The Force Field analysis is a graphical tool for supporting decision making. It can be used equally by individuals or teams.
Kurt Lewin in 1943 developed the concept based in the physical sciences. He originally proposed it as a tool to understand problem based situations in social science and to effect planned change.
He described a problem situation as one where the difference between the way things are and the way they are desired to be. The principle of force field analysis is that in any situation it the way it is at any given point because of counter balancing forces are keeping it that way.
Force does not infer any physical pressure but to the broad range of influences at the time – be they political, personal etc. One way to understand the situation is to analyse the environment or ‘forces’ in it to explore what is supporting the change or resisting the change. Therefore to effect change we much change the way these forces act on the organization at a given point in time.
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