What is force field analysis?
Kurt Lewin saw the current situation as an equilibrium: things stay as they are because the forces for change and the forces against it balance out. To change, you have to shift that balance. A force field analysis draws both sets of forces as arrows of different strength pushing against each other, which makes the reasons for resistance concrete and points to the actions most likely to unblock the change.
How to do a force field analysis
- Define the change: the desired state, and where you are today.
- Brainstorm the forces on both sides with the people involved.
- Score each force from 1 to 5 and compare the totals.
- Plan actions: mainly to weaken the strongest restraining forces, and to reinforce key drivers.
- Review as the change progresses; new forces appear.
Force field analysis example
A plant plans to move from paper to electronic batch records. Five driving forces score 18, led by batch record errors that delay release (5), faster release and regulatory focus on data integrity (4 each). Five restraining forces score 16: validation effort and fear of downtime at go-live (4 each), operators unfamiliar with tablets and an overloaded IT team (3 each), and attachment to the paper system (2). The balance is narrow, so the team focuses on the restraining side: a vendor validation package, a pilot during the summer shutdown and super-users on every shift. The IT capacity issue has no action yet and is escalated to the steering group.
Tips
- Be specific: "IT team already at full capacity" is easier to act on than "resources".
- Score together, and discuss big differences in opinion.
- Focus on the restraining forces you can influence.
- Look at the people behind the forces with a stakeholder analysis, and plan the change with an action plan.
How to use this Force Field Analysis tool
- Describe the change. Write the desired state and the current state.
- List driving forces. Click + on the left to add the forces pushing the change forward.
- List restraining forces. Click + on the right to add the forces holding it back.
- Score the strength. Click each force to rate its strength from 1 to 5; the arrows and totals update.
- Plan actions. For each force, note how you will strengthen it (driving) or weaken it (restraining).
- Export. Export the diagram and the list of forces to PDF, PNG or Excel.
Frequently asked questions
What is force field analysis?
Force field analysis, developed by psychologist Kurt Lewin in the 1940s, looks at a change as a balance between driving forces that push toward it and restraining forces that hold it back. Listing and weighing both sides shows whether the change is likely to succeed and what to do to tip the balance.
What are driving and restraining forces?
Driving forces push for the change: problems with the current state, customer or regulatory pressure, cost savings, management support. Restraining forces resist it: cost, fear of disruption, lack of skills, habits, competing priorities.
How are the forces scored?
Each force gets a strength from 1 (very weak) to 5 (very strong). The totals for each side show the balance. The scores are judgements, so agree them as a group; the discussion is often as valuable as the numbers.
Is it better to increase the driving forces or reduce the restraining ones?
Lewin observed that pushing harder on the driving side often increases resistance. Reducing or removing restraining forces, for example by addressing fears, providing training or freeing resources, usually moves a change forward with less friction.
When should I use force field analysis?
Before starting a significant change or improvement project, when a change has stalled, or when choosing between options. It works well in a workshop with the people affected by the change.
How does it relate to stakeholder analysis?
Stakeholder analysis looks at people and their attitudes; force field analysis looks at all forces, including technical, financial and cultural ones. Resistant stakeholders often appear as restraining forces.