Force Field analysis modifies and improves upon a similar approach called “pros & cons.” Force Field analysis helps groups identify and prioritize actions and opportunities for improvement, especially among product and project teams.
This approach to Force Field analysis makes it easier for groups to organize their thinking while encouraging thoughtful exploration. Once supportive and hindering forces are identified, the group analyzes the impact, leading to actions that reinforce the positive and mitigate the negative forces.
Procedure to Facilitate Force Field Analysis
Force field analysis begins by identifying the objectives, or CTQs (Critical to Quality), or targets. First, facilitate clear understanding of WHAT needs to change. Next, for each discrete objective (typically built in advance of a meeting or workshop and provided in a pre-read as a slide or handout), ask the following questions, ONE AT A TIME:
- What is hindering us from reaching this target (negative, or forces hindering change)?
- Environmental Forces
- Structural/ Organizational Forces
- Technological Forces
- Individual Forces
- What is helping us move toward this target (positive, or forces supporting change)?
- Environmental Forces
- Structural/ Organizational Forces
- Technological Forces
- Individual Forces
The responses will generate two new lists (ie, positive/ supporting and negative/ hindering forces). Adapt the Peter Senge philosophy that it is easier to remove obstacles (the hindrances) than to push harder (supportive forces). Focus discussion on what we can do differently to overcome the hindrances or obstacles. Facilitate the discussion on one obstacle at a time. For each obstacle, consider at least one action and perhaps more.
Once all actions have been clarified and understood, it may be necessary to prioritize them. When you have more than a one dozen actions, consider the Pareto Principle (ie, 80-20 Rule). If so, use MG RUSH’s PowerBall, Perceptual Mapping, or Decision-Matrix tools to facilitate consensual prioritization.
Notes about Force Field Analysis
See how the first list of objectives generates two lists (i.e., supports and hindrances) that lead to one consolidated action list, as shown in the diagram:
Transform Force Field Analysis into Actions
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Terrence Metz, MBA, CSM, CSPF, PSP01, HTTO1, is the Managing Director of MG RUSH Facilitation Leadership, Training, and Meeting Design, an acknowledged leader in structured facilitation training, and author of “Meetings That Get Results – A Facilitator’s Guide to Building Better Meetings.” His FAST Facilitation Best Practices blog features nearly 300 articles on facilitation skills and tools aimed at helping others lead meetings that produce clear and actionable results. His clients include Agilists, Scrum teams, program and project managers, senior officers, and the business analyst community among numerous private and public companies and global corporations. As an undergraduate of Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and an MBA graduate from NWU’s Kellogg School of Management, his professional experience has focused on process improvement and product development. He continually aspires to make it easier for others to succeed.
