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1. Direct the Rider: Provide crystal-clear direction for change

"What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity."

The Rider represents our rational side. It's the part of us that plans and problem-solves, but it can also overthink and overanalyze, leading to decision paralysis. To overcome this, leaders must provide clear, specific direction for change.

Clarity is crucial for successful change. Vague goals like "eat healthier" are less effective than specific ones like "switch to 1% milk." The more precise the instruction, the easier it is for people to follow. This is why the U.S. Army uses "Commander's Intent" – a clear, concise statement of the desired outcome – to guide soldiers in unpredictable situations.

Examples of clear direction:

• Southwest Airlines' core principle: "We are THE low-fare airline"
• A health campaign's specific message: "Buy 1% milk"
• The U.S. Army's Commander's Intent: "Break the will of the enemy in the Southeast region"

2. Motivate the Elephant: Engage emotions to drive change

"Knowing something isn't enough to cause change. Make people feel something."

The Elephant represents our emotional side. It's the part of us that is instinctive and feels pain and pleasure. While the Rider can plan and analyze, it's the Elephant that provides the energy for change.

Emotions are powerful motivators. People are more likely to change when they feel something, not just know something. This is why shocking demonstrations or vivid stories can be more effective than logical arguments or data alone.

Ways to motivate the Elephant:

• Create empathy: Show people the problems with not changing
• Use visceral examples: Like Jon Stegner's "Glove Shrine" to illustrate wasteful purchasing
• Tap into identity: Help people see themselves as "the kind of person who would make this change"
• Inspire hope: Show that change is possible, like the "bright spots" in Vietnamese villages

3. Shape the Path: Alter the environment to make change easier

"What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem."

The Path represents the environment. It's the context in which change occurs. By altering the environment, we can make change easier, even when the Rider is uncertain and the Elephant is reluctant.

Environmental tweaks can have outsized effects. Small changes in surroundings can lead to significant changes in behavior. This is why it's often more effective to change the situation than to try to change people directly.

Examples of shaping the Path:

• Smaller plates to encourage smaller portions
• Automatic savings plans to increase retirement contributions
• Checklists to reduce errors in hospitals
• Removing call-queuing systems to improve customer service (as at Rackspace)

4. Find the Bright Spots: Replicate successful behaviors

"Every problem has a bright spot, a pocket of positive deviance that can provide the foundation for the solution."

Bright spots are successful outliers. They are instances where a solution is already working, even if on a small scale. By identifying and analyzing these bright spots, we can often find solutions that are both effective and feasible.

Replication is easier than innovation. Instead of trying to solve problems from scratch, look for examples of success within the current system and try to replicate them. This approach is often faster and more effective than attempting to design entirely new solutions.

Steps to find and use bright spots:

1. Look for outliers: Identify instances where the desired outcome is already occurring
2. Analyze the outliers: Determine what's different about these successful cases
3. Clone the success: Implement the identified behaviors or conditions more broadly

5. Script the Critical Moves: Break down change into specific actions

"Don't think big picture, think in terms of specific behaviors."

Ambiguity is the enemy of change. When faced with too many choices or unclear directions, people tend to freeze up or revert to old habits. By scripting critical moves, we provide clear, actionable steps that people can follow.

Specific behaviors are easier to implement than general strategies. Instead of broad goals, focus on concrete actions. This reduces decision paralysis and makes it easier for people to take the first step towards change.

Examples of scripting critical moves:

• "Buy 1% milk" instead of "Eat healthier"
• "Use the 5-Minute Room Rescue" instead of "Clean the house"
• "Stand up during meetings" to keep them short and focused
• "Follow these five steps to prevent line infections" in hospitals

6. Point to the Destination: Paint a compelling picture of the end goal

"SMART goals presume the emotion; they don't generate it."

A clear destination motivates action. People need to know where they're going and why it's worth the effort. A compelling vision of the future can inspire the Elephant and guide the Rider.

Destination postcards are vivid pictures of the future. They should be concrete enough to be recognizable but aspirational enough to be motivating. Unlike SMART goals, which focus on specifics, destination postcards engage emotions.

Effective destination postcards:

• Crystal Jones telling first graders they'll be third graders by year's end
• Laura Esserman's vision of a one-stop breast care clinic
• British Petroleum's goal of "No dry holes" in oil exploration
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech

7. Find the Feeling: Create emotional connections to inspire change

"People are more likely to change when they feel something, not just when they think something."

Emotions drive action. While logical arguments can persuade the Rider, it's emotional appeals that move the Elephant. To create lasting change, we need to engage people's feelings.

Visceral experiences can bypass resistance. Sometimes, showing is more powerful than telling. Creating experiences that make people feel the need for change can be more effective than presenting facts and figures.

Ways to find the feeling:

• Use demonstrations: Like the "Glove Shrine" to illustrate waste
• Tell stories: Share narratives that create empathy or inspiration
• Create experiences: Like having developers watch users struggle with their software
• Tap into identity: Appeal to people's sense of who they are or want to be

8. Shrink the Change: Make tasks feel more manageable

"People find it more motivating to be partly finished with a longer journey than to be at the starting gate of a shorter one."

Big changes can be overwhelming. When faced with a daunting task, people often freeze up or give up before they start. By shrinking the change, we make it feel more manageable and increase the likelihood of success.

Small wins build momentum. Each small success provides a burst of hope and motivation, encouraging further action. This "snowball effect" can lead to significant change over time.

Techniques for shrinking the change:

• Set milestone goals: Break big goals into smaller, achievable steps
• Create a head start: Show people they're already partway there
• Reduce scope: Start with a "5-Minute Room Rescue" instead of cleaning the whole house
• Focus on small victories: Celebrate progress, no matter how small

9. Grow Your People: Foster a growth mindset and new identities

"What looks like a character problem is often a situation problem."

Identities shape behavior. People often make decisions based on who they think they are (or want to be), rather than on a rational analysis of costs and benefits. By shaping identities, we can influence behavior.

A growth mindset enables change. People who believe their abilities can be developed through effort are more likely to persist in the face of challenges. Fostering this mindset can make change easier.

Strategies for growing people:

• Cultivate a growth mindset: Teach that abilities can be developed through effort
• Create new identities: Like Brasilata's "inventors" or St. Lucia's conservationists
• Set "action triggers": Pre-load decisions to create instant habits
• Use the "Pygmalion effect": High expectations can lead to improved performance

10. Tweak the Environment: Adjust surroundings to promote desired behaviors

"What looks like a person problem is often a situation problem."

Environment shapes behavior. Often, what appears to be a lack of willpower or motivation is actually a result of environmental factors. By changing the environment, we can make the right behaviors easier and the wrong behaviors harder.

Small changes can have big effects. Simple tweaks to the environment can lead to significant changes in behavior. This is often easier and more effective than trying to change people directly.

Examples of environmental tweaks:

• Smaller plates to encourage smaller portions
• Automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans to increase savings
• Removing trays in cafeterias to reduce food waste
• Adding lines on roads to slow traffic
• Using checklists in hospitals to reduce errors

11. Build Habits: Create routines that support change

"When behavior is habitual, it's 'free'—it doesn't tax the Rider."

Habits reduce cognitive load. Once a behavior becomes automatic, it no longer requires conscious effort or decision-making. This frees up mental resources and makes the behavior more likely to persist.

Routines can embed change. By creating routines around desired behaviors, we can make them more likely to stick. Over time, these routines can become habits that support long-term change.

Strategies for building habits:

• Use action triggers: Link new behaviors to existing routines
• Create checklists: Reduce errors and cognitive load
• Start small: Begin with easy-to-implement behaviors
• Be consistent: Repeat the behavior in the same context
• Remove friction: Make the desired behavior as easy as possible

12. Rally the Herd: Harness social influence to spread change

"Behavior is contagious."

Social influence is powerful. People look to others for cues about how to behave, especially in ambiguous situations. By leveraging social proof, we can make change more appealing and easier to adopt.

Visible behaviors spread fastest. When people can see others adopting a new behavior, they're more likely to follow suit. This is why it's important to make change visible and to highlight early adopters.

Ways to rally the herd:

• Publicize positive behaviors: Like hotel guests reusing towels
• Create social proof: Show that others are already making the change
• Use peer pressure positively: Like Gerard Cachon's peer review system
• Create "free spaces": Allow reformers to coordinate and support each other
• Tell stories: Share narratives of successful change to inspire others

In conclusion, by directing the Rider, motivating the Elephant, and shaping the Path, we can create lasting change in ourselves and our organizations. The key is to provide clear direction, engage emotions, and create an environment that supports the desired change.

Last updated: August 9, 2024