Book Summary - "Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard"

This book provides good insights on making changes. It can be a change at a personal level or a Leader who wants to make a change in his organization.

An analogy of a Rider and an Elephant is used in this book. Rider is the logical part and our thinking which drives us. Elephant is our emotion. To make a change, you need to appeal to both the Rider and the Elephant. If you appeal only to Rider, your team will have understanding without motivation. If you appeal to Elephant you will have passion without direction.

It is easy to turn an easy change problem into a hard change problem. If you want somebody to eat less, serve them in a smaller plate instead of worrying about convincing or educating them.

What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. When you shape the path you make change more likely. To change behavior, direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant and shape the path.

If you are trying to change things, there will be bright spots. Understanding the bright spots will help in knowing what needs to be done differently. Ask "What's working and how we can do more of it?". In the real word this obvious question is rarely asked. Instead the question we ask is, "what's broken , and how do we fix it ?".

Big problems are rarely solved with big solutions. Instead they are often solved by a sequence of small steps over weeks, sometimes over decades.

Leaders pride themselves in setting high level direction. Big picture and hands off Leadership doesn't work in a change situation because the hardest part of change is in the details. When you want someone to behave in a new way, explain the new way clearly.

Goals in most organizations lack emotional resonance. Instead SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely) have become norm. SMART goals are better for steady state situation and not for change situation.

Analytical tools work when parameters are known, assumptions are minimal and future is not fuzzy. Big change situation is not like that. Parameters aren't well understood and the future is fuzzy, Elephant is reluctant to move and analytical arguments will not overcome reluctance.

We are frequently blind to the power of situations. When someone behind the wheel of a car is twenty minutes late for crucial appointment that person becomes a terrible driver. What looks like a person problem is often a situation problem.

Behavior autopilot allows lot of good behavior to happen without the Rider taking charge. Habits are behavioral autopilot and that is why they are critical for Leaders. Leaders who can instill habits reinforce their team goals.

A good change leader never thinks, "Why are these people acting badly?". A change Leader thinks, " How can I setup a situation that brings about good in people ".