4.4 forcefield analysis

what is forcefield analysis

it outlines the process of determining which forces drive and which forces resist a proposed change

what are restraining forces

forces that work against the change eg. time, managers and financial considerations

what are driving forces

forces that initiate, encourage and support the change eg. innovation, reduction of costs, competitors, owners

force field analysis steps

1. Identify driving and restraining forces of the change

2. Weight the forces from 0 - 5 based on the influence and strength of each force

3. rank the top driving and restraining forces

4. Develop a plan to reduce the strength of restraining forces and increase the strength of driving forces

5. Evaluate the response to determine its effectiveness

advantages to force field analysis

helps to determine if the change is worth undertaking, it gives a clear indication of the forces for and against the change, helps to idenitfy the factors most impactful to the change

disadvantages to force field analysis

the weighting of forces can be subjective, timelines can be subjective and may not consider unexpected events, can miss important driving and restraining forces as some influences aren’t obvious at the start or the person doing the analysis may not recognise them.