5 Key Steps to Implement Force Field Analysis in 2025

Change is inevitable but navigating it often feels like sailing through uncharted waters. Even with a clear vision for your company's future, unforeseen challenges and resistance can hold you back. In fact, a McKinsey study reveals that 70% of change initiatives fail due to employee resistance and lack of support.

Whether it’s a new product launch, a process shift, or a cultural transformation, businesses face both forces that drive progress and those that resist change. Understanding and balancing these forces is critical to achieving successful outcomes.

That’s where Force Field Analysis comes in. Developed by Kurt Lewin, a pioneer in social psychology, this tool helps businesses identify the forces driving or restraining change and, more importantly, shows how to tip the balance in favor of progress.

So, what exactly is Force Field Analysis, and how can it simplify change management? Let’s break it down step by step.

Force Field Analysis: What is It?

Force Field Analysis is a tool for decision-making and problem-solving that helps you understand the dynamics of change within an organization. 

It was developed by Kurt Lewin, one of the founding fathers of social psychology, and is widely used to identify and manage the factors that influence change.

Think of any situation involving change as a push-and-pull battle between two opposing forces:

1. Driving Forces: These are the positive factors that push for change.

2. Restraining Forces: These are the negative factors that resist change and try to maintain the status quo.

The goal of Force Field Analysis is to tip the balance in favor of change by strengthening the driving forces or reducing the restraining forces.

“Force Field Analysis model analyzes forces driving and restraining change within a system. It lists driving factors supporting change and restraining factors hindering it, assigning importance and strength ratings to each. By understanding this balance, businesses can develop strategies to strengthen driving forces and mitigate restraining ones, leading to more successful change implementation.”

Founder Ops8 | Fractional COO
Natasha Miteva

Steps to Implement Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis enables you to map out the forces driving the change you wish to make when you're looking at a situation. The following steps can be used to deconstruct the process:

Step 1: Specify the goal or change: Start by outlining the change you wish to implement. This could involve introducing a new product, changing the culture of your business, or increasing team productivity.

Step 2: Determine Driving Forces: List all of the factors that will encourage and advance the transformation. These are the favorable elements that will support and facilitate the shift. These could include things like leadership commitment, market demand, financial backing, and new technology that facilitate the shift.

Step 3: Determine the Restraining Factors: Conversely, determine the restraining forces, or the obstacles that could prevent or impede the change. Employee opposition, a lack of funding, antiquated procedures, or even cultural values that conflict with the suggested change could be some of these.

Step 4: Analyze and Set Priorities: After you've enumerated the motivating and limiting factors, assess their relative strength. While some forces may only have a slight effect, others may be far stronger. Evaluating each force's degree of influence is essential since it helps determine which forces require the greatest attention.

Step 5: Develop Strategies to Strengthen Driving Forces and Minimize Restraining Forces: Here comes the exciting part: action! You have to figure out methods to either increase the motivating factors or lessen the influence of the restraining factors if you want the change to be successful. For instance, if strong leadership support is a motivating factor, make sure that leaders keep advocating for the change. If employee resistance is a restraining factor, you may want to concentrate on education and communication in order to gain support.

Force Field Analysis Free Template

Start mapping your change initiatives with our free downloadable template.

Click here to get started!

Why is Analysis of Force Fields Useful?

Force field analysis is an excellent tool since it is straightforward but very powerful in a number of ways:

1. Enhanced Decision-Making

Force Field Analysis helps individuals visualize the pros and cons of a decision. Employees can assess how their contributions support driving forces or mitigate restraining ones, enabling better alignment with organizational goals. It ensures decisions are backed by a thorough analysis of external (market trends, competition) and internal (resources, policies) factors. This reduces the risk of poorly considered initiatives.

According to a Prosci study, organizations that have a well-defined change vision that is supported by motivating factors have a seven times higher chance of success.

2. Force for Strategic Action

Force Field Analysis ensures that efforts are aligned with broader strategic objectives, such as customer satisfaction, revenue growth, or innovation. It provides a framework to evaluate if a project aligns with organizational priorities.

According to Gartner research, companies that successfully manage change strategies can increase rates of success by 14 times.

3. Participation

By visually mapping forces, teams gain a shared understanding of challenges and opportunities. This promotes collaboration and ensures collective buy-in for initiatives. Employees at all levels can provide input, fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility.

Gallup reports that companies with highly engaged workers see a 21% rise in profitability, underscoring the significance of lowering restricting factors like disengagement.

4. Risk Management 

B2B projects often involve significant change, such as adopting new technology or entering new markets. Force Field Analysis identifies resistance sources early, allowing teams to develop strategies to overcome barriers. It fosters a smoother transition during organizational changes, like mergers or process restructuring. Leaders can focus on amplifying driving forces while systematically addressing resistance. 

As per Walkme, organizations that integrate change management are 47% more likely to meet their objectives compared to those that do not.

Case Study: Application of Force Field Analysis in Technology-Enabled Change

In a study conducted by Dr. Peter R. Toves, Linnaya Graf, and David A. Gould, Force Field Analysis (FFA) was applied to evaluate the transition from paper-based to digital systems in a Department of Defense (DOD) Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organization. The focus was on the implementation of eTool technology, a digital platform for managing aircraft maintenance manuals. The shift aimed to improve efficiency but faced challenges, particularly employee resistance and communication gaps.

The study involved 13 participants from various roles, including commanders, program managers, and maintenance personnel. Data was collected through interviews, field observations, and questionnaires to identify factors influencing the change. Using FFA, the researchers mapped out driving forces, such as leadership commitment and potential cost savings, and restraining forces, including lack of training, communication breakdowns, and resistance to change.

One critical finding was the absence of a structured feedback process between employees and leadership. Employees felt decisions were made without their input, creating a disconnect that fueled resistance. Additionally, communication gaps were a significant barrier. Many employees learned about changes through informal channels, causing confusion and mistrust. The lack of standardized training programs also hindered adoption, as employees struggled to use different models of eTool technology effectively.

The researchers recommended establishing a formal feedback mechanism through platforms like SharePoint to improve communication between employees and leadership. They also suggested implementing standardized training programs to ensure users were familiar with the technology.

This case study shows how Force Field Analysis can identify forces driving and restraining change, helping organizations address barriers like communication gaps and training deficiencies to achieve successful technology adoption.

Practical Application in Business

Consider a Hypothetical Scenario: Let's say a company wants to implement a new Cloud-based Project Management Tool to improve team collaboration and streamline project tracking.

Driving Forces (For Change):

• Improved Collaboration: Teams can communicate in real-time, enhancing productivity.
• Increased Efficiency: Tasks can be tracked more effectively with better task management.
• Top Management Support: The CEO and leadership team are fully behind the change.
• Current software is outdated: The existing tool doesn’t meet the growing needs of the company.
• Market Competitiveness: Cloud tools are becoming industry standards, and the company risks falling behind competitors.
• Employee Feedback: Employees have requested a more modern tool that’s easier to use.

Restraining Forces (Against Change):

• Resistance from Employees: Some team members are hesitant to adopt new technology.
• Training Time: Employees will need time away from their regular work to learn the new system.
• Technical Issues: Potential disruptions during the integration of the new tool with existing systems.
• Cost of the Tool: Initial setup and subscription costs may strain the budget.
• Fear of Change: Some employees are comfortable with the existing software and are worried about adjusting to something new.
• Security Concerns: Fears regarding data security and cloud-based vulnerabilities.

There's visual representation of the Force Field Analysis chart for the above example:

The driving forces (green) and restraining forces (red) for this change are graphically represented in the chart. Each force's strength is shown on the horizontal axis. The organization is pushed to embrace the product by motivating factors like enhanced managerial support and teamwork. In the meanwhile, the organization must overcome the constraining forces, such as employee opposition and training time, to ensure a seamless transition.

This kind of analysis aids the business in identifying the most powerful forces and can direct strategic choices to guarantee the successful implementation of change.

Strategies to Strengthen Driving Forces

1. Use Storytelling to Motivate Stakeholders: To demonstrate the advantages of the suggested change, use case studies or real-world success stories. Among stakeholders, this can foster excitement and a common vision. Example: To inspire your staff, demonstrate how similar firms have profited from implementing a new technology.

2. Encourage Involvement: Provide incentives or acknowledgement to those who actively promote or support the change. Establish a rewards program, for instance, for staff members who share their experiences and embrace new procedures early.

3. Align Change with Fundamental Principles: Link the change to important stakeholders' personal beliefs or the organization's mission. Example: Emphasize how the company's dedication to environmental responsibility is in line with sustainability goals.

4. Secure, High-Profile Recommendations: Obtain internal or external support from well-liked individuals within the company, reputable experts, or powerful executives.

5. Boost Support from Peers: By establishing communities or peer groups that support implementing the change, you can promote social proof. Create early adopter task forces, for instance, to serve as role models for others.

Methods for Reducing Restraining Forces

1. Hold Interactive Workshops: Address issues by holding cooperative workshops where people can express their reservations and work together to develop solutions. For instance, plan brainstorming meetings to address possible interruptions to workflow.

2. Offer Customized Training Courses: Provide role-specific training to allay concerns about incapacity or a lack of change-related abilities. Create interactive e-learning courses that are suited to various employment roles, for instance.

Training courses offered by Edstellar cover techniques and abilities essential to using Force Field Analysis. Their Root Cause Analysis Training Course, for example, gives teams the analytical skills to find the root causes of problems a skill that is closely related to evaluating forces in Force Field Analysis.

3. Simplify the Transition: To make the move less daunting, divide the adjustment into smaller, more doable steps. Example: Instead of introducing new software features all at once, do so gradually.

4. Deal with Emotional Opposition: In order to overcome emotional or cultural obstacles to change, practice empathy and open communication. Example: Explain how the change will lead to new opportunities while acknowledging employees' concerns about job security.

5. Update the policies and processes.: Eliminate any structural or bureaucratic obstacles preventing the change's execution. Example: Simplify approval procedures to expedite change-related decision-making.

6. Encourage an Experimentation Culture: Promote an attitude that views failure as a teaching moment rather than a setback. Example: To show the change's viability and gather input, pilot it with a small group of people.

Combining Forces for Maximum Effect

It is frequently most effective to combine strengthening motivating factors with weakening restricting factors. For instance, using thorough planning and regular communication to handle uncertainty can directly combat resistance while also boosting confidence in the change, according to the paper Uncertainty during Organizational Change: Managing Perceptions through Communication.

Progress dashboards and other visual strategies that highlight the benefits of the enhanced driving forces can serve as additional sources of motivation for people. Organizations can successfully and sustainably implement change by strategically balancing these approaches to balance the forces at play in a Force Field Analysis.

A thorough Force Field Analysis requires the ability to assess business settings and manage stakeholders, both of which are improved by the Organizational Business Analysis Training Course. Teams can gain the strategic and analytical abilities required to successfully apply Force Field Analysis in their businesses by taking part in these programs.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Kurt’s Theory

The following are some advantages of force field analysis:

• Comprehensive Assessment: Offers a methodical way to examine both motivating and impeding factors, providing a comprehensive perspective on an issue or circumstance.
• Finding the Most Important Factors: Assists in determining the most important elements influencing a situation, allowing companies to allocate their resources and efforts appropriately.
• Facilitates Decision-Making: By graphically depicting the forces at work, it helps make decisions by emphasizing areas that require change or intervention in order to get the intended results.

However, it's also important to acknowledge its limitations:

• Subjectivity: The analysis heavily relies on subjective judgments and opinions, which can introduce bias and lead to inaccurate assessments.
• Limited Quantification: It does not provide quantitative measurements, making it challenging to objectively compare the magnitude of different forces or track changes over time.
• Time and Resource Intensive: Conducting a thorough force field analysis requires time, resources, and expertise, which may not always be feasible for organizations with limited capacity.

Conclusion: Navigating Change with Force Field Analysis

Change is never easy, but Force Field Analysis makes it simpler. By mapping out the forces that push for change and those that hold it back, businesses can make smarter decisions, reduce resistance, and align their teams with bigger goals. Whether it’s a digital transformation, a process shift, or a cultural change, this tool helps ensure that transitions are smoother and more successful.

But here’s the catch managing change isn’t just about decisions. It’s about people. Understanding your team’s skills and gaps is key to making any change stick. That’s where Edstellar’s Skill Matrix Software steps in. This tool helps track skills, identify gaps, and plan upskilling initiatives so employees are ready to adapt to new challenges.

At Edstellar, we don’t just talk about change we help businesses make it happen. Our corporate training solutions and skill management tools are designed to build future-ready teams. Because when everyone is moving forward together, success takes care of itself.