Continuous Improvement Toolkit

FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
A basic decision-making technique that is used to
analyze the forces behind any decision.

Better decisions are

normally made by
weighing up the helping
and hindering forces then
deciding whether to go for
or against the decision

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Decision makers can

make more intelligent
business decisions in a
team-oriented manner

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Force field analysis is widely used in the fields of . . .

Change
Project and Social and
management and
process cultural
organizational
management sciences
transformation

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Can be used by change agents and leaders at any level
to analyze the pros and cons of any organizational
decision.

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
It may be used when decision making is difficult or
challenging, and you need a quick tool to make a go
no-go decision.

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
It allows to better understand the benefits, costs and
risks related to the decision, making it useful to explain
the reasons behind making this or that decision.

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
An example in which this technique can be used is
deciding whether to install a new machinery in a
production line or not.

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Other Examples . . .

Deciding whether to
Deciding whether to
employ an in-house
move ahead with a
team or use
change proposal or
outsourced
not.
professionals.

Deciding whether to
Deciding whether to
develop your own
expand the business
system inhouse or
or keep it stable and
start using a
profitable.
commercial solution.

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Force field analysis looks at the forces that are either
driving or blocking movement toward making a
decision or change.

Forces
It’s important to Forces against
Forces
identify as many for for
factors as possible to Forces
make the best for
decision Forces Forces
against against

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
It is often represented in the form of a diagram to
make the exercise more visually engaging.

Forces for Forces against

Proposed Decision

Proposed
Forces Forces
Decision for against

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
You simply need to list all possible helping forces left to
the line, list all possible hindering forces right to the
line, assign scores according to the degree of influence
each force has, then find out which side wins.

Proposed Decision

Forces Forces
for against

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Note that the length or thickness of each arrow
indicates the weight of the force.

Proposed Decision

Forces
Forces against
for

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

Gather the team and involve experts where appropriate

Describe the decision that needs to be made

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

Write the decision in a box at the top middle of a flipchart

paper or whiteboard

DECISION

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

Draw a line from the box down the middle of the paper

DECISION

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

List all possible helping forces left to the line, then list all
possible hindering forces right to the line

Each argument or force could be shown in an arrow

DECISION

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

Allocate a numerical score to each force indicating its

significance (e.g., from 1 to 5)

DECISION
5 2
3 4
1 2

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
How to Construct a Force Field Diagram

Add up the scores of both lists to find out which force wins

Actions should be taken where forces are greater

DECISION
5 2
3 4
1 2
9 8
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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Questions to Help Identify the Forces Involved

What are the costs and benefits?

What is the best and worst thing that could happen?
How easy or difficult will it be to implement?
How long it will take?
What would happen if the decision was not made?
What must we do to make it work?

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Example – Implementing a Content Management
System
Implementing a content
management system

4 3
Helps in implementing change Likely to face huge resistance
3 4
Makes it easy to share documents The cost is high
3 2
Supports process automation Difficult to measure the benefits
2 2
A cloud solution is available Lack of technical expertise
12 11

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
Example – Employing an Internal Over an External
Consultant
Employing internal consultants
over external ones

5 3
Familiarity with the organization Not exposed to best practices
3 3
Protecting privacy Difficult to recruit candidates
1 1
Potential senior managers Likely to face size reductions
5 1
The cost is significantly less Difficult to accurately measure
the true costs and benefits
14 8

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 FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

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