Presentation summarizing the book "Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard" by Chip and Dan Heath

1. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
July 22, 2019
krt4@williams.edu
x3542
Kevin Thomas
Learning & Development Manager
Switch: How to Change When
Change is Hard

2. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

3. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We’re not as rational as we
think we are

4. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We don’t always resist change

5. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We are often ambivalent about change

6. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• To change others’ behavior
we must influence:
– Mind - Rider
– Heart - Elephant
– Situation - Path

7. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Easily tired

8. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Can provide direction

9. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Emotional and instinctive
• Prefers path of least
resistance,
• Prefers instant gratification.
• Emotion can generate
motivation

10. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We’re far more motivated
when we have a visceral
experience.

11. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We’re more influenced by
our environment than we
think we are
• Shaping the path makes
change easier

12. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

13. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Rider has a bias towards problems and limitations
• Find the positive outliers
• Share solutions
• Example: Vietnamese mothers that provided more
feedings, actively fed their babies, and added shrimp
and greens to their diet

14. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

15. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
vs.

16. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
vs.

17. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

18. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Underachieving 1st graders:
“By the end of this year you’ll be third graders!”
• Graduation ceremony when testing at 2nd grade level
• Referring to students as “scholars”.

19. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Total abstinence approach
• Prevents mind from finding loopholes

20. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We will save 100,000 lives by
June 14, 2006 (18 month
timeline)

21. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

22. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Make people feel the
problem viscerally

23. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
See + Feel >
Analyze + Think

24. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Give people powerful
roles

25. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

26. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Car wash “head start”
• 5 minute rescue
• Celebrate early successes

27. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

28. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Drive Safely experiment
• Encouraging the Learning
Mindset:
Calling employees inventors

29. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

30. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• We’re more influenced by
our environment than we
think we are
• Shaping the path makes
change easier

31. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Blaming employees for not
using poorly designed
software
• “We need to train the
engineers to read these
plans.”

32. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

33. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Small actions that trigger
bigger action sequences
• Sleeping in workout clothes

34. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Make sure environment permanently reinforces
change
• Example: Ditching customer service phone pickup
• Use checklists

35. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Direct the Rider
– Follow the bight spots
– Script the critical moves
– Point to the Destination
• Motivate the Elephant
– Find the feeling
– Shrink the change
– Grow your people
• Shape the Path
– Tweak the environment
– Build habits
– Rally the herd

36. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• “Most of the witty travelers
who stay in this room reuse
their towels at least once
during their stay.’

37. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
• Introduced into popular TV shows

38. Kevin R.Thomas, Manager, Learning & Development · Office of Human Resources · kevin.r.thomas@williams.edu · 413-597-3542
Kevin Thomas, krt4@williams.edu , x3542
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