Making That Change

If you want to get more out of a team or group, don’t just push harder – think what’s holding them back.

Different forces at play, it was the renowned German-born psychologist, Kurt Lewin, who most clearly identified that the regular pattern which emerges in these activities, or ‘processes’, is determined by the interplay of a wide variety of different ‘forces. 

The forces themselves can be categorized into two opposing types: driving and restraining forces. 

Driving forces may be ambition, goals, needs or fears. They may act as ‘forces toward’ or 

‘forces away from’ something. A restraining force, on the other hand, is different in nature: 

it merely opposes the driving forces. 

In the context of organizational change and development, restraining forces refer to factors that resist or hinder the implementation of change initiatives. These forces act as obstacles, barriers, or resistance 

mechanisms that work against the desired changes within an organization. Identifying and understanding these restraining forces is crucial for change leaders to develop effective strategies to overcome them. 

Here are some common restraining forces:

1- Existing organizational structures, processes, and systems may resist change due to their inherent inertia. Bureaucratic structures, in particular, can be resistant to modifications that may disrupt established workflows.

2- Poor communication about the reasons for change, the expected outcomes, and the implementation process can contribute to resistance. Ambiguity and misinformation can lead to distrust and resistance among employees.

A forcefield operates in such a way that the opposing forces balance out at a point where the driving and restraining forces are equal. This is the point at which the usual rhythm and pattern of human activity becomes established. 

To create change, therefore, Lewin suggested that two questions have to be answered: 

1- why does the process, under its present circumstances, carry on at this level 

2- what are the conditions for changing those present circumstances?

Although change is always going on within any group of people, life has a tendency to settle down, 

and activities develop a rhythm and pattern of their own. It happens in our personal life too – 

we develop habits that we hardly notice; for example, where we shop for food. Typically, the same 

supermarket is visited and a broadly similar range of food is bought each time.

Make that Change.

I wish You Success.