In the law firm setting, where it can sometimes seem like a struggle just to get a quick e-mail reply or phone call returned from busy attorneys, the old cliché “change is never easy” can seem like an understatement. Change in any organization is tough, let alone in one with countless partners (owners) whose assortment of motivations, mindsets and opinions must all be juggled. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, offers some valuable ideas for creating change in a law firm environment.
Switch in a Snapshot
The underlying philosophy in Switch is that you’ll best effectuate change when you appease both the (sometimes dueling) rational and emotional minds, while simultaneously creating a nurturing environment conducive to change. Therefore, it is important to create a multi-pronged approach to change that drives action across a mix of personality types. To drive home this point, the authors use the analogy of a rider atop an elephant to explain their positions throughout the book. Although it may appear that the rider is in control, the power of the larger and often unconscious beast – the emotional mind – must be factored in. Both must work in harmony to move forward. Accordingly, the book is split into three sections:
- Direct the rider (account for the rational mind)
- Motivate the elephant (account for the emotional mind)
- Shape the path (set a culture and environment indicative of change)
Let’s dissect this framework.
Direct the Rider
Through conscious thinking, the rational mind (the rider) can learn from the past, think and do. While those abilities place humans atop the animal kingdom, they also can be our biggest blockades to change. In Switch, we are told that the rational mind often over-spins its wheels, leading to burnout. So, what looks like laziness is often exhaustion or ambiguity in how to proceed. Therefore, the book suggests the following maneuvers.
- Follow the Bright Spots – Find what is working in whatever you’re trying to change and magnify it. Use it as kindling to spark a larger fire. The rider tends to only see problems and be blind to the good.
- Script the Critical Moves – Desired action needs to be absolutely clear and easy to follow. Generalities can lead to what the authors term “decision paralysis.”
- Point to the Destination – Make sure people know why change is asked of them. Paint a vivid picture that shows where they’ll end up and why it’s worth the effort to help the rider channel his strengths toward change, something the book calls “destination postcards.”
Motivate the Elephant
Let’s get emotional and tackle the elephant. The book postulates that emotional resonance is lacking in many organizational goals. Often hard facts or other data just aren’t enough to sway behavior, especially if they contradict already-established positions. This part of the mind doesn’t follow a think, analyze, change process. Instead, it’s fueled by see, feel, change.
- Find the Feeling – This is also part of the destination postcard. Make people feel something, for example, energized, hopeful, creative and competitive by displaying whatever behavior you’re trying to instill.
- Shrink the Change – Baby steps. Reduce any change into small components and let people think they’re already partly there before they’ve even begun to change.
- Grow Your People – Instill a growth mindset. Let people know they’re not stuck in one state, but have the ability to develop their mind and identities.
Shape the Path
When things aren’t going your way, it’s often not a person problem but a situational problem. You need to mine the snags so that change can flow freely and the journey becomes easier.
- Tweak the Environment – Often when the situation changes, behavior changes. The authors suggest creating a steep downhill slope and giving a sturdy push.
- Build Habits – As social beings, whether we know it or not, people generally mimic what everyone else is doing. Building habits can put certain actions on autopilot.
- Rally the Herd – Broadcast any good news, even small wins, along the path to change to build cohesion and move individuals in lockstep. Influencers within an organization who already demonstrate the desired action can also help build momentum by rallying the rest.
The Bottom Line
Switch is a fun read peppered with inspirational tales about how people – often with little power or authority in their organizations – made impressive change. These stories are tied together with the latest academic research in psychology to offer a fascinating, and sometimes surprising, look at the psychology of change. Its wisdom will not only apply to your professional life, but is likely to trickle beyond the workplace walls.