Talking Stick - September/October 2010 - 21

implemeNtiNg chaNge requires seVeral steps: breakiNg the chaNge iNto parts so it doesN’t seem so oVerwhelmiNg, scriptiNg the critical moVes so that each step is crystal clear, aNd describiNg a clear aNd accessible goal to which people caN easily aspire.
Several aspects of this book make it different from the myriad of other management books that explain how to implement change. First, the authors explain how to direct the rational and manage the emotions in a clear, simple, and direct way, providing specific steps a director can take to engage both the thinkers and feelers on any staff. Because every person’s brain has both an emotional side and a logical side, it is important to engage both in order to make change “stick.” One of the many examples they offer of this strategy is the way a physician, who was also CEO of a large institute, managed to motivate members of the medical profession to improve their care of critically ill patients. First, the physician invoked the elephant, clarifying the emotional side of the issue by asking the parents of a deceased patient to describe the pain of losing a child who had died needlessly. Then the physician invoked the rider, clarifying what the rational thinkers in the room needed in order to understand the issue: specific goals and an ambitious timeline to achieve them. The book’s greatest strength is that it provides so many concrete examples showing how the implementation of simple, specific actions can bring about successful change: “Big problems are rarely solved with commensurately big solutions,” they say, a statement reinforced by the example of successfully improving one’s diet simply by switching to lowfat milk. Imagine that our housing director also wants to improve communication and trust in her department, and
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in over-analysis or even paralysis. Each appeal depends on a different approach. As the authors explain, decision makers need to “direct the rational” by providing clarity and “manage the emotions” by engaging people’s feelings. The next step is to “shape the path.” Part of the appeal is offering directions to a goal, and it is important to recognize that “if you want people to change, you must provide crystal-clear directions.” The goal should be clear and compelling – and possible. As an example, residents of a community in West Virginia developed a healthier diet by simply following the advice to drink skim or lowfat milk. The physicians had not asked them to make massive

changes in their diet; they simply asked them to make one basic change – one that had a large impact on their health. Let’s revisit the housing director who is trying to update the staff training program and has met resistance to the changes. Appealing to both the elephant and rider, she satisfies the rational thinkers by providing clear goals and learning outcomes so they understand the nature of the change; and she satisfies the emotional thinkers by pointing out how the change will improve relationships among the staff. Finally, she provides step-by-step directions for how her vision for the training program will bring improvements in everyone’s work.

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Talking Stick - September/October 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - September/October 2010
