Exercise · AI and Automation Adoption: Leading Your Team Through Change
The Force Field of My Change
See the forces that drive a change and hold it back, and choose what to weaken first.
Time35 minutes
ParticipantsIndividually, then pairs
MaterialsParticipant workbook
From the trainingAI and Automation Adoption: Leading Your Team Through Change
Why this exercise
Kurt Lewin suggested looking at a situation as a balance between two kinds of forces. Managers usually strengthen the driving forces — more presentations, pressure and deadlines — but pressure creates counter-pressure. Lewin advised weakening the restraining forces first. "No time to learn" will not be weakened by a motivational speech — it will be weakened by redistributing the workload for the training week.
How to run it
- Briefly explain the model: driving and restraining forces; while they are in balance, nothing changes.
- 15 minutes, individually: write your change in the center, 4–6 driving and 4–6 restraining forces, and rate each from 1 to 5.
- Choose the two restraining forces with the highest rating and write down how to weaken them.
- 20 minutes in pairs, 10 each: the partner asks questions — "Which force can't you see because you're used to it?", "Which of these is within your power this week?"
- General round: 4–5 participants name one restraining force and one action. The result is a list of techniques for the whole group.
Debrief questions
- Which restraining forces come up for different participants?
- Which of them are about people, and which are about processes and metrics?
Tips for the facilitator
- If a person appears among the restraining forces ("Peterson is in the way"), ask for a rephrase: what exactly is in the way — a concern, an interest, a lack of information? A force is a cause, not a person.
- If someone says "the restraining forces are out of my control", ask: what is within my circle of influence? Whom can I talk to, what can I propose to management?
More
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