Purpose
The method helps clarify options, criteria, and risks concretely. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Force Field Map, Change Levers, and Risk Notes.
Decision Making
Force Field Analysis
Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by describing the change objective, collecting driving forces, and deriving interventions.
Which forces drive the desired change and which restrain it, and which interventions most strongly shift the balance?
LowWorkshop45-90 min
How it works
The team follows the steps: describe the change objective, collect driving forces, collect restraining forces, assess force strength, and derive interventions. Each step is captured visibly. In the end, a Force Field Map, Change Levers, and Risk Notes are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Describe the change objective
- 2Collect driving forces
- 3Collect restraining forces
- 4Assess force strength
- 5Derive interventions
The runsheet guides execution with 5 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Change Planning
- Stakeholder Alignment
- Transformation Workshops
Not good for
- Feature ranking
- Problems without a clear change objective
Deep dive
In detail
Force Field Analysis follows a clear working logic: describe the change objective, collect driving forces, collect restraining forces, assess force strength, and derive interventions. This turns the method into a visible thinking process instead of only a conversation. The participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options to a shared structure. As a result, a Force Field Map, Change Levers, and Risk Notes support decisions, learning, or further planning.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan about 45 to 90 minutes with 3 to 12 people and use the format in a facilitated workshop. Keep facilitation lightweight; visible intermediate results, short timeboxes, and a parking lot for open questions are helpful.
Artifact templates
Force Field Analysis Working TemplateCompact working template for Force Field Analysis with driving forces, restraining forces, and actions.canvas
Force Field Analysis Working TemplateCompact working template for Force Field Analysis with driving forces, restraining forces, and actions.
canvasforce-field-analysis-working-template.md
Compact working template for Force Field Analysis with driving forces, restraining forces, and actions.
Force Field Analysis Working Template
Goal
Compare the forces that support change with the forces that hold it back.
Context
What change are we examining, and what decision should follow?
Input
- Desired state:
- Current state:
- Evidence:
- Stakeholders:
Working area
- Driving forces:
- Restraining forces:
- Force strength:
- Key leverage points:
- Possible actions:
Output artifacts
- Force field map:
- Action plan:
- Risk notes:
Open questions
- ...
Decision / next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
SWOT Analysis
Statt Force Field Analysis, wenn ihr Markt, Optionen und Wirkungen strategisch gegeneinander abwägen wollt mit möglichst direktem Realitätsbezug und für strategische Einordnung und Positionierung.
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Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by defining the question and panel, querying in the first round, and deriving the outcome in the next round.
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OODA Loop
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Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by defining the problem or decision boundary, collecting constraints, and deriving design or decision rules.
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DACI
Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by defining the decision, naming the driver and approver, and documenting decision and follow-up.