General description
The foundation of the book is about successful change occurring when people change their behavior. An individual’s behavior is underpinned by three factors: environment, emotions, logic, and rationality (Heath & Heath, 2010). The author describes the three factors of a person as the Path, the Elephant, and the Rider, respectively. As stated by the authors, the best way to create change is to direct the Rider, motivate the elephant, and shape the path. The book is divided into three sections, which explore one of these principles. The Switch identifies essential factors that cause lasting changes for both organizations and individuals. The authors demonstrate that individuals are prospective to embrace substantial adjustments provided that there are suitable conditions in the presence of three elements of change. Heath’s brothers focused on improving every changed aspect with simple guidelines and great real-life suggestions in the book.
The Switch depicts that when one becomes morally aware, the logical next step is changing their behaviors with businesses and organizations to correspond to the new awareness (Heath & Heath, 2010). However, incorrect implementation of change can be complex and cause unsatisfying results. The authors proposed that to effect change, it is necessary to have clear and straightforward directions that are supportive environments and emotionally satisfying motivations. Several studies in the book define how average persons can transform themselves and their realms and become communally accountable, profitable, and better. Some illustrations show that changes can be achieved without altering the regulations but through developing explicit purposes, recommending specific measures, creating inspiration, and a helpful surrounding to effect change.
Summary
The chapters of the Switch by Heaths are arranged in sections that describe elements of change. Chapters 2 to 4 focused on improving the Rider, chapters 5 to 7 on enhancing the elephant, and chapters 8 to 11 on improving the path. Chapter 1 of the book, regarding three surprises about change, introduces change’s emotional, rational, and situational components. In the chapter, the authors denote the metaphor of a rider-and-elephant whereby the Rider with a normal brain tries to offer direction to the elephant (the emotive side) down the path to accomplish the objectives and goals. A design of the power of altering situational aspects to change the envisioned behavior is realized through an investigation of illogical eating conduct. In the eating case study, investigators found that when participants were served on larger containers, they ate half more stale popcorn, thereby concluding that eating could be reduced by reducing the size of the container.
The rational part of a change tries to overanalyze approaches with preliminary determination to direct the elephant. To avoid overanalyzing the practical side of change, it is required to clarify the goals being implemented. The emotional side of change refers to the intuitive part of an individual that feels pleasure and pain, craving instant gratification. The elephant is one of the components that is mainly turned to when performing most tasks. Therefore, in the first chapter, the authors portray that it is vital to entirely deliberate components by creating a helpful environment and formulating actionable and clear goals which are emotionally appealing to effect change.
Critique
The book is divided into three sections covered in eleven chapters that explore the three principles of change: improving the Rider, the elephant, and the path. The introduction provides the logic behind the principles of change; however, it is challenging to bring them into an apparent whole. The second principle of change, motivating the elephant, is insightful, but understanding it requires a better perspective on the dynamic association with the importance of directing the Rider. However, despite understanding where the Rider takes the willing elephant without focusing on the barriers in the environment, none can see change. The author does not conclude the chapters with a tie of the thesis into a neat knot but instead reviews common problems individuals experience when driving for change and offers advice on overcoming them. The Switch presents numerous exciting stories that demonstrate that for change to be successful, individuals need to look for new behaviors and balance environment, emotion, and logic (Heath & Heath, 2010). The authors mention in numerous stories that proper balance of these factors causes change regardless of the sector where change is occurring.
Improving the Rider
Chapter 2: Find the Bright Spots
The individual mind is an inner rider that is generally a terrific thinker and planner who is prone to overanalyzing potential difficulties and challenges that could crop up in the future (Heath & Heath, 2010). The writers advocate that it is central to direct the Rider towards a resolution by establishing the bright spots rather than overanalyzing them. Focusing on situations being part of human nature hinders change; hence, considering bright spots helps learn how change was achieved and implemented in current problems.
Chapter 3: Script the Critical Moves
The authors underscore that people tend to show decision paralysis when provoked with excessive choices as they sway from change and devote themselves to evasive circumstances. The Rider becomes overwhelmed when evaluating more alternatives because they take mental energy. Anxiety exists in decision-making because the process has some degree of uncertainty that can be avoided through drafting simple directives to change. Some people believe that resolving intricate problems needs developing multi-faceted and invalid solutions because they drain the Rider and scare the elephant. During a time of change, persons respond well to clear and straightforward instructions.
Chapter 4: Point to the Destination
The Rider has a habit of overanalyzing when left to self; therefore, it is crucial to have aims that guide the Rider and act as a destination. The elephant finds it pleasing, while the Rider gets directed with ease when short to medium-term goals are ardently charged. Emotionally appealing plans have clear boundaries that make it difficult to rationalize, thereby preventing backslides. Providing a rider with clear direction helps in overcoming and preventing analysis paralysis. The authors illustrated how to avoid overanalyzes by using Crystal Jones, a first-grade teacher who motivated her students internally using precise destinations.
Improving the Elephant
Chapter 5: Find the Feeling
Changing behavior can be achieved through analyze-think-change and see-fee-change methods. The former approach is more strategic and suitable for situations with measurable outcomes and precise parameters, while the latter is more emotional and suitable for ambiguous changes. The see-feel-change method is commonly employed because most of life changes that individual experience is unclear. An individual can experience positive illusion bias when thinking to be more favorable than others, thereby not feeling the need to change (Heath & Heath, 2010). To overcome this bias requires emotional connections with others to assist in viewing ourselves and the situation. Positive and negative emotions result in change as an individual can respond faster when avoiding risk and confronting problems or broaden mindset and actions when changing behaviors and adapting to new situations. Thus, most individual life benefits mainly from positive emotions.
Chapter 6: Shrink the Change
The authors portray that a simple technique of encouraging the elephant is by creating decreased supposed distance to goals that involve showing that some distance has previously been covered. Change is daunting, and one needs to shrink it before it is introduced. The authors use an example of the likelihood of people completing a loyalty card when given a card with few stamps, unlike without starter stamps. Another way of shrinking change, as described by the authors, is by splitting change into small wins or milestones that provide individuals the hope for the opportunity of effecting the change (Heath & Heath, 2010). Small wins are the motivation that fuels the elephant as their accumulation makes any change to be an autonomous effect.
Chapter 7: Grow Your People
Failure is a part of life that can become an obstacle to change; however, the authors suggest that adopting a growth mindset overcomes failure when one accepts that the experiences are beneficial and inevitable. The authors also point out that an individual’s brains and abilities are not static but rather muscles that, when trained, become more robust. Sometimes, instead of shrinking the perceived change, it is essential to make others feel capable and prouder by appealing to their identity (Heath & Heath, 2010). People make decisions based on consequences or identity, and embracing new identity results in a change of behavior.
Improving the Path
Chapter 8: Tweak the Environment
According to Heaths (2010), fundamental attribution error is a prevalent and basic mistake in which individuals attribute problems to persons and not situations. It is easier to implement change when the focus is on changing the path rather than guiding the Rider and encouraging the elephant. Change is likely even with a disorganized Rider and a hesitant elephant. Change requires a path with situational and environmental factors influencing behaviors; shaping the path makes it easier to effect change by people.
Chapter 9: Build Habits
The authors define habits as autopilot behaviors that individuals engage in, which become either beneficial or risky. A valuable routine is simple to track, endorse goals, and its formation makes it easy to evade both elephant and the Rider. It is critical when developing habits to discover variations in the environment due to its provision of boundaries that shape individuals’ habits. Action triggers are used when starting a new habit because it allows an individual to visualize precisely when and where the action will occur. The authors use an example of when going to the gym (the habit), an individual plans to drop off children at school first (the trigger). The method increases the probability of action due to preloading decisions and conscious deliberation of the situation, where emotions can become a restriction (Heath & Heath, 2010). The authors describe that one better way of combining habits and environmental tweaks is to have a checklist because it corrects overconfidence, blind spots, and human errors in complex circumstances.
Chapter 10: Rally the Herd
Studies show that the behaviors of those surrounding them impact an individual; thus, the authors assert that the simplest way to cause change is by identifying the majority’s actions. The authors illustrate how to effect change using an example of persons who submit their report on expenses late by pointing out that majority file reports on time. Because no individual wishes to be behind, it reduces late fillings promoting effective change. The authors assert that executing new conduct in a group of individuals involves a combination of approaches. These strategies include directing the Rider with emotionally powerful goals and clear instructions, embracing a unique identity to motivate the elephant, and shaping the path that supports the change.
Chapter 11: Keep Switch Going
Change is a constant process that requires maintenance for a prolonged period before achieving its result. Through this period, the authors recommend having positive reinforcements that increase its probability of success. Good preparation for change benefits most the realization of change and eases the achievement of all steps involved due to their dependence on the inspiration and momentum of each other (Heath & Heath, 2010). The chapter ends by declaring that even though change can occur in innumerable ways, utmost changes encompass a combination of goals that are focused, driven, and reinforced by the environment.
Recommendation
The Switch examines the well-trod subject of change from a good point of view, and it is the best reference when learning more about change in leadership. However, there are a few shortcomings, such as it would be essential if the authors concluded the book by tying the thesis into a neat knot by bringing together what is a very insightful and creative point of view on change. The short case study exercises in the three sections of change were excellent ideologies, and providing more in-depth would make them truly outstanding. The author would also have provided more direction on applying numerous techniques when working through projects pertaining to change. It is also essential for the authors to develop templates or practical tools that can be used when undertaking a change project.
Reference
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to change things when change is hard. Broadway Books.