Do you have something in your business or our life you want to change … some situation you want to have a different and more positive out come? If so, read ‘Switch ~How to Change Things When Change is Hard’ by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and then give it a try.
This witty and practical book uses stories to show examples about human behaviour and then introduces the tools we need for making the changes we want to make more easily.
They have taken the complex issue of change management and broken it down into practical ways to make change happen.
Of course, the first thing to do is to identify the real problem so you can identify the real thing that needs to change. The beginning of the book walks you through some ways to assess the real issue as it is so nicely stated “clarity of the situation often dissolves resistance to the change”.
Here are three of many practical tools introduced in this book:
- Find the bright spots ‘ identify the areas where there has been success. What worked? What made it a success? How can you duplicate that in another situation?
- Shrink the change ‘ make it more digestible and easier to implement.
- Tweak your environment ‘ change the surroundings or the processes not the people.
I won’t go through the explanation of “the elephant and the rider”. I will give you the hint that it isn’t your fault you haven’t been able to make the changes you want to make. It is the way your brain works … it’s the emotional and the rational at odds with each other.
If you are looking to make change in your life … read this book. Enjoy new habits! And learn about the elephant and the rider.
Totally agree. As a coach and lifelong learner — this book is a handbook for anyone wanting to make change work — whether personally, professionally or in their business life. Grab it and work with a trusted colleague/friend/advisor/family member to shift an important area of your life.