E-Training

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WHAT IS FORCE YIELD ANALYSIS (FYA)?
How does the change occur, either personally or organizationally? It is a dynamic process & it
suggests movement from one status quo to other status quo. Where does the energy for this
transformation come from? One approach is to view change as a result of struggle between forces
that are seeking to upset the status quo. Kurt Lewin has capitalized on this principal and developed
a Force Yield Analysis. In this, he proposed that driving forces move the situation towards
change while restraining forces block that movement. When there is no change, the opposing
forces are equal or the restraining forces are too strong to allow movement. Let us consider the
practical example of Loosing Weight.

Driving Force Restraining Force

Health threat
Cultural obsession with being thin
Plenty of thin role models
Embarrassment
Negative self image
Positive attitude for exercise
Lack of temptation
Cloths do not fit
Lack of time
Genetic trails
Unsympathetic friends & family
Lack of money for exercise
Lack of interest
Bad advice
Years of bad eating habits
Amount of sugar in prepared food

If the restraining forces are stronger than driving forces, the desired change will not happen. It
stands to reason that some change (lost weight) will occur if the driving forces are more powerful
than those on the restraining side of the ledger.
E-Training
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WHAT IS FORCE YIELD ANALYSIS (FYA)?
Why does Force Yield Analysis help make change happen

1. It forces people to think about all the facets of desired change. Therefore creative
thinking is encouraged.
2. It encourages people to come to a consensus about relative priority of the factors
on each side of the balance sheet. Nominal Group Technique could also be used
to help team reach that censuses quickly.
3. It provides a starting point for the action.
How does it accomplish the last ? One can approach change either from the perspective
of strengthening driving forces or reducing the strength of restraining forces.
Experience tells us that strengthening the positive often may reinforcing the negative.
Instead desired results, it often strengthen the resistance. HENCE it has been shown
that the most effective tactic is to diminish or eliminate the restraining force.

In our example, it would be much more helpful to deal with Lack of time than to
constantly remind someone that his or her clothes do not fit like they used to.

If done honestly, a Force Yield Analysis can be a helpful aid to..

1. thinking.
2. strategic tool for change.