FORMATIVE ACTIVITY $20$: CONDUCT YOUR OWN FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

Follow Slavitt$$s steps to conduct a force field analysis for a project in which your organisation or department is involved. $($If possible, for brainstorming purposes, ask two or three fellow students to play the role of team$-$mates.$)$

Slavitt $(2011)$ sets out the steps for conducting your own force field analysis $($in a team setting$)$ as follows:

$1.$ Ask the team members to list the supporting forces on the one side, drawing bolder or narrower arrows against each statement to indicate the strength of the force pushing the present situation towards the goal. Remember, forces can be internal or external to the organisation. Internal and external forces continually press organisations to change. These forces vary from organisation to organisation, and some of them are:

$$ Technology $($IT$)$;

$$ Political changes;

$$ Policy changes;

$$ Globalisation;

$$ Decentralisation;

$$ Emphasis on people development and management;

$$ Privatisation or outsourcing; and

$$ Employment equity.

$(8$ x $2$ marks$)$

This model stimulates a process of intense communication in the project team and helps team members to work out a winning strategy. A word of warning, however: the force field idea should be applied with care $$ you need to be clear what you mean when you identify someone or something as a $$force$$ and be sensitive to thinking in terms of opposing sides. The aim is not to draw battle lines! Be careful not to let force field analysis draw you or others into thinking in $$win$-$lose$$ terms. US$242908$

SO$4$ AC$1$;

SO$5$ AC$2-5$

$[$Total marks: $33]$

$2.$ On the other side, list the forces hindering change or that are reducing your power to reach the goal. Once again, indicate the strength of the force against attaining your goal by a bolder or finer arrow.

$(5$ marks$)$

$3.$ Explain that one is able to move towards the goal by increasing the helping forces or by reducing the hindering forces. Sometimes the more pressure that comes from the helping forces, the more resistance develops in the hindering forces. In such cases, it is often best to start by reducing the hindering forces.

$(3$ marks$)$

$4.$ Now ask the project team to choose either one of the helping forces, which they could strengthen, or one of the hindering forces, which they could reduce. Taking the force as the new situation, ask them to identify their goal in regard to working with this force.

$(5$ marks$)$

$5.$ Finally, identify the potential $$assets for change$,$ which are not currently harnessed as driving forces, but which could be called upon, such as external expertise. These are then included on the diagram for later consideration when they might be brought into play.

$(4$ marks$)$