The Elephant and Change Management
In their book: “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard”, Dan and Chip Heath explore the challenges of change and provides practical strategies to make change more effective.
In the book the authors refer to Psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s analogy of the Brain as a Rider atop an Elephant reveals our rational and emotional systems at play.
The rider represents our logical thinking, while the elephant embodies our emotional power. However, the elephant’s six-ton weight advantage often hinders change and adopting new behaviors.
To lead sustainable change, consider three crucial steps:
Direct the Rider: Provide clear guidance and a well-thought-out plan to steer rational thinking in the desired direction.
Motivate the Elephant: Tap into emotions, desires, and values to ignite the elephant’s intrinsic motivation and drive change.
Shape the Path: Remove obstacles and reduce the distance between the current state and the desired outcome, facilitating progress for both the rider and the elephant.
