Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath,Dan Heath

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! The ultimate guide to making changes and following through, from the authors of Made to Stick and Decisive--hailed as "witty and instructive" (The Wall Street Journal), "packed with examples and hands-on tools that will get you moving right away" (BusinessWeek)\n\nWhy is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?\n\nThe primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems--the rational mind and the emotional mind--that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort--but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.\n\nIn Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people--employees and managers, parents and nurses--have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:\n\n? the lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients\n? the home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping \n? the manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service \n\nIn a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you.\n\nEditorial Reviews\n\nWitty and instructive . . . The Heath brothers think that the sciences of human behavior can provide us with tools for making changes in our lives--tools that are more effective than 'willpower,' 'leadership' and other easier-said-than-done solutions. . . . For any effort at change to succeed, the Heaths argue, you have to 'shape the path.' With Switch they have shaped a path that leads in a most promising direction."--The Wall Street Journal\n\n"Using the terminology of University of Virginia psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the Heaths designate the emotional side of the mind as the Elephant and the rational side as the Rider. . . . Switch is crammed with stories . . . covering a number of fields to drive home the importance of using the strengths of both the Rider and the Elephant to make change happen. This could be a valuable read for the would-be change-makers of the Obama administration."--Fort Worth Star-Telegram\n\n"Whether you're a manager, a parent or a civic leader, getting people to change can be tricky business. In Switch, brothers Chip and Dan Heath--authors of the bestselling Made to Stick--survey efforts to shape human behavior in search of what works. . . . Even when change isn't easy, it's often worth making."--Time\n\n"Dan and Chip Heath have done it again. . . . Any leader looking to create change in his organization need not look beyond this little book. It is packed with examples and hands-on tools that will get you moving right away. And it is really a fun read."--Business Week\n\n"Switch is a fantastic book. . . . Rather than just describing a problem or exposing why we make mistakes, the Heath brothers discuss why change is so hard, and then give a short list of concrete steps to follow. . . . It's an inspiring book, to be sure, all the more so because it's not just about changes that others have accomplished, but about how you can start some change yourself."--Wired\n\n"[Through] lively examples, the Heaths speak energetically and encouragingly on how to modify our behaviors and businesses. This clever discussion is an entertaining and educational must-read for executives and for ordinary citizens looking to get out of a rut."--Publishers Weekly\n- From the Publisher\n\nThe Heath brothers (coauthors of Made to Stick) address motivating employees, family members, and ourselves in their analysis of why we too often fear change. Change is not inherently frightening, but our ability to alter our habits can be complicated by the disjunction between our rational and irrational minds: the self that wants to be swimsuit-season ready and the self that acquiesces to another slice of cake anyway. The trick is to find the balance between our powerful drives and our reason. The authors' lessons are backed up by anecdotes that deal with such things as new methods used to reform abusive parents, the revitalization of a dying South Dakota town, and the rebranding of megastore Target. Through these lively examples, the Heaths speak energetically and encouragingly on how to modify our behaviors and businesses. This clever discussion is an entertaining and educational must-read for executives and for ordinary citizens looking to get out of a rut. (Mar.)\n\n- Publishers Weekly\n\nOld habits die hard. Whether on the communal or the individual level, maintaining the status quo is always the easiest course. So how do companies or people change? Chip Heath (organizational behavior, Graduate Sch. of Business, Stanford Univ.) and his brother, consultant Dan Heath, coauthors of Made To Stick, have teamed up again to show us that change can be a lot less painful than we fear. In their previous book, they explored how ideas catch on. Here they analyze what must be addressed if societal, organizational, and personal habits and practices are to be instilled with new ideas. They draw upon numerous behavioral studies, business case studies, and hypothetical examples to illustrate their principles. VERDICT This practical and entertaining work could easily be classified as a self-help tool. But since the authors also focus on organizational change and include dozens of vignettes from real companies, it's also a good managerial prescription for transformation. While it won't displace John Kotter's Leading Change as the classic text for "change managers," this catchy book offers fresh ideas and a breezy style that will work equally well for company executives, undergraduates, and average joes.--Carol J. Elsen, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Whitewater\n\n- Library Journal\n\nThe Heaths offer cutting-edge insights about making difficult changes. Instead of blaming resistance to change on lack of character, the authors say change requires three distinct approaches: We must communicate direction and objectives to our rational brain; we need powerful motivational input to engage our emotional brain; and we need to shape a practical path for change that is clear, has minimal obstacles, and is full of incentives. Charles Kahlenberg is the perfect interpreter for this empowering discussion-he's serious and intentional but adds enough warmth and optimism to make the message upbeat and accessible. With colorful metaphors and snippets of research, this is practical advice on how to stop blaming ourselves for change failures and start making the changes we really want. T.W. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine\n- DECEMBER 2010 - AudioFile