W.I.N. Newsletter Special - Book Of The Week
Published: Thu, 07/15/10
Switch: How to Change things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan
Heath
"Change is hard." "People hate change." Those were two of the most
common quotes we heard when we began to study change.
But it occurred to us that if people hate change, they have a funny
way of showing it. Every iPhone sold serves as counter-evidence. So
does every text message sent, every corporate merger finalized,
every aluminum can recycled. And we haven't even mentioned the
biggest changes: Getting married. Having kids. (If people hate
change, then having a kid is an awfully dumb decision.)
It puzzled us--why do some huge changes, like marriage, come
joyously, while some trivial changes, like submitting an expense
report on time, meet fierce resistance?
We found the answer in the research of some brilliant psychologists
who'd discovered that people have two separate "systems" in their
brains--a rational system and an emotional system. The rational
system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is,
well, emotional--and impulsive and instinctual.
When these two systems are in alignment, change can come quickly
and easily (as when a dreamy-eyed couple gets married). When
they're not, change can be grueling (as anyone who has struggled
with a diet can attest).
In those situations where change is hard, is it possible to align
the two systems? Is it possible to overcome our internal
"schizophrenia" about change? We believe it is.
In our research, we studied people trying to make difficult
changes: People fighting to lose weight and keep it off. Managers
trying to overhaul an entrenched bureaucracy. Activists combatting
seemingly intractable problems such as child malnutrition. They
succeeded--and, to our surprise, we found striking similarities in
the strategies they used. They seemed to share a similar game plan.
We wanted, in Switch, to make that game plan available to everyone,
in hopes that we could show people how to make the hard changes in
life a little bit easier. --Chip and Dan Heath
You will ove this book.
Also, today is the first day of the Buy a Book and Send a Trainer to
Camp Campaign, which will run from July 15 until August 31.
For that six week period for every copy we sell of If I Knew Then:
Life Lessons From Cops on the Street as well as W.I.N. Critical
Issues In Training and Leading Warriors and W.I.N. 2 Insights Into
Training and Leading Warriors I will donate $10.00 to the ILEETA
Scholarship Fund.
This fund helps deserving law enforcement trainers attend the
ILLETA Conference in April 2011. This is the premiere law
enforcement trainers conference in the world. In these times of
severe cuts to training budgets this scholarship fund is more
important than ever.
The ILEETA Conference is 'Training Camp' for law enforcement
trainers. This is a place they can go to connect with trainers from
arround the world and learn about innovations in training from
their peers. Te conference serves to recharge trainers batteries
and renew their passion and enthusiasm while exposing them to
expansive learning opportunities.
These books can all be purchased at www.warriorspiritbooks.com. If
you have copies of the books already consider buying a copy and
giving it to someone who can benefit from the wisdom and experience
contained in each of these volumes.
If you would like to buy bulk copies for your agency or your
academy as reference books for trainers, leaders, recruits and
FTO's contact me at winningmind@mac.com and take advantage of the
bulk discount for orders of 10 or more books.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training
Warrior Spirit Books