinking techniques

By Chuck Frey

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Not surprisingly, visual thinking tools like mind maps and diagrams can help you cut your challenges down to size, achieve clarity and generate high-value solutions to them.

Here are 9 mind maps and diagrams that can help you creatively define and solve your most vexing problems:

Mind mapping software can help, because it acts like a prism, separating a major task or challenge into its component parts and enabling you to see the relationships between them, so you can more effectively develop creative solutions to address it. To subdivide the components of your task or challenge, ask yourself questions that begin with the famous “5 W’s”: who, what, when, where and why.

Fishbone diagram

Fishbone diagrams, also known as cause and effect or Ishikawa diagrams, are useful for determining the root cause of a problem or challenge. They are especially useful during the problem definition segment of brainstorming sessions, where they helps individuals and teams to deconstruct problems and challenges.

Force field analysis

A “force field analysis” is a little-known but powerful creative problem-solving technique that can help you to deconstruct your current challenge into its strengths and weaknesses in – and to focus on those that will help you ensure a successful outcome. Force field analysis gives you a visual way to better understand your challenges and visualize these forces at work, so you can brainstorm ways to minimize your weaknesses, build upon your strengths – or add new positive skills or conditions to better counterbalance your weaknesses.

Deconstruct your challenge into its attributes

One skill you ought to cultivate if you want to be more creative is deconstructing challenges and situations into their elements. In so doing, you will inevitably reveal the bits and pieces that may be turned to creative advantage. A mind map is the perfect medium for breaking bigger elements down into smaller ones – while also revealing the relationships between them.

25 creative lenses for problem solving

To help us solve our biggest challenges, my friend Stephen Shapiro has written a marvelous book called Invisible Solutions. It outlines 25 mental filters or “lenses” that can help us systematically frame our problems, challenges and opportunities and release our best thinking. I’ve created a mind map that lists each of them, along with questions to help you think creatively about them.

Board of directors

Have you ever been stumped by a creative challenge? It seems like your muse has flown away. Your creative well is dry. Maybe you just need to whack yourself upside the head, figuratively speaking. Maybe you just need to look at your challenge from a new, creative perspective. This technique gives you permission to REALLY throw off your creative blinders and create a “board” of remarkable thinkers to help you whack YOUR thinking!

Ultimate SCAMPER map

During the last several decades, one of the most widely used and successful brainstorming techniques has been SCAMPER. Its name is a mnemonic for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/Magnify/Minify, Put to other uses, Eliminate and Reverse/Rearrange. The reason it is so popular is because it forces you to look at challenges or problems from a variety of creative perspectives. I’ve adapted it into a mind map – with over 200 creative prompts to jump-start your thinking in new directions!

5-step CPS process

A popular perception about creativity is that it’s random and uncontrollable. Terms like “a flash of insight,” “a bolt from the blue” and the iconic “A-ha!” support this notion. Writers and artists speak of a fickle creative “muse” that ebbs and flows unpredictably. A more reliable way to be consistently creative is to adopt a proven process for ideation and creative problem-solving, like this proven 5-step process – which I adapted into a mind map.

Personal problem-solving template

This mind map template contains 8 thought-provoking questions that you can use to help you with personal problem-solving – better defining problems and then brainstorming solutions for them. These questions have a lot of value for personal problem solving. And the mind map format is perfect for divergent thinking.

What problems will you solve?

Armed with this toolkit of visual creative problem-solving techniques, what challenges will you tackle?

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  1. Force Field Analysis

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COMMENTS

  1. Force Field Analysis

    Step 1: Describe Your Plan or Proposal for Change Define your goal or vision for change, and write it down in a box in the middle of the page. Step 2: Identify Forces For Change Think about the kinds of forces that are driving change. These can be internal and external. Internal drivers could include: Outdated machinery or product lines.

  2. Force Field Analysis for Problem Solving and Decision Making

    Force field analysis is a powerful tool for problem solving and decision making, enabling individuals and organizations to make informed choices. By providing a structured approach to identifying the forces that are driving or preventing change, it can help you to identify the levers that will help you to reach your goal.

  3. Guide: Force Field Analysis

    Guide Guide: Force Field Analysis Force Field Analysis, developed in the 1940s by Kurt Lewin, stands as a cornerstone in understanding and managing change both organizationally and personally. This strategic tool delves into the dynamics of change, identifying driving and restraining forces that impact change initiatives.

  4. Force Field Analysis

    Force field analysis is a basic tool for root cause analysis that can help you take action once the root cause has been identified. The technique is based on the assumption that any situation is the result of forces for and against the current state being in equilibrium.

  5. Force Field Analysis: A Comprehensive Overview

    Force field analysis is an important problem-solving technique that helps identify and analyze the forces that drive and resist change. It is a useful tool for problem-solving, process optimization, and decision-making.

  6. How to Conduct a Force Field Analysis (Free Tool & Template)

    Here are the six steps to help you complete a force field analysis to help you come to a business decision: 1. Define the objective of your change project. Perhaps you're trying to implement new software, going through a merger, or have a change in leadership. The first step to effective change management in all cases is defining the expected ...

  7. Force Field Analysis

    Step 1: Assess the current situation 2.2. Step 2: Define the objective 2.3. Step 3: Identify the driving forces 2.4. Step 4: Identify the restraining forces 2.5. Step 5: Evaluate the forces 2.6. Step 6: Create an action plan

  8. Force Field Analysis: Examples and Purpose

    A force field analysis (FFA) is a change management model that breaks down the driving forces for and the restraining forces against change. German-American social psychologist Kurt Lewin's force field theory of change illustrates how opposing forces both drive change and cement an organization's current state.

  9. Force Field Analysis

    Force field analysis is a tool that provides a perspective on the forces at work when trying to make changes in organizations. This approach to analyzing change was developed by Kurt Lewin.1Figure 5.1 illustrates the concepts of this technique.

  10. Introduction To Force Field Analysis

    The Force Field Analysis is a framework used to aid business decisions, often in the context of strategic planning, implementation or change management. The framework assumes there are forces in favour of the decision and forces against the decision. If you want the decision to be made or the change to happen, the forces against that change ...

  11. Process

    Force field analysis technique provides a framework for problem solving, and assists in the evaluation process for making decisions. It is an effective technique for use in group sessions.

  12. Problem-Solving Techniques #17: Force Field Analysis

    Problem-Solving Techniques #17: Force Field Analysis Eugene O'Loughlin 80.2K subscribers Subscribe Subscribed 60 Share Save 17K views 12 years ago Problem-Solving Techniques OLD...

  13. What is Force Field Analysis?

    To put it in simple terms, the Force Field Analysis identifies the strengths and the roadblocks associated with a strategic decision Once these are clear, it becomes much easier to make a decision and implement it. For instance, if an organization is planning to introduce a change. It has listed the driving forces as

  14. Force Field Model For Problem Solving

    Although the "Force Field" concept has been used widely as a technique to tackle complex organizational issues, the Force Field Problem Solving Model can be used for everyday problem-solving efforts. The instrument is effective when used alone or as part of a larger training program. Learning Outcomes By the end of this workshop, participants will:

  15. PDF Force Field Analysis

    Perform the following six (6) steps: Force Field Analysis: S-14 Define the change How to complete Define the desired change or action: Agree on a simple statement to describe the change to be made.

  16. How to perform a force field analysis

    2. Define problem in terms of: a) Present situation b) Situation you desire to see when problem is solved 3. List forces working for and against change. 4. Underline the most important forces/give a weighting. 5. For each restraining force list actions you could take to reduce/eliminate that force. 6.

  17. How Do You Use the Force Field Analysis in Business?

    Here is how the force field analysis can be applied: Describe the proposed change project. Identify helping forces. Identify hindering forces. Weigh the two types of forces. Find ways to strengthen helping forces and weaken hindering forces. As with any other major business initiative, it is important to evaluate proposals carefully. The force ...

  18. Force field analysis—A framework for strategic thinking

    Force Field Analysis, therefore, offers the manager an opportunity of seeing situations as being potentially changeable-if he can identify the forces and seek to change their direction or strength. This analysis will help to make the options clearer and bring a vague decision situation into focus. Exercise material for using the technique is ...

  19. Force-Field Analysis

    Force-field Analysis was introduced by Kurt (Field theory in social science, Harper and Row, 1951), based on his earlier Field Theory developments, as a framework for studying the forces that influence individuals and their situations. Lewin described the 'field' as the individual's mental construct that contained their motives, values, needs, goals, anxieties, and ideals.

  20. Organising Information: The Force Field Analysis

    by Andy Eklund. in Problem Solving · Public Relations · Research · Strategic Thinking · Tools. Like its sister the SWOT Analysis, the Force Field Analysis is a familiar tool to organise information to extract its insights. The original model was developed in the 1960s by German psychologist Kurt Lewin to visualise the opposing forces ...

  21. A little-known but powerful visual approach to solving your biggest

    A "force field analysis" is a little-known but powerful creative problem-solving technique that can help you to deconstruct your current challenge into its strengths and weaknesses in - and to focus on those that will help you ensure a successful outcome. Most challenges are composed of a set of conditions or circumstances.

  22. Solve problems faster with these 9 visual thinking techniques

    Force field analysis. A "force field analysis" is a little-known but powerful creative problem-solving technique that can help you to deconstruct your current challenge into its strengths and weaknesses in - and to focus on those that will help you ensure a successful outcome. Force field analysis gives you a visual way to better ...

  23. Problem solving techniques Flashcards

    Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like What are the problem solving techniques, Delphi technique def and advantages, Force field analysis and more. Fresh features from the #1 AI-enhanced learning platform.