Force-field analysis map
bbb
aaa
ccc
ddd
eee
DRIVING
FORCES
THE CHANGE SCENARIO
RESTRAINING
FORCES
uuu
xxx
www
yyy
zzz
Figure 1 Format for a force-field diagram
Purpose
A technique devised by Kurt Lewin (1951), force field diagrams are used to identify
the forces driving and restraining change in a given situation and allows the
magnitude of those forces to be represented. It is frequently used by groups in trying
to establish what impact a proposed solution is likely to have during implementation.
Any attempt at implementing a solution to a problem is bound to be subject to a
myriad of forces - some helpful (‘driving’) and some unhelpful (‘restraining’). It is
important that all these forces, both supportive and otherwise, are identified and their
relative impact evaluated.
Elements
Rounded box;
Arrows;
Labels;
Key.
Conventions
1. Use a rounded box to represent the change situation (a rectangular box
implies a rigid situation).
2. Add arrows to represent the driving and restraining forces on opposite sides
of the box.
3. Label the arrows with words to depict the type of force each represents e.g.
aaa, bbb, ccc, ddd.
4. Add a key to show how the magnitude of the forces is represented by the
thickness and the length of the lines i.e. thick arrows for stronger forces and
thin arrows for weaker ones, and long arrows for longer lasting forces and
short ones for shorter lasting forces.
Guidelines
1. Listing all the driving and restraining forces is an excellent discipline because:
(a) It helps to determine whether a proposed solution is practical or not. If
the intensity of the restraining forces is overwhelmingly powerful the
chance that the solution could be implemented is greatly reduced. A
solution with a better relative balance between the driving and
restraining forces should be preferred.
(b) It provides the team with an inventory of the factors which are likely to
facilitate and/or impede implementation, and with such knowledge steps
can be taken to enhance the former and remove some of the latter.
Altogether, it can assist the team to develop a strategy for amending or
improving a solution to take account of the forces identified during the
force-field analysis.
2. The procedure used is for the group members to list and discuss their
perceptions of the driving and restraining forces. The group leader draws a
diagram with all the driving forces as arrows facing downwards above the box
and all the restraining forces as arrows facing upwards below the box.
3. Having identified all the driving and restraining forces applicable to the solution
the team tries to determine the relative impact of each factor. It must try to
reach consensus on the subject. Once this is achieved, it is normally shown by
the relative thickness and lengths of the arrows on the diagram. The thickness
represents the strength of the force i.e. thick arrows are stronger forces and
vice versa while the length depicts the timescale over which the force is
operating, e.g. short arrows can represent relatively short lived forces and vice
versa.
4. Force-field analysis can also be used to present three different stimuli for
thinking of new options or solutions. Because the field represents a kind of tugof-war, there are three ways to move the centre line in the direction of the more
desirable future:



Strengthen an already-present positive force
Weaken an already-present negative force
Add a new positive force.
Ideas can then be generated around each of these three possibilities.
Bibliography
Lewin, K. (1951) Field Theory in Social Science, New York, Harper
See also http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_06.htm and
http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_lewin_force_field_analysis.html