Switch

How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

By: Dan Heath, Chip Heath

Narrated by: Charles Kahlenberg

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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 best seller Made to Stick.

Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems - the rational mind and the emotional mind - that 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 effort - but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people - employees and managers, parents and nurses - have 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.

©2010 Chip Heath (P)2010 Random House

Undeniably Inspiring!

Read this as part of a book club and I'm very pleased I did. I'm in process of making some big changes right now. This read has helped shift my perspective and minimize the change.

minus one for soft low freq hum

great book but minus one star for the distraction of a soft low freq hum

Something different.

I had a good idea of what this book would be about but the concepts throughout it caught me off guard regularly and made me think about things a different way. I get through a book about every 10 to 14 days the 14 days and I would say this is one of the best and the last 6 months. I recommend this for anybody in a leadership situation or if you're managing children :)
Lots of cool concepts I'm not sure I would have learned elsewhere

it's a must read

if you like reading business type books or psychology related books , is a must read... very enjoyable!!!

Excellent book

Great ideas, simply presented and backed with research and many examples. I like the simple premise - elephant and rider

started well, ended better

loved it. absolutely loved it. gets better as it goes
highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone

Excellent!!!!!

On my 3rd listen. A must have for anyone who wants and needs to affect change in any situation or relationship.

Umm.. wow

So I found this book because it was reference in another book I was reading (the 12 week year). The second he said “self control is exhaustible” my heart skipped a beat and I was dialed in.
I started listening to learn how to affect change in my school, but my immediate switch has been in my house cleaning. Clean vs cleaner = life changed. As a mom of 4 (6,5,3, 11mo), I am forever indebted. Thank you for this message that has brought sanity and stability to my home.

Easily in my top 5… maybe top 3

Practical approach to understanding yourself and other people. Very well done. I listened for work but my 19 year old was in the car with me on a trip and we started some awesome conversations on what drives people and how to drive change!!

Typical Heath Brothers

By typical I mean brilliant. Very useful information delivered with compelling stories and studies. As a company owner this book is in my top ten list.