If you are interested in trying to change yourself or your organization for the better, you should pick up a copy of Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
I’ve been so busy integrating and implementing the ideas and lessons of Switch by Chip and Dan Heath (authors of my oft-mentioned and much beloved Made To Stick), that I haven’t had the proper time to write the book review.
My bad.
What the Heath brothers do so well (in both of their books) is take the science around some body of knowledge…in this case, how to create sustainable and meaningful change (for yourself or your organization) and provide a practical framework for implementing it.
That’s why it is worth your time and money.
Mine is so marked up and dog-eared that I feel like I am once again an eager college freshman who hasn’t yet realized that you don’t need to read every word in the textbook.
Why is Switch so good?
They break down change management into three components
- “Direct the Rider”-what are the analytical elements that may be causing people to hold back on their innovation thinking? This is how we typically think of persuading people (by facts), but the Heaths say this is only 5% of the battle.
- “Motivate the Elephant”-what are the intrinsic motivational factors that, if we can find them, would allow folks to find their passionate/creative selves and then direct the energy for innovation in the right way? This is the biggest key…if you aren’t motivated (emotionally) to actually do it…then, no amount of logic will help.
- “Clear the path”—are there systemic elements in the way your organization operates that are preventing people/causing frustration for people to innovate? I loved this part because it expands your perspective on what needs to be done to make change feasible.
Again, the real value of this book is in the practical, tangible ideas they provide to help make each of these elements possible.
If I had a 5-star rating system for business books, this one would get 5.
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