Force field analysis is a visual team tool used to determine and understand the forces that drive and restrain a change. Driving forces promote the change from the existing state to the desired goal. Opposing forces prevent or fight the change. Understanding the positive and negative barriers helps teams reach consensus faster. Following are sample processes that could benefit by a force field analysis:

Implementing a quality function

Implementing quality management in IT

Developing education and training programs

Establishing a measurement program/process

Selecting a new technique or tool

Implementing anything new

Establishing meaningful meetings

Empowering the work force

The steps below show how a team uses force field analysis:

1. Establish a desired situation or goal statement.

2. Brainstorm and list all possible driving forces.

3. Brainstorm and list all possible restraining forces.

4. Determine the relative importance of reaching consensus on each force.

5. Draw a force field diagram that consists of two columns, driving forces on one side and restraining forces on the other.

6. Select the most significant forces that need to be acted upon using the nominal group technique to prioritize and reduce the number, if there are too many.

7. Proceed to a plan of action on the forces selected in the previous step