Preparation
01 · Define the change
- Agree with the group on the specific change to be analyzed: an ongoing transition, a pending decision, an organizational goal.
- Frame it clearly and specifically at the top of the diagram.
02 · Prepare the diagram
- Draw a vertical center line on the whiteboard or large paper.
- On the left: "Forces driving change" (arrows pointing right).
- On the right: "Forces restraining change" (arrows pointing left).
- The thickness or length of each arrow can represent the intensity of that force.
Step-by-step instructions
1
Collective definition of the change (5-10 min)
- The facilitator writes the change at the top and asks the group if they agree with the framing.
- Ensure everyone has the same understanding of what that change means before continuing.
2
Identifying forces (15-20 min)
- In subgroups or individually with sticky notes, participants identify all the forces they can imagine in each column.
- Driving forces: available resources, alliances, motivations, favorable context, past learning.
- Restraining forces: resistance, missing resources, conflicting interests, structures maintaining the status quo, fears.
- Include both internal forces (within the team or organization) and external ones (from the environment).
3
Building the diagram (10-15 min)
- Post or write all identified forces on the diagram.
- The group clusters, names, and orders them.
- Optional: collectively vote on the weight of each force (1 to 5) to prioritize which are most determining.
4
Strategic analysis (15-20 min)
- Ask: What are the 2-3 most powerful restraining forces? How could we reduce them?
- Which driving forces could we most amplify? With what concrete actions?
- Lewin showed that it is generally more effective to weaken restraints than to intensify drivers, because this reduces systemic tension.
5
Action plan (10-15 min)
- From the analysis, build an action plan that specifically addresses the most critical forces.
- Who does what? By when? How do we measure whether we are advancing?
Materials
Large whiteboard or flipchart paper
Colored markers (one color per column)
Sticky notes for individual force generation
Adhesive voting dots for weighting forces (optional)
Practical recommendations
The quality of the analysis depends on the group's honesty about the restraining forces. If the group avoids naming real resistance — out of fear of conflict or authority figures — the diagnosis will be superficial.
Create a safe space for naming resistance: clarify that the exercise does not seek to assign blame, but to understand the system.
Lewin showed that attacking restraining forces is more effective than intensifying drivers, because the system responds to pressure by increasing tension. Reducing obstacles generates less resistance than pushing harder.
Combine force field analysis with other planning tools: it works excellently as an analysis phase before moving to a solution tree or an action plan.
Revisit it periodically: forces change over time and the diagram should be updated.
Inspiration
Questions to deepen the analysis:
- Who has an interest in this change NOT happening? Why?
- What resources, alliances, or past experiences are on our side that we are not yet leveraging?
- Which restraining force, if eliminated, would cause all the others to lose weight?
- Is there a force that appears restraining but could actually become a driver with the right strategy?
- If this situation continued exactly as it is in 5 years, what would be happening?
- Weighted force field: Each force receives a score from 1 to 5 according to its intensity; scores on each side are totaled to see whether the field is tilted toward change or resistance.
- Multi-stakeholder force field: Different subgroups represent different actors (community, institution, government) and each completes their own field before sharing.
- Historical force field: Analyze why similar past changes failed or succeeded, identifying what forces were present in each case.
Consulted sources
- Lewin, K. (1951). Field Theory in Social Science: Selected Theoretical Papers. Harper & Row.
- Lewin, K. (1943). Defining the 'field at a given time'. Psychological Review, 50(3), 292-310.
- Baulcomb, J. S. (2003). Management of change through force field analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 11(4), 275-280.
