Force Field Analysis

What would happen if you ended up in a giant trash compactor? Imagine the fear that would set in as you realized the walls were closing in around you, getting tighter and tighter. You’d likely start pushing back on the machine, maybe grasping for a tool to shove between the quickly enclosing walls before you become a tightly packed cube. This claustrophobic nightmare is a scenario where opposing forces battle against each other, one that may sound familiar from a Star Wars scene. Some situations involve a carefully crafted equal and opposite force, like the air pressure in planes and submarines, while the force needed to tow a truck, on the other hand, requires the towing force to overpower the traction of the car being towed.

Although the stakes in day-to-day life are likely lower than the risk of being crushed into a tiny block, it may be important to analyze the power of the forces both for and against a given change. For many modern organizations evaluating the likelihood of a successful transition, a force field analysis can be incredibly useful. This type of analysis unpacks the forces pushing both for and against a goal, much like the forces of walls pressing in versus the force of your body pushing out. While the forces may be working in opposite directions, one direction will ultimately be stronger. The question is: which force will win, and how can you strengthen the force getting you out and to safety? 

In a force field analysis, those looking for change will begin by defining the issue at hand, as it’s important to have a clear goal in mind. Although this type of analysis is often done at an organizational level, it can also be done in a personal context. Perhaps you’re looking to start a new fitness routine. Once you’ve taken the first step of defining how often or how long you want to work out, the second step is to identify the driving forces at play. These are the positive influences pushing you towards your exercise success: things like your desire to feel healthier and have more energy, your knowledge of the reduced risk of long-term health problems, or social support from your friends. Step three involves identifying the restraining forces, which are the negative influences that might keep you from reaching your goals: your busy schedule, waning motivation, or the seemingly inevitable soreness that finds you after a workout.

Once all the driving and restraining forces are identified, the next step is to evaluate each of their strengths and weaknesses. Whether considering the forces influencing your proposed exercise plan or a shift in an organizational setting, each of the forces for and against a change will have different weights. It’s then up to you (or the leaders in an organization) to quantify the forces, understand where the weaknesses and strengths lie, and create a game plan. As an individual, you may realize that you could increase the driving “social” force by asking your friends to join you at the gym and decrease the power of the restraining “soreness” force by incorporating a stretching routine into your workouts. Organizations can similarly adjust their strategies or budgets to help drive a successful change toward their goals.