Force Field Analysis
Map the forces for and against change before you push.
Every change has forces pushing for it and forces pushing against it. Lewin's insight was that pushing harder on driving forces often strengthens the resistance. The more effective path is to reduce or remove restraining forces. Force Field Analysis makes the invisible visible — especially the political, emotional, and structural forces that never appear in a project plan.
How to run this
- State the change precisely: from [current state] to [desired state].
- List Driving Forces — what's pushing for this change?
- List Restraining Forces — what's pushing against it? Rate each by Strength (1–5) and Leverage.
- Identify your Intervention Targets — highest Strength × Leverage score.
- Design a specific intervention for each target.
Force Field Analysis
Kurt Lewin · Field Theory in Social Science · 1951Treating restraining forces as problems to overcome rather than interests to understand. A restraining force usually protects something the holder values. Name what they're protecting.
A restraining force that was never named before this exercise. Hidden resistance doesn't disappear — it surfaces later, usually at the worst possible moment.
When you've identified your highest-leverage intervention and committed to a specific first move this week — not "eventually."
Try it interactively with WAiDE
WAiDE will help you map both sides of the field — asking the questions that surface the forces people usually won't name. You'll leave with a prioritised intervention plan and a session report.