When you create change, it is important to visualize the reasons for the change and some of the barriers that will occur when making the change. This business tool will help you manage these issues and accentuate the positives.

Imagine your community project as a game where you have forces pushing for change (your team) and forces holding back change (the opponent). By figuring out these forces and how strong they are, you can create a game plan to boost your team (driving forces) and weaken the opponent (restraining forces) to win in making a positive difference in your community.

1. Define what the current state and the desired state of the situation you want to change. Be as specific and realistic as possible.
2. Identify and list all the driving forces and restraining forces that affect the situation. You can use brainstorming techniques, stakeholder analysis, SWOT analysis, or other methods to generate ideas. Use the template to organize your thoughts. (Make a copy for yourself first.)
3. Assign a score to each force based on its strength and importance. You can use a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is weak and 5 is strong.
4. Analyze the results and identify the most important forces that need to be addressed.
5. Develop an action plan that outlines how you will increase the driving forces and/or decrease the restraining forces. You should also specify the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in the change process.

To continue, return to the Module 4 Opportunity Card.