Change 1943

Force Field Analysis

Weighs the forces driving a change against the forces restraining it, so the plan tips the actual balance.

What it is

A change statement sits at the top; driving forces (revenue, customer demand) stack on one side and restraining forces (budget, resistance, lack of resources) stack on the other, each as its own arrow or card. Forces can be weighted for strength to reveal the net balance, and the exercise closes by turning the most actionable few into next steps with owners.

Reach for it when

• A change initiative has obvious supporters and obvious resistance, but no one has laid them out side by side.
• A case for change keeps arguing generalities instead of naming specific forces.
• A decision needs a check on what's actually helping versus what's actually hindering before it gets committed to.

Running it

1. State the proposed change clearly and get the group's agreement on the wording.
2. Brainstorm driving forces individually, then share and cluster them.
3. Brainstorm restraining forces the same way.
4. Weight each force's strength, then turn the top two or three actionable items into next steps with owners.