Difficult Changes Undertaken by the Heath Brothers when Change Seems Impossible

In the realm of modern thought leadership, Chip Heath and Dan Heath stand out as professors and authors who consult and speak worldwide about the psychology of decision-making, change, innovation, and collaboration. Known for their books "Made To Stick", "The Power of Moments", "Decisive", and "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard", the brothers are making a significant impact in the field.

Chip Heath, a professor at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, and Dan Heath, a senior fellow at Duke University's Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE), have a unique approach to change. They argue that motivating people by helping them identify with a change isn't always sufficient, as people often adopt fixed mind-sets which lead them to fear failure or criticism if they try new things.

Their book "Switch" introduces a metaphorical duo: the Elephant and the Rider. The Elephant represents feelings, while the Rider represents rational thinking. To effectively motivate change, the authors advise syncing these two entities. Change requires more than just logical reasoning; it requires appealing to emotions as well.

To encourage growth mind-sets, the Heaths advise communicating candidly about the initial difficulties people may encounter and the probability they'll make mistakes. They argue that focusing on what people see and feel over what they analyze and think is key to engaging the Elephant, and the best way to do this is through narrative.

However, the authors caution against using fear to motivate change. Instead, they urge tapping into positive emotion to encourage creativity, lateral thinking, and innovation. People do most things automatically, habitually, and unconsciously. To get people to do things differently, one must shape their path.

The authors also leverage evidence from psychology as a central element of their change process. They assert that most people follow the crowd and can be nudged towards better behaviors and decisions. To ease the Rider's path, they recommend reducing the number of decisions it makes, setting clear goals and directions, and telling a story to describe the reward at the end of the path.

In a nutshell, the Heath brothers' approach to change is rooted in psychology and storytelling. By understanding the interplay between emotions and logic, they offer a compelling framework for guiding individuals and organisations through the complexities of change.