Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?
The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systemsthe rational mind and the emotional mindthat 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 effortbut if it is overcome, change can come quickly.
In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday peopleemployees and managers, parents and nurseshave united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:
— The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients.
— The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping.
— The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service.
In 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, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching courses on business strategy and organizations. He is the co-author (along with his brother, Dan) of three books. Their latest book, Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work was published in spring of 2013 and debuted at #1 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list and #2 on the New York Times. Their 2010 book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, hit #1 on both bestseller lists. Their first book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, spent two years on the Business Week bestseller list and was an Amazon Top 10 Business Book for both editors and readers. Their books have been translated into over 30 languages including Thai, Arabic, and Lithuanian. Chip has consulted with clients ranging from Google and Gap to The Nature Conservancy and the American Heart Association.
Dan Heath is a Senior Fellow at Duke University's CASE center, which supports entrepreneurs who are fighting for social good. He is the co-author, along with his brother Chip, of three New York Times bestsellers: Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive. The Heath brothers' fourth book, The Power of Moments, will be published in October 2017.A graduate of the University of Texas and Harvard Business School, he lives now in Durham, NC.
