Force Field Analysis

Microsoft Word template for Lean Six Sigma Change Management

Background of Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis was developed by sociologist Kurt Lewin, who asserted that human behavior is caused by forces — beliefs, values, expectations, etc.

These forces can drive us toward a behavior, or restrain us away from a behavior.

Change won't happen unless driving forces are stronger than restraining forces

Tip: It can be tempting to try to add power to driving forces, but usually it is far more effective to reduce or remove restraining forces.

Force Field Analysis template

Your Force Field Analysis template (ForceField.docx) is a simple, but effective tool to:

1. Identify, and...
2. Rate the power of...

   the driving forces, and (more important) the restraining forces for anything influenced by human behavior.

Potential uses

Although Force Field Analysis was developed to better understand psychological forces within the workplace,
(for Change Management purposes)

Your Force Field template can also be used for other purposes

such as...

• Pros & cons
• Strengths & weaknesses
• One option vs. another
• Ideal vs. current reality
• Perceptions of negotiating parties
• And you can probably come up with a few more ideas for how you might effectively use this simple but powerful tool

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How to use your

Force Field Analysis template

Find and open your template

Note: Even though this is a Word template, you open it using your Systems2win menu in Excel

Save your working document

following the usual document storage and naming conventions established by your leaders

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Now your team is ready to start doing

Force Field Analysis

List opposing forces

In each row, simply list opposing forces opposite each other.

Reduce or remove restraining forces

Look for restraining forces that:

1. Are stronger than their opposing driving forces
2. Have good potential for being creatively reduced or removed

Allow time to think, ponder, and reflect perhaps considering some of the Social Design questions on the Hansei page

A potential next step is a brainstorming session for how to reduce or remove the most troublesome restraining forces.

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This Force Field template comes with ALL of the other Project Management templates AND the Kaizen templates AND the Strategic Planning templates

 

to empower every team member to improve every process

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