1HE BESTSEII1NG AUTHORS

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1.
Lnc batutday n 2000, Omc unuQcCtIn_ mOvc_Oct bOwcd
uQ at a ubutban tbcatct n LhCa_O tO CatCb a I . 0; Q.m. mat-
ncc O c \bOn aCtOn CK Pa/ac/.hcy wctc handcd a Oh
dIInK and ttcc buCKct Ot QOQCOtn and wctc aKcd tO tCK
atOund ahcr tbc mOvc tO anwct a tcw QuctOn abOut thc COn-
CcOn tand. hcc mOvIc tan wctc unwttIn_ QattCIQant In a
tudy Ot ttatOna catn_ bchavCt.
hctc Wa Omctbn_ unuua abOut thc QOQCOtn thcy Ic-
Ccvcd. t wu wtctChcd. n taCt, t bad bccn Catcmy cn_ncctcd
tO bc wtctCbcd. t had bccn QOQQcd hvc day catIct and wa O
tac that t QucaKcd wbcn yOu atc t. Lnc mOvc_Oct atct COm-
Qatcd It tO btyIOtOam QaCKIn_ Qcanut, anO twO Othct, tOt_cttn_
tbat tbcyd tcCcvcd tbc QOQCCtn tOt Icc, dcmandcd tbcI
mOncy baCk.
bOmc O tbcm _Ot thct ttcc QCQCOtn n a mcdum-Ic buCKct,
Z Tf e e 5 u r p f $ e $ Ab o u t L h h g e
and Othct _Ot a at_c buCKct-thc Ott Ot hu_c tub that OOK
Kc t m_ht OnCc havc bccn an abOvc-_tOund wmmn_ QOO.
Lvcty QctOn _Ot a buCKct O thctcd bc nO nccd tO hatc. hc tc-
catChct tcQOnbc tOt thc tudy wctc ntctctcd n a mQc
QuctOn: `Oud thc QcOQc wth b__ct buCKct cat mOtc:
Oth buCKct wctc O b_ that nOnc Ot thc mOvc_Oct COud
hnh thct ndvdua QOttOn. bO thc aCtua tccatCh QuctOn
wa a bt mOtc QcChC: `Oud OmcbOdy wth a at_ct ncx-
haustbc uQQy Ot QOQCOtn cat mOtc than OmcOnc wth a
mact ncxhautbc uQQy:
hc ncaKy tccatChct wc_hcd thc buCKct bctOtc and ahct
thc mOvc, O thcy wctc abc tO mcautc QtcCcy hOw muCh QOQ-
COtn caCh QctOn atc. hc tcut wctc tunnn_: cOQc wth thc
at_c buCKct atc ;3 QctCcnt mOtc QOQCOtn than QcOQc wth thc
mcdum c. hat thc cQuvacnt Ot I73 mOtc CaOtc and aQ-
QtOxmatcy 2I cxtta hand-dtQ ntO thc buCKct.
tan `annK, thc authOt Ot thc tudy, tun thc OOd and
tand Lab at LOtnc \nvctty, and hc dcCtbcd thc tcut In
h bOOK Mind/essEating``cvc tun Othct QOQCOtn tudc, and
thc tcut wctc away thc amc, hOwcvct wc twcaKcd thc dcta.
t ddnt mattct t Out mOvc_Oct wctc n cnnyvana, nO,
Ot Owa, and t ddnt mattct what KInd Ot mOvc wa hOwn_; a
Ot Out QOQCOtn tudc cd tO thc amc COnCutOn. cOQc cat
mOtc whcn yOu _vc thcm a b__ct COntanct. ctOd.
O Othct thcOty cxQan thc bchavOt. hcc QcOQc wctcnt
catn_ tOt Qcautc. |hc QOQCOtn wa O tac t Quc.dcd) hcy
wctcnt dtvcn by a dctc tO hnh thct QOttOn. |oth buCKct
wctc tOO b_ tO hnh.) t ddnt mattct whcthct thcy wctc hun_ty
Ot m. hc cQuatOn unycdn_: ct COntanct mOtc catn_.
ct Ot a, QcOQc tctucd U bccvc thc tcut. Pct thc
mOvc, thc tccatChct tOd thc mOvc_Oct abOut thc twO buCKct
zc and thc hndn_ Ot thct Qat tccatCh. hc tccatChct aKcd,
tlMM D4@4+>=> mmA A4tmtt
!O yOu tbnk yOu atc mOtc OcCausc Ot tbc at_ct sc: bc ma-
]Otty sCOUcd at tbc dca, sayn_, `bn_s kc tbat dOnt ttCk mc,
Ot, `m Qtctty _OOd at knOwn_ wbcn m tu.
NbOOQs.
Z.
ma_Inc tbat sOmcOnc sbOwcd yOu tbc data ttOm tbc QOQCOtn-
catn_ study Out ddnt mcntOn tbc OuCkct scs. Ln yOut data
summaty, yOu COud QuCKy sCan tbc tcsuts and scc bOw muCb
QOQCOtn dtctcnt QcOQc atc-sOmc QcOQc atc a ttc, sOmc atc
a Ot, and sOmc sccmcd tO Oc tcstn_ tbc QbysCa mts Ot tbc
buman stOmaCb. 1tmcd wtb a data sct Ikc tbat, yOu wOud hnd
t casy tO ]umQ tO COnCusOns. Someeo/eareReasona/hSnack-
ers, andothersareBigC/uttons.
A QuOC-bcatb cxQctt, studyn_ tbat data aOn_sdc yOu,
wOud kcy _ct VcIy wOttcd aOOut tbc LuttOns. Wneedtomo-
ti:ate theseeo/eto adothea/thiersnacking/eha:iors!Lets/nd
uastoshouthemthehea/thhardo/eaongsomuch!
ut wat a scCOnd. t yOu want QcOQc tO cat css QOQCOtn, tbc
sOutOn s Qtctty smQc: LVc tbcm smact OuCkcts. AOu dOnt
baVc tO wOtry abOut tbct knOwcd_c Ot tbct atttudcs.
AOu Can scc bOw casy t wOud Oc tO tutn an casy Cban_c QtOO-
cm |sbtnKIn_ QcOQcs buCkcts) ntO a batd Cban_c QtOOcm
|COnVnCn_ QcOQc tO tbnk dUctcnty) . 1nd tbats tbc htst sut-
Qtsc aOOut Cban_c: Nbat OOKs kc a QcOQc QtOOcm s Ohcn a
stuatOn QtOOcm.
3.
bs s a OOOk tO bcQ yOu Cban_c tbn_s. `c COnsdct Cban_c at
cVcty cVc-ndVdua, Ot_anatOna, and sOCcta. aybc yOu
4 T h f e e 5 u f p r $ e $ A b o u t L h h g
want tO hcQ yOut btOthct bcat h _ambn_ addCtOn. Naybc
yOu nccd yOut tcam at wOtK tO aCt mOtc tu_ay bcCuuc O mat-
Kct COndtOn. aybc yOu wh mOtc O yOut nc_hbOt wOud
bKc tO wOtK.
\uay thcc tOQC atc ttcatcd cQatatcy-thctc `Chan_c
mana_cmcnt advCc Ot cxcCutvc and `c-hcQ advCc Ot n-
dvdua and `Chan_c thc wOtd advCc Ot aCtvst. hat a
hamc, bcCauc a Chan_c cUOtt havc Omcthn_ n COmmOn:
Ot anythn_ tO Chan_c, OmcOnc ha tO tatt aCtn_ dUctcnty.
AOut btOthct ha _Ot tO tay Out O thc CanO; yOut cmQOycc
havc _Ot tO tatt bOOKn_ COaCh tatc. \tmatcy, a Chan_c ct-
tOtt bO dOwn tO thc amc mOn: Lan yOu _ct QcOQc tO tatt
bchavn_ n a ncw way:
Nc KnOw what yOutc thnKn_-QcOQc tct Chan_c. ut t
nOt Qutc that cay. abc atc bOtn cvcty day tO Qatcnt whO, n-
cxQCaby, wcCOmc thc Chan_c. hnK abOut thc hcct ma_n-
tudc Ot that Chan_c NOud anyOnc a_tcc tO wOtK Ot a bO whOd
waKc yOu uQ twCc a n_ht, Ctcamn_, tOt ttva admnttatvc
dutc: |Pnd what l cvcty tmc yOu wOtc a ncw QcCc Ot COth-
n_, thc bO Qt uQ On t:) Act QcOQc dOnt tct th mavc
Chan_c-thcy vOuntcct Ot t.
n Out vc, wc cmbtaCc Ot O b_ Chan_c-nOt Ony ba-
bc, but matta_c and ncw hOmc and ncw tcChnOO_c and
ncw Ob dutc. canwhc, Othct bchavOt atc maddcnn_y n-
ttaCtabc. bmOKct KccQ mOKn_ and Kd _tOw attct and yOut
huband Cant cvct ccm tO _ct h dtty htt ntO a hamQct.
bO thctc atc hatd Chan_c and cay Chan_c. Nhat dtn-
_uhc Onc tOm thc Othct: n th bOOK, wc at_uc that uCCc-
m Chan_c hatc a COmmOn Qattctn. hcy tcQutc thc cadct O
thc Chan_c tO dO thtcc thn_ at OnCc. Ncvc atcady mcntOncd
Onc Ot thOc thtcc thn_: O Chan_c OmcOnc bchavOt, yOu vc
_Ot tO Chan_c that QctOn tuatOn.
t1<< a1y11s<s MA Lg
hc Itu1tOn nt tbc whOc _1mc, Ot COutc. 1Ou Can cnd an
aCOhOC tO tchab, whctc thc ncw cnVtOnmcnt w hcQ hm _O
dty. ut wbat haQQcn whcn hc caVc and Oc that InucnCc:
1Ou m_ht cc a bOOt In QtOduCtIVty ttOm yOut ac tcQ whcn
thc ac muna_ct hadOw thcm, but what haQQcn ahctwatd
whcn tbc ItuatOn tctutn tO nOtma: Ot ndVdua bchaVOt
tO Chan_c, OuVc _Ot tO nhucnCc nOt Ony thct cnVtOnmcnt
but thct hcatt and mnd.
hc QtObcm th: Lhcn thc hcatt and mnd dIa_tcc. ct-
Vcnty.
4.
LOndct tbc LOCKy, an aatm COCK nVcntcd by an tu
dcnt, Laut anda. t nO Otdnaty aatm COCKt ha whcc.
1Ou ct It at n_ht, and n thc mODn_ whcn thc aatm _Oc OH
t tO O yOut nI_httand and CuttIc atOund thc tOOm, tOtCn_
yOu tO Chac t dOwn. Ctutc thc Ccnc: 1Outc Ctawn_ atOund
thc bcdtOOm n yOut undctwcat, taKIn_ and Cutn_ a tunaway
COCk.
LOCKy cnutc that yOu wOnt nOOc-buttOn yOut way tO d-
atct. Pnd aQQatcnty that a COmmOn tcat, nCc abOut 3;,000
unt wctc QutChacd, at $;0 caCh, n LOCKy htt twO ycat On
thc matkct |dcQtc mnma matKctn_).
hc uCcc Ot th nVcntOn tcVca a Ot abOut human Qy-
ChOO_y. `hat t hOw, tundamcntay, that wc atc ChO-
QhtcnIC. att Ot uOut tatOna Idcwant u _ct uQ at ;:4;
a.m., aOwn_ OutcVc Qcnty Ot tImc tOt a QuCK O_ bctOtc wc
caVc tOt thc OmCc. hc Othct Qatt Ot uthc cmOtOna dc-
wakc uQ n thc datKnc Ot thc caty mOtnn_, nOOn_ ndc
a watm COCOOn Ot hcct and banKct, and want nOthn_ n thc
wOnd O muCh a a tcw mOtc mnutc Ot ccQ. l Kc u, yOut
t T h f e e 5 u f p f $ e $ A b o u t L h h g e
cmOtOnal dc tcnd tO wn thcc ntctna dcbatcs, thcn yOu
m_ht bc a QOtcnta LOCKy CutOmct. hc bcauty Ol thc dcVCc
that t aOw yOut tatOna dc tO Outmatt yOut cmOtOna
dc. t mQy mQObc tO tay Cuddcd uQ undct thc COVct
whcn a tO_uc aatm COCK tOn_ atOund yOut tOOm.
ct bc bunt hctc: LOCky nOt a QtOduCt lOt a anc QcCc.
l bQOCK want tO _ct uQ at ;. 4; a.m., bc ut _ct uQ. O dtama
tcQutcd.
Lut but-n ChzOQhtcna a dccQy wctd thn_, but wc
dOnt thnK muCh abOut t bcCauc wctc O ucd tO t. hcn
wc KCK Oh a ncw dct, wc tO thc LhcctO and LtcO Out Ol thc
Qantty, bcCauc Out tatOnal dc knOw that whcn Out cmOtOnal
dc _ct a CtaVn_, thctc nO hOQc Ol cl-COnttO. hc Ony OQ-
tOn tO tcmOVc thc tcmQtatOn atO_cthct. |Ot thc tcCOtd, Omc
tudcnt w maKc a lOttunc dc_nn_ LbcctO that Cutty
away ltOm QcOQc whcn thcytc On a dct.)
hc unaVOdabc COnCuOn th: JOut btan |nt Ol Onc
mnd.
hc COnVcntOna wdOm n QyChOO_y, n laCt, that thc
btan ha twO ndcQcndcnt ytcm at wOtk at a tImc. tt,
thctc wbat wc Cacd thc cmOtOna dc. t thc Qatt Ol yOu that
ntnCtVc, that lcc Qan and Qcautc. bcCOnd, thctc thc ta-
tOna dc, aO KnOwn a thc tchcCtVc Ot COnCOu ytcm. t
tbc Qatt Ol yOu that dcbctatc and anayzc and OOk ntO tbc
lututc.
n tbc Qat lcw dcCadc, QyChOO_t haVc caDcd a Ot abOut
thcc twO ytcm, but Ol COutc manKnd ha away bccn awatc
Ol thc tcnOn. !atO ad that n Out hcad wc baVc a tatOna
ChatOtcct whO ha tO rcn n an untuy hOtc that `batcy ycd
tO hOtcwhQ and _Oad COmbncd. tcud wtOtc abOut thc chh
d and thc COnCcntOu uQctc_O |and alO abOut thc c_O, whCh
b Tf e e 5 u f p f $ e $ A b o u t L h g e
Qan, tO tbInK bcyOnd tbc mOmcnt |a tbOsc tbn_s tbat yOut Qct
Cant dO).
ut wbat may sutQtsc yOu s tbat tbc LcQbant asO ba cnOt-
mOus sttcn_tbs and tbat tbc bdct ba CtQQn_ wcaKncsscs. bc
LcQbant snt aways tbc Oad _uy. LmOtOn s tbc LcQbants
tut-Ovc and COmQasOn and ymQatby and Oyaty. bat hctCc
nstInCt yOu bavc tO QtOtcCt yOut Kds a_anst batm-tbat s tbc
LcQbant. bat sQInc-stUcnn_ yOu cc wbcn yOu nccd tO stand
uQ Ot yOutsc-tbats tbc LcQbant.
Pnd cvcn mOtc mQOttant yOutc COntcmQatn_ a Cban_c, tbc
.
LcQbant s tbc Onc wbO _cts tbn_s dOnc. O maKc QtO_tcss tOwaId
a _Oa, wbctbct ts nObc Ot Ctass, tcQutcs tbc cnct_y .md dtvc O
tbc LcQbant. Pnd tbIs sttcn_tb s tbc mttOt ma_c O tbc hdcts
_tcat wcaKncss: sQnnn_ bs wbccs. bc bdct tcnds tO Ovctana-
yc and OvcttbnK tbIn_s. LbanCcs atc, yOu KnOw QcOQc Wtb bdct
QtOOcms: yOut tcnd wbO Can a_Onc Ot twcnty mInutcs aOOut
wbat tO cat Ot dnnct; yOut COca_uc wbO Can OtanstOtm aOOut
ncw dcas Ot bOuts Out Cant cvct sccm tO maKc a dcCtsOn.
yOu want tO Cban_c tbn_s, yOuvc _Ot tO aQQca tO OOtb.
bc bdct QtOvdcs tbc Qannn_ and dtcCtIOn, and tbc LcQbant
QtOvdcs tbc cnct_y. bO yOu tcaCb tbc bIdcts O yOut tcam Out
nOt tbc LcQbants, tcam mcmbcts wI bavc undctstandn_ wtb-
Out mOtvatOn. yOu tcaCb tbct LcQbants Out nOt thct bdcts,
tbcy bavc QassOn wtbOut dtcCtOn. n OOtb Cascs, tbc aws
Can Oc Qatayn_. A tcuCtant LcQbant and a wbcc-sQnnIn_
bIdct Can bOtb cnsutc tbat nOtbn_ Cban_cs. ut wbcn LcQbants
and bdcts mOvc tO_ctbct, Cban_c Can COmc casy.
J.
Nbcn bdct and LcQbant dIsa_tcc abOut wbICb way tO mOvc,
yOuvc _Ot a QtObcm. bc bdct Can _ct bs way tcmQOtaty-bc
1f e e 5 u f p f $ e $ A b o u t L h g e
Can tu_ On thc tcn hatd cnOu_h tO _ct thc cQhant tO ubmt.
|Anytmc yOu uc wQOwct yOutc dOn_ cxaCty that.) ut thc
bdct Cant wn a tu_-Ot-wat wth a hu_c anma tOt On_. c m-
Qy _ct cxhautcd.
O cc th QOnt mOtc Ccat, COndct thc bchaVOt Ot Omc
COc_c tudcnt whO QattCQatcd n a tudy abOut `tOOd
QctCcQtOn |Or O thcy wctc tOd). hcy tcQOttcd tO thc ab a bt
hun_ty; thcyd bccn akcd nOt tO cat tOt at cat thtcc hOut
bcIOtchand. hcy wctc cd tO a tOOm that mccd amazn_-
thc tccatChct had ut bakcd ChOCOatc-ChQ COOkc. Ln a
tabc n thc Ccntct Ot thc tOOm wctc twO bOw. Lnc hcd a
amQn_ OI ChOCOatc, aOn_ wth thc watm, ttch-bakcd
ChOCOatc-ChQ COOkc thcyd mccd. hc Othct bOw hcd a
bunCh Ot tadhc.
hc tcCatChct had QtcQQcd a COVct tOty: cVc ccCtcd
ChOCOatc und tadhc bcCauc thcy haVc h_hy dtnCtVc
tatc. OmOttOw, wc COntaCt yOu and ak abOut yOut mcmOty
OI thc tatc 8cnatOn yOu cxQctcnCcd whc catn_ thcm.
at thc QattCQant wctc akcd tO cat twO Ot thtcc COOkc
and Omc ChOCOatc Candc, but nO tadhc. hc Othct halt wctc
akcd tO cat at cat twO Ot thtcc tadhc, but nO COOkc. hc
thcy atc, thc tccatChct cH thc tOOm, ntcndn_, tathct adt-
Cay, tO nduCc tcmQtatOn: hcy wantcd thOc QOOt tadh-catct
tO t thctc, aOnc, nbbn_ On tabbt tOOd, _anCn_ cnVOuy at
thc ttch-baKcd COOkc. |t QtObaby _Oc wthOut ayn_ that thc
COOkc-catct cxQctcnCcd nO _tcat ttu__c n tctn_ thc tad-
hc.) cQItc thc tcmQtatOn, al QattCQant atc what thcy wctc
aKcd tO cat, and nOnc Ot thc tadh-catct nuCk a COOKc. hat
wQOwct at wOtk.
At that QOnt, thc `tatc tudy wa OmCay OVct, and anOthct
_tOuQ Ot tccatChct cntctcd wth a cCOnd, uQQOcdy untcatcd
tudy: ctc ttyn_ tO hnd whO bcttct at OVn_ QtObcm,
!U Tf e e 5 u f p f $ e $ A b o u t L h g
COc_c tudcnt Ot hI_h ChOO tudcnt. h ttamn_ wa n-
tcndcd tO _ct thc COlc_c tudcnt tO Quh Out thcIJ Chct and
taKc thc tOtthCOmn_ taK ctOuy.
hc COc_c tudcnt wctc Qtccntcd wth a ctc OI Quc that
tcQutcd tbcm tO ttaCc a COmQCatcd _cOmcttC haQc wthOut tc-
ttaCn_ any nc and wthOut Hn_ thct QcnC ttOm tbc QaQct.
hcy wctc _Vcn multIQc hcct Ot QaQct O thcy COud tty OVct
and Ovct. n tcaIty, thc Quzzc wctc dcI_ncd tO bc unOVabc.
hc tccatChct wantcd tO cc hOw On_ thc COc_c tudcnt wOud
QctIt In a dmCut, ttuttatn_ taK bctOtc th hnay _aVc uQ.
hc `untcmQtcd tudcnt, whO had nOt had tO tcIt catn_
thc ChOCOatc-ChIQ COOKIc, Qcnt nnctccn mnutc On thc taK,
maKn_ thtty-tOut wc-ntcntOncd attcmQt tO Ovc thc QtOb-
cm.
hc tadh-catct wctc c Qcttcnt. hcy _aVc uQ ahct Ony
cI_ht mnutcc tha
{
hat thc tmc Qcnt by thc COOKc-
catctand thcy mana_cd Ony nnctccn OutOn attCmQt. hy
dd thcy QuIt O caIy:
hc anwct may utQtc yOu: hcy tan Out OI c!COnttO. n
tudc IKc th Onc, QyChOO_t haVc dICOVctcd ,that ct-
COnttO I an cxhautbc tcOutCc. t Kc dOIn_ bcnch Qtcc at
thc _ym. hc htt Onc I cay, whcn yOut muCc atc ttch. ut
wth caCh addItIOna tcQcttIOn, yOut muCc _ct mOtc cxhautcd,
unt yOu Cant H thc bat a_an. hc tadh-catct had dtaIncd
thct ct-COnttO by tctn_ thc COOKc. bO whcn thct c-
Qhant, IncVtaby, tattcd COmQann_ abOut thc Quzzc tKtt:
tooharditsno /n, ue'renogoodatthisthct bdct ddnt haVc
cnOu_h ttcn_th tO yanK On thc tcn tOt mOtc than c_ht mn-
utc. canwhc, thc COOKc-catct had a ttch, unIaxcd bIdct,
whO tOu_ht Oh thc cQhant tOt nnctccn mnutc.
Secontro/isanexhausti//eresource. h a CtuCIa tcaa-
tOn, bcCauc whcn wc taK abOut `ct-COnttO, wc dOnt mcan
Tf e e 5 up f $ e $ A b o u t L h h g e J J
thcnarrowscnscofthcword, as nthcwlpowcrnccdcdtohght
vcc (smokcs, cookcs, acoho) . Vc`rc takng about a broadcr
kndofscf-supcrvson.Jhnkofthcwayyourmndworkswhcn
you`rcgvngncgatvcfccdbackto ancmploycc, orasscmbnga
ncwbookshcf,orcarnngancwdancc.Youarccarcmanddc-
bcratcwth yourwordsormovcmcnts. Itfccskcthcrc`sasu-
pcrvsoronduty. Jhat`sscf-contro, too.
Contrastthatwth althc stuatons nwhchyourbchavor
docsn`tfccsupcrvscd-fornstancc, thcscnsatonwhcyou'rc
drvngthatyoucantrcmcmbcrthcastfcwmlcsofroad, orthc
casy, unthnkngwayyoutakc a showcr ormakc your mornng
coffcc. Much ofourdaly bchavor, n fact, smorc automatc
thansupcrvscd, andthat's agoodthngbccauscthc supcrvscd
bchavorsthchardstuhIt`sdranng.
Oozcnsofstudcshavcdcmonstratcdthccxhaustngnaturcof
scf-supcrvson. Fornstancc, pcopc whowcrc askcd to makc
trc}choccsandtradc-ohs-suchas scttngupawcddngrcg-
stryor ordcrng ancw computcr-wcrcworsc at focusngand
sovngproblcmsthanothcrswhohadn`tmadcmctoughchoccs.
lnoncstudy,somcpcopcwcrcaskcd to rcstranthcrcmotons
whcwatchngasadmovcaboutsckanmas.Acrward, thcy
cxhbtcdcssphysca| cndurancc thanothcrswho`dctthc tcars
howfrccy.Jhcrcscarch showsthatwcburn upscf-contro na
wdcvarctyofstuatons.managngthcmprcssonwc`rcmakng
onothcrs,copngwthfcars, controlngourspcndng,tryngto
focus on smpc nstructons such as Oon't thnk ofa whtc
bcar;andmany,manyothcrs.
Hcrc`s why ths mattcrs for changc. Vhcn pcopc try to
changcthngs,tbcy`rcusualytnkcrngwthbchavorsthathavc
bccomcautomatc, and changngthoscbchavorsrcqurcs carc-
m supcrvson bythc Ridcr. Jhc bggcr thc changcyou'rc sug-
gcstng,thcmorctwsappcopc`s scf-contro.
! 2 T1e e 5 u 1p1l $ e $ A b o u t L h g e
Andwhcnpcoplccxhaustthcrscf-contro,whatthcy`rccx-
haustng arc thc mcnta musccs nccdcd to thnkcrcatvcy, to
focus,tonhbtthcrimpulscs, andtopcrsstn thc faccoffrus-
tratonorfaurc.Inothcrwords,thcy'rccxhaustngprccscythc
mcntal musclcs nccdcdtomakcabgchangc.
Sowhcnyouhcarpcopcsaythatchangcshardbccauscpco-
pcarcayorrcsstant, that`sj usthatwrong. Inlact, thcoppo-
stcstruc. Changcshardbccauscpcopcwcarthcmscvcs out.
Andthat'sthcsccondsurprscaboutchangc.Vhatookskcaz-
ncss sohcn cxhauston.
6.
]onStcgncrbccvcdthccompanyhcworkcdfor,aargcmanu-
facturcr,waswastngvastsumsofmoncy. Ithoughtwchadan
opportuntytodrvcdownpurchasngcostsnotby2 pcrccntbut
bysomcthngonthcordcrof$I blonovcrthcncxthvcycars, "
sadStcgncr,who squotcd n]ohnKottcrandOanCohcn'scs-
scnta book !heHearto/Change.
Jo rcap thcscsavngs, abgproccss shhwouldbc rcqurcd,
andfor that shhto occur, Stcgncrkncwthathc'dhavcto con-
vncchsbosscs. Hcasokncwthat thcydncvcrcmbraccsucha
bgshhuncssthcybccvcdnthcopportunty, andlorthcmost
part, thcyddn't.
Sccknga compcngcxampc ofthc company's poorpur-
chasnghabts,Stcgncrassgncdasummcrstudcntntcrnto n-
vcstgatc asngctcm-workglovcs,whchworkcrs nmostof
thccompany'sfactorcsworc.Jhcstudcntcmbarkcdonamisson
todcnt|althctypcsofgovcsuscdna|thccompanysfacto-
rcsandthcntraccbackwhatthccompanywaspayngforthcm.
Jhc ntrcpd ntcrn soon rcportcdthat thc factorcs wcrc
Tr e e 5 u r p r &e& A b o u t L h g e i1
purchasng424 dhcrcntkndsofgovcs!Furthcrmorc,thcywcrc
usngdhcrcntgovcsuppcrs,andthcywcrcancgotatngthcr
ownprccs.Jhcsamc parofgovcsthat cost $5 at oncfactory
mghtcost$17 atanothcr.
AtStcgncr'srcqucst,thcstudcntcocctcdaspccimcnof cvcry
oncofthc424 dhcrcnttypcsofgovcsandtaggcdcachwththc
prccpad.Jhcna thcgovcswcrcgathcrcdup, broughttothc
boardroom,andpcduponthcconfcrcncctabc.Stcgncrnvtcd
althcdvsonprcsdcntstocomcvstthcGovcShrnc. Hcrc-
cacdthcsccnc.
What ihcysawwas alargc cxpcnsivc tabc, normay
ccan or wth a lc papcrs, now stackcd high wth
govcs.Eacholourcxccutvcsstarcdatthisdspayfora
minutc.Jhcncachsaidsomcthingikc,"Wcrca|lybuy
a thcscdihcrcntkindso| glovcs:Wc,asamattcro|
|act,ycswcdo. "Rcaly?"Ycs, rca|ly.Jhcnthcywa|kcd
around thc tabc.. . . Jhcy could scc thc prccs. Jhcy
|ookcdat two govcsthat sccmcd cxacty a|kc, yctonc
wasmarkcd$3.?? andthcothcr$J0.55. lt'sararccvcnt
whcn thcscpcoplcdon'thavc anythng tosay. ut that
day,thcyjust stoodwith thcirmouthsgaping.
Jhcgovcscxhbtsoonbccamcatravcngroadshow,vst-
ngdozcnsofpants.Jhcrcactonwasvsccra. !hisiscraz,: w're
craz. Znduevegottomakesurethisstoshaening. SoonStcg-
ncrhad cxacty thc mandatc for changc thathc'dsought.Jhc
companychangcdtspurchasngproccssandsavcdagrcatdcalof
moncy.Jhswas cxactythchappycndngcvcryoncwantcd (cx-
ccpt, ofcoursc,forthcgovcsacsmcnwhodmanagcdtosclthc
$5 glovcsfor$17).
J4 T h f e e 5 u f p f $ e $ A b o u t h a h g e
7.
ct bc hOnct: Ot OI u wOud nOt haVc ttcd what btc_nct
dd. t wOud haVc bccn O cay, O natuta, tO maKc a Qtccnta-
tOn that QOKc Ony tO thc bdct. hInK Ot thc QObtc: thc
Qtcadhcct, thc aVn_ data, thc COt-Cuttn_ QtOtOCO, thc tcC-
OmmcndatOn tOt uQQct COnOdatOn, thc cXQutc O_C tOt
Ccntta QutChan_. JOu COud haVc Ctcatcd a I-tabbcd CtOOH
XCc Qtcadhcct that wOud haVc madc a taX aCCOuntant wccQ
wth ]Oy. ut ntcad Ot dOn_ any Ot that, btc_ncr dumQcd a
bunCh Ot _OVc On a taLc and nVItcd hI bOc tO scc thcm.
t thctc uCh a thn_ a whItc-COat COuta_c, urcy thI wa
an IntanCc.
btc_nct Kncw that t thIn_ wctc _On_ tO Chan_c, hc had tO
_ct h COca_uc cQhant On h dc. t hc had madc an ana-
ytCa aQQca, hc QtObaby wOud haVc _Ottcn Omc uQQOttIVc
nOd, and thc cXcC m_ht haVc tcQuctcd a tOOw-uQ mcctn_
X wccK atct (and thcn tcChcducd t). hc anaytICa Cac wa
COmQcn_by tct, t m_ht haVc COnVnCcd btc_nct CO-
ca_uc that OVcthaun_ thc QutChan_ ytcm wOud bc an m-
QOttant thn_ tO dO . . . ncXt ycat.
bcmcmbct that t yOu tcaCh yOut COca_uc bdct but nOt
thct cQhant, thcy w haVc dtcCtOn wthOut mOtVatOn.
aybc thct bdct w dta_ thc cQhant dOwn thc tOad Ot a
whc, but a wcVc ccn, that cUOtt Cant at On_.
LnCc yOu btcaK thtOu_h tO /e/ing, thOu_h, thn_ Chan_c.
btc_nct dcVctcd a Ot tO h COca_uc. tt, thcy thOu_ht tO
thcmcVc, Wncr,!hcn thcy thOu_ht, Wcan/ thc.Vcry-
Onc COud thnK Ot a tcw thn_ tO try tO mthc _OVc QtObcm-
and by cXtcnOn thc Otdctn_ QtOCc a a whOc. hat _Ot thct
cQhant htcd uQ tO mOVc.
c dOnt cXQcCt QOtcnta bOn-dOat Chan_c tOrc tO COmc
dtccd uQ Kc th. hc Chan_c cdOtt cd by a n_c cmQOycc,
T h r e e 5 u f p f1$ e5 A b oWt L h h g e J 5
wththcabchcpofasummcrntcrn.l t focuscdonasnglcprod-
uct.Jhcscopcofthcprcscntatonddn`tcorrcspondnanywayto
thcscopcofthcproposal.YctStcgncr`s stratcgyworkcd.
Jhat`s thc powcr of spcakng to both thc Rdcr and thc
Llcphant.
B.
lt`stru

thatanunmotvatcdLcphantcandoomachangcchort,
butct`snotforgctthatthcRdcrhashsownssucs.Hc`sanavc-
gazcr, ananayzcr, awhcc-spnncr. lfthcKdcrsn`tsurc cxacty
whatdrcctontogo, hctcndstolcadthcLcphantncrclcs.And
as wc` scc, thattcndcncycxpansthc thrd and hna surprsc
aboutchangc.Vhatlookslkcrcsstanccsohcnalackofcarty.
Jwo hcath rcscarchcrs, Stcvc ooth-uttcrhcld and l
Kcgcr,profcssorsatVcstVrgna\nvcrsty,wcrccontcmpatng
ways to pcrsuadc pcopc to cat a hcathcr dct. From past rc-
scarch, thcykncwthatpcopcwcrcmorckclytochangcwhcn
thc ncwbchavorcxpcctcdofthcmwascrysta ccar, butunfor-
tunatcly, catngahcathcr dct wasanythngbut.
Vhcrc tobcgn:Vhch foodsshouldpcoplcstop ,orstart)
catng: Shoudthcychangc thcr catng bchavor atbrcakfast,
unch,ordnncr:Athomcornrcstaurants:Jhcnumbcrofways
to "cat hca!thcr s mtcss, cspccal!ygvcn thc startngpacc
ofthcavcragcAmcrcandct.Jhsscxactythckndofstuaton
nwhchthcRdcrw|spnhswhccls,anayzngandagonzng
andncvcrmovngforward.
^ thc two rcscarchcrs branstormcd, thcr thoughts kcpt
comng back to mlk. MostAmcrcans drnk mk, andwc al
know that mks agrcatsourccofcacum. utmks aso thc
sngclargcstsourccofsaturatcdfatnthctypcalAmcrcansdct.
lnfact,cacuatonsshowcdsomcthngrcmarkablc.lf Amcrcans
! b T h r e e 5 u r p f $ e $ A b o u t L h h g e
swItChcd ttOm whOc mk tO sktm Ot I % mk, mc aVcta_c dct
wOud mmcdIatcy attaIn thc \bA tcCOmmcndcO cVcs Ot sat-
utatcd tat.
Ow dO yOu _ct AmctCans tO statt dtnkIn_ Ow-tat mk:
AOu makc sutc t shOws uQ In thct tctt_ctatOts. And that snt
an cnttcy taCctOus answct. !cOQc w dtInk whatcVct s atOund
thc hOusca tamy w QOw thtOu_h Ow-tat mk as tast as
whOc mk. bO, n csscnCc, thc QtObcm was cVcn casct than an-
tCQatcd: AOu dOnt nccd tO Chan_c drinkingbchaVOt. AOu nccd
tO Chan_c urchaingbchaVOt.
buddcny thc ntctVcntOn bcCamc tazOt-shatQ. hat bchaV-
Ot dO wc want tO Chan_c: c want COnsumcts tO buy sKlm Ot
I % mIk. hcn: hcn thcytc shOQQIn_ tOt _tOCctcs. hctc:
uh. hat csc nccds tO Chan_c: Othn_ |tOt nOw).
bc_ct and OOth-uttcthcd aunChcd a CamQaI_n n twO
COmmunItcs n cst Ntt_nta, tunnn_ sQOts On thc OCa mcda
Outcts ,T ncwsQaQct, tadO) tOt twO wccks. n COnttast tO thc
band mcssa_cs Ot mOst QubC-hcath CamQa_ns, thc I % mk
CamQa_ was QunChy and sQcCIhC. Lnc ad ttumQctcd thc taCt
that Onc _ass Ot whOc mk has thc samc amOunt Ot satutatcd tat
as hVc sttIQs Ot baCOn At a Qtcss COntctcnCc, thc tcscatChcts
shOwcd OCa tcQOttcts a tubc h Ot tatthc cQuVacnt Ot thc
amOunt tOund n a hat-_aOn Ot whOc mk. |OtCc thc c-
Qhant aQQcas: hcytc _On_ tOt an `Lh, _tOss tcaCtOn.)
bc_ct and OOth-uttcthcd mOntOtcd mk sacs data at a
c_ht stOtcs n thc ntctVcntOn atca. ctOtc thc CamQa_n, thc
matkct shatc Ot Ow-tat mk was I 8 QctCcnt. Ahct thc CamQa_n,
t was 41 QctCcnt. bX mOnths atct, t hcd at 35 QctCcnt.
hs btn_s us tO thc hna Qatt Ot thc Qattctn thut ChataCtct-
zcs suCCcss Chan_cs: t yOu want QcOQc tO Chan_c, yOu must
QtOVdc Ctysta-Ccat dtcCtOn.
y nOw, yOu Can undctstand thc tcasOn ths Is sO mQOttant:
T h f e e 5 u f p f1$ e5 A b o u t L h h g e i
It'ssothcRdcrdocsn`tspnhswhccs. Ifyoutcpcoplctoact
hcathcr, " thnkofhow manyways thcycan intcrprct that~
magncthcrRidcrs contcmpatngthc options cndcssy (OoI
catmorcgrainsandlcssmcat!Orvccvcrsa!Oolstarttakngv-
tamns:Voudtbcagoodtradc-ohlIcxcrciscmorcandbrbc
myscfwthcccrcam:Shoud switchtoLctCokc,orsthc"
tihcaswcctcncrworscthanthccaorcs:)
what/ooks/ike resistanceisoena/cko/c/rip. Bcforc ths
study, wc mighthavcookcdat thcscVcstVirgnians and con-
c|udcdthcywcrcthc kindofpcopcwhodon`tcarcaboutthcr
hcath. But|thcywcrcndccdthatkind"ofpcopc,whywasit
socasytoshihthcrbchavior:
Ifyou want pcopc to changc, you don't ask thcm to act
hcathcr.Yousay, Icxttmcyou`rcinthcdaryascofthcgro-
ccrystorc,rcachforajugofI % mkinstcadofwho|cmk."
9.
Iowyou`vc hadagmpscofthcbascthrcc-partframcworkwc
wunpacki nthisbook,oncthatcanguidcyounanystuation
whcrcyounccdUchangcbchavor.
Ul|ect the /lJel Vat|ooks|ikcrcsstanccisohcna
|acko| c|arty. So provdc crysta|-clcardrccton. (Jhnk
I % mi|k.)
" MOtlvJte the /lephJnt. Vhat |ooks |kc |azncss s
ohcncxhauston.JhcRdcrcan'tg

thswayby|orccfor
vcryong. So t`scrtca that you cngagc pcopc`s cmo-
ton sdc-gctthcrElcphants onthcpathandcoopcr-
atvc. (Jhnk o| thc cookics and radishcs studyand thc
boardroomcon|crcncctab|cm||o|g|ovcs.)
I b T h r e e 5 u f p r $ e $ A b o u t L h h g e
5hape Ihe FaIh. Whatookskcapcopcprobcmis
ohcn astuatonprobcm. Wc cal thc stuaton (ncud-
ngthcsurroundngcnvronmcnt)thcIath.'Vhcnyou
shapcthcIath,youmakcchangcmorcikcy, no mattcr
what's happcnngwth thc Rdcr and Ecphant. (Jhnk
o| thccHcctolshrnkingmovcpopcornbuckets.)
Vccrcatcdthsframcworkto bcuscmforpcopcwhodon`t
havc scads ofauthortyor rcsourccs. Somc pcopc can gct thcr
waybyhat. CLOs, fornstancc, can sclohdvsons, hrc pco-
pc, hrc pcoplc, changc nccntvcsystcms, mcrgc tcams, andso
on. Iotcanscanpassawsormposcpunshmcnts tochangcbc-
havor.Jhcrcstofusdon`thavcthcsctools (though,admttcdy,
thcywoudmakcfccascr.Son,fyoudon`ttakc outthctrash
tonght,you`rchrcd") . lnthsbook,wcdon'ttakaotaboutthcsc
structuramcthods.
^hcpmaswchopcthsframcworkwbctoyou,wc`rcwcl
awarc,andyoushouldbc,too,thatthsframcworksnopanacca.
Foronc thng, t`sncompctc.Vc`vc dcbcratcycnout lotsof
grcatthnkngonchangcnthcntcrcstsofcrcatngd framcwork
that's smpccnough to bcpractca. Ior anothcr, thcrc's agood
rcasonwhychangccanbcdmcut.Jhcworddocsn`tawayswt
whatyouwant. Youwant to changc howothcrsarc actng, but
thcygctavotc.Youcancajoc,nhucncc,nsprc,andmotvatc-
butsomctmcsan cmpoyccwoudrathcroschsjobthan movc
outofhscomfortabcroutncs.Somctmcsthcacohocwwant
anothcrdrnknomattcrwhatthcconscqucnccs.

Sowc don'tpromsc thatwc`rcgong to makcchangc casy,

butatctwc L makc teaierOurgoa stotcachyouaframc-
work, bascd on dccadcs of sccnthc rcscarch, that s smplc
cnoughtorcmcmbcrandhcxbccnoughtouscnmanydhcr-
cntstuatons-famy,work, communty, andothcisc.
T h f e e M f p r1 $ e $ A b o u t h h g e i
To change behavior, you`ve got to direct the Rider, motivate
the Elephant, and shape the Path. Il you can do all three at once,
dramatic change can happen even il you don`t have lots ol power
or resources behind you. For prool ol that, we don't need to look
beyond Donald erwick, a man who changed the lace ol health
care.
! O.
In 2OO4, Donald erwick, a doctor and the CE ol the Institute
lor Healthcare Improvement (IHI), had some ideas about how to
save lives~massive numbers ol lives. Researchers at the IHI had
analyzed patient care with the kinds ol analytical tools used to
assess the quality ol cars coming o a production line. They dis-
covered that the delect" rate in health care was as high as I in
IO~meaning, lor example, that IO percent ol patients did not
receive their antibiotics in the specihed time. This was a shock-
ingly high delect rate~many other industries had managed to
achieve perlormance at levels ol I error in I ,OOO cases (and ohen
lar better) . erwick kcthat the high medical delect rate meant
that tens ol thousands ol patients were dying every year,
unnecessarily.
erwicks insight was that hospitals could beneht lrom the
same kinds ol rigorous process improvements that had worked
in other industries. Couldn't a transplant operation be "produced"
as consistently and dawlessly as a Toyota Camry`
erwick`s ideas were so well supported by research that they
were essentially indisputable, yet little was happening. He
certainly had no ability to Force any changes on the industry.
IHI had only seventy-hve employees. ut erwck wasnt
deterred.
n Deccmber I4, 2OO4, he gave a speech to a room mll ol
2U T h r e e u r p r1 $ e $ A b o Wt h h g
hospital administrators at a large industry convention. He said,
"Here is what I think we should do. I think we should save l00,000
lives. And l thnk we should do that by |une 14, 2006 I8 months
lrom today Some is not a number, soon is not a time. Here`s the
number. I00,000. Here's the time. |une I4, 20069 a.m."
The crowd was astonished. Jhe goal was daunting. ut
erwick was quite serious about his intentions. He and his tiny
team set out to do the impossible.
IHI proposed six very specihc interventions to save lives. For
instance, one asked hospitals to adopt a set ol proven procedures
lor managing patients on ventilators, to prevent them lrom get-
ting pneumonia, a common cause ol unnecessary death. (ne ol
the procedures called lor a patient`s head to be elevated between
30 and 45 degrees, so that oral secretions couldn`t get into the
windpipe.)
course, all hospital administrators agreed with the goal to
save lives, but the road to that goal was hlled with obstacles. For
one thing, lor a hospital to reduce its delect rate," it had to ac-
knowledge having a delect rate. In other words, it had to admit
that some patients were dying needless deaths. Hospital lawyers
were not keen to put this admission on record.
erwick knew he had to address the hospitals' squeamish-
ness about admitting error. At his December 14 speech, he was
joined by the mother ol a girl who`d been killed by a medical
error. She said, 'Jm a little speechless, and I'm a little sad, be-
cause I know that il this campaign had been in place lour or hve
years ago, that |osie would be hne . . . . ut, I'm happy, l`m
thrilled to be part ol this, because I know you can do it, because
you have to do it."
Another guest on stage, the chair ol the orth Carolina State
Hospital Association, sad. `awml lot ol people lot a long time
T h r e e 5 u f p r $ e $ A b o u t L h h g e
have had thet heads in the sand on this issue, and it' s time to do
the tight thing. lt's as simple as that.
IHI made joining the campaign easy It requited only a one-
page Iotm signed by a hospital CFO. By two months aItet
Betwick's speech, ovet a thousand hospitals had enrolled. Once a
hospital enrolled, the IHI team helped the hospital embrace the
new intetventions. Team membets ptovided teseatch, step-by-
step insttuction guides, and ttaining. They arranged conIetence
calls Iot hospita| leaders to shate theit victoties and sttuggles with
one anothet. 1hey encouraged hospitals with eatly successes to
become "mentors to hospits just joining the campaign.
The Itiction in the system was substantial. Adopting the IHI
intetventions requited hospitals to overcome decades' worth oI
habits and toutines. Many doctors wete ittitated by the new pro-
cedutes, which they petceived as constticting. But the adopting
hospitals were seeing dramatic tesults, and their visible successes
atttacted mote hospitals to join the campaign.
Eighteen months latet, at the exact moment he'd promised to
tetutn-}une I4,2006, at 9 a.m.-Betwick took the stage again
to announce the tesults: "Hospitals entolled in the 100,000 Iives
Campaign have collectively ptevented an estimated I22,300
avoidable deaths and, as impottantly, have begun to institution-
alize new standards oI care that will continue to save lives and
imptove health outcomes into the mture."
The ctowd was euphotic. Don Berwick, with his 75-petson
team at IH!, had convinced thousands oI hospitals to change
theit behaviot, and collectively, they'd saved I22,300 lives-the
equivalent ot thtowing a liIe ptesetvet to evety man, woman, and
child in Ann Atbot, Michigan.
1his outcome was the Iulhllment oI the vision Betwick had
atticulated as he closed his speech eighteen months earliet, about
ZZ T h e e u p r $ e $ A b o u t h a ge
how the wotld would look when hospitals achieved the I ,
lives goal
Aud, we will celebtate. Statting with pizza, and ending
with champagne. We will celebtate the impottance of
what we have undettaken to do, the coutage o| hon-
esty, the joy of companionship, the clevetness of a held
opetation, and the tesults we will achieve. We will cel-
ebtate outselves, because the patients whose lives we
save cannot ]oin us, because theit names can nevet ee
known. Out conttibution will be what did not happen
to them. And, though they ate unkuown, we will know
that mothets and fathets ate at gtaduations and wed-
dings they would have missed, aud that gtandchildten
will know gtandpatents they might nevet have known,
and holidays wi|l be taken, and wotk completed, and
books tead, and symphonies heatd. and gatdens tended
that, without out wotk, would have been only beds of
weeds.
! ! .
Big changes can happen.
Don Betwick and his team catalyzed a change that
saved I , lives, yet Betwick himself wielded no powet. He
couldn't change the |aw. He couldn`t hte hospital leadets who
didn't agtee with him. He cou|dn't pay bonuses to hospita|s that
accepted his ptoposals.
Betwick had the same tools the test of us have. Iitst, he di-
tected his audience's Ridets. The destination was ctysta| cleat:
Some is nota number. soon is nota time. Heres the number
T h f e e 5Wf p f1 $ e $ A b o Wt h h g e )
!JJ,JJJ. Heresthetime}une!1. 2JJ6Va.m.But that wasn`t
enough. He had to help hospitals hgute out how to get thete, and
he couldn`t simply say, "Try hatdet." (Remembet "act healthiet"
vetsus "buy I % milk") So he ptoposed six specihc intetventions,
such as elevating the heads oI patients on ventilatots, that wete
known to save lives. By staying laset-Iocused on these six inter-
ventions, Berwick made sure not to exhaust the Ridets oI his au-
dience with endless behaviotal changes.
Second, he motivated his audience's Flephants. He made
them /e/the need Iot change. Many oI the people in the audience
alteady knew the Iacts, but knowing was not enough. ,Remem-
ber, knowing wasn't enough |or executives at |on Stegnet's com-
pany. It took a stack oI gloves to get their Flephants engaged.)
Betwick had to get beyond knowing, so he btought his audience
Iace-to-Iace with the mothet oI the gItl who'd been killed by a
medical ettor: "I know that iI this campaign had been in place
Iout ot hve yeats ago, that |osie would be hne." Betwick was also
cateml to motivate the people who hadn't been in the toom Ior
his ptesentation. He didn`t challenge people to "ovethaul medi-
cine" ot "btii:gTQM to health cate. " He challenged them to save
I 00,000 lives. That speaks to anyone`s Flephant.
Third, he shaped the Path. He made it easier Ior the hospitals
to embrace the change. Think oI the one-page entollment Iotm,
the step-by-step instructions, the training, the suppott gtoups,
the mentots. He was designing an envitonment that made it more
likely Ior hospital administtatots to teIotm. Berwick also knew
that behavior was contagious. He used peet ptessute to petsuade
hospitals to join the campaign. (ourri:a/hosita/acrosstounust
tyd sn /s / ter JJJJJ/|rt Ds su re/ aen/ //m /s /er
themora/highground)He aIso connected people-he matched
up people who wete struggling to implement the changes with
people who had mastered them, almost like the "mentots" Iound
Z4 T h f e e u f p f1 $ e 5 A b o u I hBh g e
in Alcoholics Anonymous. Berwick was cteating a suppott gtoup
Iot health cate teIorm.
In this book, you`ll learn about people like Berwick who've
cteated sweeping change despite having Iew tesoutces and little
sttuctutal authotity. You`ll learn about an enttepteneut who saved
his small company by tutning his skeptical employees into
customer-setvice zealots; a student Itesh out oI college who saved
an endangeted species Itom extinction; a managet who plotted a
way to get his colleague to stop acting like a jerk; and a thetapist
who teIotmed a gtoup oI child abusets.
Whethet the switch you seek is in your Iamily, in yout chat-
ity, in yout otganization, or in society at latge, you'll get thete by
making thtee things happen. You'll ditect the Ridet, motivate the
Flephant, and shape the Path.
0RC1
1 H
RDR
' , M1Y1 1W1 Y1M1Y

Z
ID0 IhE bIIghI b0I5
!.
In!990,|crrySrcrnnwasworknglorSavcrhcChldrcn,rhcn-
rcrnaronal organzaron rharhclps chldrcn nnccd. !c'dbccn
askcd roopcnancwomccnVcrnam.Jhcgovcrnmcnrhad n-
vrcd Savc rhcLhldrcn nro rhc counrry rohghrmaInurrron.
BurwhcnSrcrnnarrvcd,rhcwclcomcwasrarhcrchl!y.Jhclor-
cgn mnsrcrlct hm know rhar norcvcryoncn rhcgovcrnmcnr
apprccarcdhs prcscncc. Jhc mnsrcr rold Srcrnn, `Youhavc
sxmonrhsro makcadhcrcncc.`
Srcrnnwasrravclngwrhhswlcand !0-ycar-oldson. onc
olrhcmspokcVcrnamcsc."cwcrclkcorphansarrhcarporr
whcnwcarrvcdnVcrnam,`hcrccallcd. "chadnodcawhar
wcwcrc gongrodo.` Srcrnn had mnmalsr andmcagcrrc-
sourccs.
Srcrnn had rcad as much as hc could abour rhc malnurr-
ronproblcm.Jhcconvcnronalwsdomwasrharmalnurrron
2b Ol K b L T T h b K l O b K
was the resu|t oI an intertwined set oI problems Sanitation
was poor. Poverty was nearly universal. C|ean water was not
readi|y available. The rural people tended to be ignorant about
nutrition.
In Sternin's judgment, all oI this ana|ysis was "JBUtrue
but use|ess. "Mi||ions oI kids can`t wait Ior those issues to be ad-
dressed," he said. lI addressing malnutrition required ending
poverty and puri[ing water and building sanitation systems, then
it would never happen. Ispecial|y in six months, with almost no
money to spend.
Sternin had a better idea. He traveled to rural villages and met
with groups oI local mothers. The mothers divided into teams
and went out to weigh and measure every chi|d in their vi|lage.
They then pored over the resu|ts together.
Sternin asked them. "Did you 6nd any very, vety poor kids
who are bigger and healthier than the typical child? Jhe women,
scanning the data, nodded and said, Cs, cs,cs."(Yes, yes, yes.)
Sternin said, "You mean it's possible today in this vil|age Ior
a very poor Iamily to have a well-nourished child?
"Cs, cs,cs."
"Jhen |et's go see what they're doing.
Stemin`s strategy was to search the community Ior bghtqoo
successml eorts worth emulating. II some kids were healthy de-
spite their disadvantages, that meant ma|nourishment was not
inevitab|e. Iurthermore, the mere existence oI healthy kids pto-
vided hope Ior a practica|, short-term solution. Sternin kche
couldn`t hthe thorny "root causes. But iI a handml oI kids were
staying hea|thy against the odds, why couldn`t every kid be healthy?
Notice that Sternin was trying to Iocus the mothers` R|ders.
Jhe overa|l topic-what can you do to make your child hea|th-
ieris simp|y too big and loaded to take on at once. The moth-
ers needed direction, not motivation. Ater all, every mother's
h d I h0 8 t g hI 5 g 0 I 5
Elephant is going to be motivated to make her child healthier.
ut how:
Remember the power ol the I % milk campaign, which made
an abstract idea (eat healthier") practical. Sternin was saying.
Let's not sit around analyzing malnutrition. " Let's go study what
these bright-spot mothers are doing.
^a hrst step, Sternin and the mothers had to eliminate any
bright spots who weren`t "typical. " For example, a boy might
have an uncle in the government who could send extra lood his
way. ther families wouldn't be able to replicate that.
In order to recognize what the bright-spot mothers were
doing dillerently, the group had to synthesize the conventional
wisdom" about leeding kids. So they talked to dozens ol peo-
ple-mothe:s, lathers, older brothers and sisters, grandparents
and discovered that the community norms were pretty clear
Kids ate twice a day along with the rest ol their lamilies. They
ate lood tha: was appropriate lor kids~solt, pure loods like the
highest-quality rice.
Armed with an understanding ol the norms, Sternin and the
mothers went into the homes ol the bright-spot kids and ob-
served the way the homes were run, alert lor any deviations. Their
observation yielded some unexpected insights. For one thing,
bright-spot moms were leeding their kids lour meals a day (using
the same amount ol lood as other moms but spreading it across
lour servings rather than two) . The larger twice-a-day meals eaten
by most lamilies turned out to be a mistake lor children, because
their malnourished stomachs couldn't process that much lood at
one time.
The style ol eating was also diherent. Most parents believed
that their kids understood their own needs and would leed them-
selves appropriately lrom the communal bowl. ut the healthy
kids were lcd more actively~hand-led by parents il necessary.
JU D l K b C T T h b K l D b K
They wete even encoutaged to eat when they wete sick, which
was not the norm.
Pethaps most intetesting, the healthy kids wete eating diet-
ent kinds oI Iood. The btight-spot mothets wete col|ecting tiny
shtimp and ctabs Itom the tice paddies and mixing them in with
theit kids' tice. Shtimp and ctabs were eaten by adults but gen-
etally weten`t consideted apptopriate Iood Iot kids. The mothets
also tossed in sweet-potato greens, which wete consideted a low-
class Iood. These dietaty imptovisations, howevet sttange ot "low
class, wete doing something ptecious. adding sotely needed pro-
tein and vitamins to the childten's diet.
^ an outsidet, Stetn in nevet could have Ioteseen these ptac-
tices. He knew nothing about sweet-potato gteens. The solution
was a native one, emetging Itom the teal-world expetience oI the
villagets, and Iot that teason it was inhetent|y tealistic and in-
hetently sustainable. But knowing the solution wasn`t enough.
Iot anything to change, lots oI mothets needed to adopt the new
cooking habits.
Most people in Stetnin's situation would have been itching to
make an announcement, to call the village togethet and unveil a
set oI tecommendations. Catherrounde:eone:vcsmdiedour
robhmandnouha:etheansuer!HereareStei::sRu/es}r
FightingMa/nutrition.
But Sternin teIused to make a Iotmal announcement.
"Knowledge does not change behaviot, he said. "We have all en-
counteted ctazy shtinks and obese doctors and divotced mattiage
counselots." He knew that telling the mothets about nutrition
wouldn't change theit behaviot. They`d have to ptactice it.
The community designed a ptogtam in which h malnout-
ished Iamilies, in gtoups oI ten, would meet at a hut each day
and ptepate Iood. The Iamilies wete tequited to bting shtimp,
ctabs, and sweet-potato greens. The mothers washed theit hands
h d t h e r g h t 5 p o t $ J!
with soap and cooked the mea| togethet. Stetn | n said that the
moms wete acting the|t way |nto a new way oF thinking." Most
important, it was theirchange, something that atose Ftom the
|oca| wisdom ot the vi|lage. Stetn |n's ro|e was on|y to he|p them
see that they could do |t, that they cou|d conquer ma|nuttition
on theit own.
By organizing these cooking gtoups, Stetnin was addressing
both the Ridet and the F|ephant. The mothets' R|dets got high|y
specihc insttuctions: Hereshoutocookatas/unchuithshrim
andsueet-otatogeens.And theit F|ephants got a Fee|ing. hope.
Ihererea/ is aua tomakem dughterhea/thier Znditsnot
:eharditssomething1cando!Notice that the Path p|ayed a
to|e, too. When so many oF the mothets were doing someth|ng,
thete was sttong soc|a| ptessute to go a|ong. The cook|ng classes,
in eect, were changing the cu|tute ot the vi||age.
Best oF al|, br|ght spots so|ve the "Not Invented Hete" ptob-
|em. Some people have a knee-jetk skeptica| tesponse to im-
potted so|utions. Imagine the pub|ic outcty it an Ametican
po||tician proposed that the United States adopt the Itench
health cate system. (Ot vice versa.) We a|l think out group is the
smattest.
By |ooking tot br|ght spots within the very v|||age he was try-
ing to change, Stetnin ensuted that the so|ution would be a na-
tive one. He would have taced a much mote dimcu|t quest |t he'd
brought |n d p|an ttom a dietent vil|age. The |oca| mothets
would have brist|ed. Ihoseeo/earen't/ikeus. Oursituationis
morecom/icatedthanthat. ThoseideauouHn'tuork here.
Finding btight spots, then, so|ves many dietent ptoblems at
once. That's no surptise; successFu| change etFotts |nvo|ve con-
necting a|l three patts ot the ttamewotk. Rider, F|ephant, and
Path. (A|though in this book we explain one patt oF the Ftame-
wotk at a time, we` || cont|nue to temind you that even an
3Z Ol K b L T T h b K l O b K
example in the Rider chapters will in6uence the Elephant and
Path. Concepts are rare|y exclusive.)
Six months aher Sternin had come to the Vietnamese vi|lage,
65 percent oI the kids were better nourished and stayed that way.
Later, when researchers Irom Fmory University's Schoo| oI Pub-
lic Health came to Vietnam to gather independent data, they
Iound that even children who hadn`t been born when Stemin |eh
the villages were as healthy as the kids Sternin had reached di-
rectly. That discovery provided prooI that the changes had stuck.
Sternin`s success began to spread. "We took the hrst I4 viIlages
in dierent phases oI the program and turned them into a social
laboratory. People who wanted to rep|icate the nuttition model
came Irom dierent parts oI Vietnam. Fvery day, th would go to
this living university, to these vil|ages, touching, smell.ng, snimng,
watching, |istening. They wou|d 'graduate,' go utheit villages, and
imp|ement the process until they got it right . . . . The program
reached 2.2 million Vietnamese people in 265 villages. Our living
university has become a nationa| model Ior teaching v.l|agers to re-
duce drastically malnutrition in Vietn+m, Sternin said.
Stories don`t come much more heroic than this. Stemin aod his
smaIl team oI believers, working with a shoestring budget, man-
aged to make a big dent in ma|nutrition. What makes it more re-
markable is that they weren't experts. They didn`t walk in with the
answers. All they had a deep Iaith in the power oI bright spots.
.
The Rider part oI our minds has many strengths. The Rider is a
thinker and a planner and can p|ot a course Ior a better Iuture.
But as we've seen, the Rider has a terrible weakness~the
tendency to spin his whee|s. The Rider loves to contemplate and
analyze, and, making matters worse, his anaIysis is almost a|ways
h d t h e r g h t 5 p o t $ 11
directed at problems rather than at bright spots. (You can prob-
ably recall a conversation with a Friend who agonized For hours
over a particular relationship problem. ut can you remember an
instance when a Friend spent even a Few minutes analyzing why
something was working so well`)
These an.dytical qualities L be extremely helpml, obviously
many problems get solved through analysis~but in situations
where change is needed, too much analysis can doom the eort.
The Rider will see too many pro blems and spend too much time
sizing them up. Look again at |erry Sternin and the Vietnam
story. Dozens oF experts had analyzed the situation in Vietnam.
Their Riders had agonized over the problems~the water supply,
the sanitation, the poverty, the ignorance. They'd written posi-
tion papers and research documents and development plans. ut
they hadn't changed a thing.
In tough times, the Rider sees problems everywhere, and
"analysis paralysis" ohen kicks in. The Rider will spin his wheels
indebnitely unless he's given clear direction. That's why to make
progress on H change, you need ways to directthe Rider. Show him
where to go, how to act, what destination to pursue. And that's
why bright spots are so essential, because they are your best hope
For directing the Rider when you're trying to bring about change.
3.
"School stinks," said obby, a ninth grader who`d j ust reported
For his nrst school counseling session. |ohn |. Murphy, the school
psychologist, was surprised obby had shown up at all.
Several teachers had reFerred obby For counseling, Frustrated
by his bad behavior. He was constantly late, rarely did his work,
was disruptive in class, and sometimes made loud threats to other
kids in the hallways.
34 Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
Bobby's home liIe was just as chaotic. He'd beeu shumed in
and out oI Ioster homes and special Iacilities Ior kids with be-
havioral problems. He and his Iather were on the waiting list Ior
Iamily counseling. The loca| socia| setvice agency in Covington,
Kentucky, was keeping tabs on Bobby. By the time he showed up
Ior his session with Murphy, he was in danger oI being placed in
another special Iacility because oI his problems at school.
Murphy was almost powerless in the situation. The counselor
had no way to improve Bobby's situation at home, and time was
working against him~at best, he'd see Bobby Ior an hour here,
an hour there. Murphy cou|dn't reward Bobby iI he behaved well
or punish him iI he behaved poorly. ,Not that punishment would
have worked. Bobby usual|y ended up in the principal's omce by
mid-morning Ior disciplinary issues, but his behavior never
changed.)
Ignoring the "school stinks comment, Murphy began ta|king
to Bobby and posed a series oI unusual questions. So began the
hrst oI a handml oI conversations between Murphy and Bobby.
Now, Iast-Iorward to three months later. A drantatic change
had occurred. The number oI days Bobby was sent to the princi-
pa|'s omce had declined by 80 percent. Bobby hadn't become an
Fagle Scout, mind you, but the improvement was sttong enough
to keep social services Irom having to transIer him to the school
Ior troubled kids. Bobby, a chronic oender, had become an oc-
casional oHender. And it happened because oI a Iew hours oI talk-
ing with a counselor.
What, exactly, happened in those conversations?
.
]ohn Murphy is a practitioner oI solutions-Iocused brieI therapy
("solutions-Iocused therapy Ior short). Solutions-Iocused therapy
h d t h e r g h I 5 p o I $ 35
vas invcntcd in thc latc I 70s by a husband-and-viIc thcrapist
tcam, Stcvc dc Shazcr and Insoo Kim crg, and thcir cocagucs
at thc ricI lamiy Jhcrapy Ccntcr in Mivaukcc. Soutions-
Iocuscd thcrapy is radicaly dihcrcnt Irom traditiona thcrapy. ln
classica| psychothcrapy (think Jony Soprano and Lr. Mch) , you
and your thcrapist cxporc your probcm. Vhat arc its roots:
Locs it tracc back to somcthing in your chidhood: Jhcrc`s a
scnsc oI archacoogica cxcavation. You`rc digging around your
mind Ior a buricd nuggct oI insight, somcthing that may cxplain
vhy you bchavc thc vay you do. Lxcavating thc past takcs timc.
A standard Ircudian psychoanalysis might takc hvc ycars oI vork,
vith scssions oncc or tvicc a vcck. (And aItcr hvc ycars and
$50,000, you dscovcr it`s al your mom`s hut.)
Soutions-Iocuscd thcrapists, in contrast, coudn`t carc css
about archacoogy. Jhcy don`t dg around Ior cucs about vhy
you act thc vay you do. Jhcy don`t carc about your chidhood.
A thcy carc about is thc soution to thc probcm at hand.
Marriagc thcrapist Michcc Vcincr-Lavis vas initiay trancd
as a cassical psychoanayst. Likc a psychoanaysts, shc bclicvcd
that chidhood cxpcricnccs crcatcd unrcsovcd traumas that
Icd currcnt probcms, and shc tricd to hcp hcr cicnts undcrstand
hov thcir upbringing had shapcd thcir bchavior in rclationships.
ut shc vas ohcn unhappy vith thc outcomcs hcr cicnts
achicvcd through psychoanaysis. ln hcr book Di:orceBunng,
shc cxpaincd vhy. My cicnts voud Ircqucnty plcad, `^ov l
scc that vc arc rccnacting our parcnts` marriagcs, but vhat do vc
do about it: Vc can`t stop hghting.` `' Shc carncd that undcr-
standing a probcm docsn`t ncccssariy sovc it-that knoving is
not cnough.
Vcincr-Lavis vas initialy skcptica about solutions-Iocuscd
bricI thcrapy. lt sccmcd too simpc . . . . Most pcoplc, incuding
most thcrapists, bcicvc thc changc proccss has to bc compicatcd
3b OI K b L T T N b K I O b K
and arduous. `^o pan, no gan s thc gcncraI ruc ol thumb. Jo
dcscribc hov hcr thinking about soutions-locuscd thcrapy
changcd, shc uscd an anaogy lrom goI
At onc point, hcr gol svng startcd msbrng, so shc vcnt to a
gol pro, thnking hcr tcchnquc nccdcd a major ovcrhau. Shc
notcd that thc gol pro didn`t do any archacoog. Hc ncvcr said,
"You obviousy havc a lcar ol vinning. Lid your lathcr intimdatc
you as a ttlc grl: Instcad, a| hc dd vas suggcst a mnor mod-
hcaton. rcaxrng hcr tight grp on thc cub. At hrst, shc v a t-
tc pcccd by this advcc. t didn`t sccm prolound cnough to justiq
hs lcc. ut latcr, on thc coursc, hcr bas vcrc going straghtcr and
hrthcr. Mabesma/aqutmentscanuorkaera//shc thought.
J.
SoIutions-locuscd thcrapists usc a common sct ol tcchniqucs lor
dscovcring potcnta soutions. Lary n thc hrst scssion, ahcr
hcarng thc patcnt cxpan hs or hcr problcm, thc thcrapst poscs
thc Mracc Qucston. "Lan ask you a sort ol strangc qucstion:
Supposc that you go to bcd tonight and sccp vcl. Somctmc, n
thc mddc ol thc nght, vhlc you arc sccping, a miraclc happcns
and aI thc troubcs that brought you hcrc arc rcsovcd. Vhcn
you vakc up n thc mornng, vhat`s thc /rstsma/sig you`d
scc that voud makc you thnk, `Vc, somcthng must havc
happcncd~thc probcm is gonc! `:
Hcrc`s hov onc couplc n marta thcrapy ansvcrcd thc Mr-
acc Qucston poscd by thcr thcrapist, ran Cadc ol Sydncy,
Australa:
WlFE. I`d bc happy, lccing at casc at asi. 'd bc
morc pcasant to ob, not jumpng dovn his
throat al thc timc.
h d t h e r g h t 5 p o I $ 3/
CADE: Vhat will you do instead:
WIFE: Vell, there would be more understanding
between us. Ve`d listen to what each other
was saying.
HUSAMD. Yes. At the moment, we don`t really listen to
each other. Ve just can`t wait to get our own
point in.
CADE: How could you tell that the other was really
listening:
WlFE. In the Face, I think. Ve`d perhaps make more
eye contact. ,Pauses, then/ughs.)Ve`d nod
in the right places.
HUSAMD. Yes. Ve`d both respond to what the other
was saying rather than just attacking or ig-
noring it.
Notice that Cade prods the couple For specihcs. "Vhat will
you do instead:" "How could you tell the other person was really
listening:" The Miracle Question doesn`t ask you to describe the
miracle itselt, it asks you to identi| the tangible signs that the
miracle happened.
Here`s another example From a therapist`s session with a man
with a drinking problem. Jamimchso/:ed ourdrinkingrobhm,
uhat uouHou bedoingdgrent thenextmoingI don`t
know, I can`t imagine." 7: "Vell, all my Friends drink, so what
do you expect me to do:" knouitsnote, butthinkaboutit.
"Vell, there are all sorts ol things." Nameone. "Maybe I would
go to the library and look at the newspapers. " HouuouH ourd
bedy rentq ouuentto the/ibra?
Solutions-locused therapists learn to Focus their patients on
the hrst hints oF the miracle~"Vhat`s the/rstsmahsig you`d
see that would make you think the problem was gone" ~because
3B O I K b L T T h b K l Ob K
thcy vant to avoid ansvcrs that arc ovcrly grand and unattan-
abc: My bank account s lulI, I ovc my job, and my marriagc
s grcat.
Cncc thcyvc hcpcd patcnts dcnt| spcchc and vvd sgns
ol progrcss, thcy pvot to a sccond qucstion, vhch s pcrhaps
cvcn morc important. lt's thc lxccpton Qucstion: Vhcn vas
thc ast tmc you sav a ttlc bit ol thc mracc, cvcn just lor a
short tmc:
A alcohoc vouId bc askcd. Vhcn vas thc ast tmc you
staycd sobcr lor an hour or tvo: Cr thc vlc in thc daIoguc
quotcd abovc voud bc askcd. Vhcn vas thc ast tmc you lct
ikc your husband vas truy stcnng to you:
It`s an ngcnous tactic. Vhat thc thcrapst s tryng to dcmon-
stratc, n a subtc vay, s that thc ccnt is capabIc ol sovng hcr
ovn probcm. ^ a mattcr ol lact, thc ccnt s ohcring up prool
that shc`s a/readso/oedit, at cast n somc crcumstanccs. or n-
stancc, ran Cadc vorkcd vth a mothcr vhosc chdrcn vcrc
out ol contro. Hc askcd hcr thc Lxccpton Qucston. Vhat vas
dhcrcnt about thc last timc your kds obcycd you: n vhat cr-
cumstanccs do thcy sccm to bchavc bcttcr:
NLN. (aeraause) I gucss t's vhcn thcy rca'zc thcy
havc pushcd mc too lar.
CADL: Hov coud thcy tcl that:
NLN. You knov, it's mnny. I thnk it's vhcn I siop rant-
ng and ravng at thcm and my vocc gocs vcry,
vcry calm . . . . l think I`m abc to do that vhcn
lcc gcncraIy css harasscd, vhcn I lcc I'vc got
things donc rathcr than spcnt thc vhoc day vor-
ryng about gcttng thngs donc. Vhcn l lcc l`vc
not bccn abc to gct on top ol thc houscvork, I
tcnd to panc.
h d t h e f g h t 5 p o t $
Cadeasksheruhatthekidmightnoticeongoodds.
NLN: I think l just ook calmcr.
CADL Vhat csc:
NLN. probaby grcct thcm morc cnthusiasticay and
smic morc.
39
Solutions-Iocuscd thcrapists bcicvc that thcrc arc cxccptions
to cvcry probcm and that thosc cxccptions, oncc idcntihcd, can
bc carcIuy anayzcd, likc thc gamc hlm oI a sporting cvcnt.
Letsre/a thatscene, uhere things uere uorking}rou. what
uashaening?Houdidou/ehaoe?vereousmi/ing?Didou
makeqecontact?And that anaysis can point dirccty tovard a
solution that is, by dch nition, vorkablc. AItcr a, it vorkcd
bcIorc.
Jhcsc "cxccptions arc just ikc |crry Stcrnin`s bright spots.
|ust as thcrc vcrc somc kids in thc Victnamcsc vilagc vho man-
agcd to stay hcalthy dcspitc thc povcrty, thcrc arc somc momcnts
in an acoholic's iIc vhcn hc is sobcr dcspitc thc cravings. Jhosc
bright spots arc god to bc mincd. (!oticc again that bright spots
providc not ony dircction Ior thc Kdcr but hopc and motivation
Ior thc llcphant.)
Vhat docs this mcan Ior you: You may not hght manutri-
tion, and you may not nccd thcrapy. ut iI you'rc trying to
changc things, thcrc arc going to bc bright spots in your hcd oI
vicv, and iI you carn to rccognizc thcm and undcrstand thcm,
you vi sovc onc oI thc mndamcnta mystcrics oI changc: Vhat,
cxacty, nccds to bc donc dihcrcnty:
Supposc you`rc a human rcations managcr, and you'vc bccn
cncouraging nc managcrs to givc Iccdback to thcir cmpoyccs
morc Ircqucnty, rathcr than storing it up Ior thcir oncc-a-ycar
pcrIormancc rcvicvs. You hostcd an oh sitc training program Ior
tcn managcrs so thcy coud practicc thc rccommcndcd ncv styc
4O Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
olin-thc-momcnt lccdback, and thcy a ch thc program pcdg-
ing to cxpcrimcnt vith it.
^cr lour vccks, you start to hcar back Irom somc ol thc
managcrs, and thcir rcsuts havc bccn mixcd. Jvo ol thc man-
agcrs sccm gcnuincy translormcd~cxcitcd about thc vay thc
lastcr lccdback has improvcd thcir rcationships vith tcam mcm-
bcrs. Iivc ol thc managcrs arc vcaky positivc, saying thcy tricd
it a Icv timcs. Jvo ol thc managcrs say, rcgrctmly, that thcy`vc
bccn too busy u try. Cnc is an outright skcptic and thinks thc
vhoc initiativc is hogvash.
Vhat nov: Jhc bright spots givc you an action pan. Go
invcstigatc thc tvo succcsslu managcrs. irst, scc il cithcr situ-
ation is an anomay. Ior instancc, in your lolov-up, you might
discovcr that onc ol thc succcssm managcrs had not bccn giv-
ing any morc lccdback to his tcam~hc`d simply bccn ap-
proaching individuas morc ohcn to makc sma tak. Jhc cxtra
socia contact madc him lcc good but annoycd tcam mcmbcrs
(vho vcrc constantly intcrruptcd) . Jhat managcr is not a rca
bright spot.
Jhc othcr succcss might bc cgitimatc. Maybc thc managcr,
Ocbbic, dcviscd a tracking shcct that rcminds hcr to providc lccd-
back to cvcry cmpoycc cvcry vcck. Maybc shc sct a goa lor hcr-
scl that hcr quick Iccdback vil ncvcr last ongcr than tvo
minutcs and vil appy ony to a spccihc projcct~it von't bc a
rclcrcndum on an cmpoycc`s ovcral pcrlormancc. Maybc shc sct
up opcn-door omcc hours so that cmpoyccs can drop by Ior
quick lccdback on ongoing proccts.
!ov that you'vc dchncd your bright spot, you L try to conc
it. Havc thc othcr managcrs spcnd an hour or tvo shadoving
Ocbbic, sccing hrsthand hov shc incorporatcd thc ncv styc into
hcr workday. Gct Lcbbic to attcnd your ncxt oh sitc iraining pro-
gram so shc can coach othcr managcrs on thc mcchics ol quick
f h d I h e f g h t 5 p o t $ 4I
lccdback. Jalk to J and scc l thcrc`s a vay to rol out a morc po-
shcd vcrson ol Lcbbcs mpromptu tracking shcct.
ottom lnc. You arc spcndng 80 pcrccnt ol your tmc cx-
porng Lcbbc`s succcss and bndng vays to rcpicatc it. You
arcn`t obscssng about thc managcr vho vas skcptical. You arcn't
pannng anothcr tranng program wth thc samc managcrs to
rcvcw thc matcra. You arc smpy asking yourscl, Vhat`s
vorking and hov can vc do morc ol it: Jhat`s thc brght-spot
phiosophy n a singc qucston.
6.
ocusng on brght spots can bc countcrntuitvc lor busncsscs.
Richard Pascalc, onc ol |crry Stcrnn`s coaborators, dscovcrcd
ths n 2003 vhcn hc acccptcd a consutng assgnmcnt vth
Gcncntcch. Jhc company had rcccnty launchcd a drug cacd
Xoar, vhch had bccn rcgardcd as a mracc drug lor asthma.
t had provcd chcctvc n prcvcntng asthma attacks lor many pa-
tcnts. Yct sx months ahcr aunch, sacs olXoar rcmaincd vcl
bcov cxpcctatons.
Pascac and hs tcam vcrc askcd to hcp hgurc out vhy Xoar
vas undcrpcrlormng. Jhcy mmcdiatcy startcd lookng lor
brght spots and soon lound onc. Jvo sacswomcn vho vorkcd
thc Laas-lort Vorth arca vcrc scng tvcnty tmcs morc Xo-
ar than thcr pccrs. lurthcr nvcstgaton rcvcacd that thc
vomcn vcrc usng a lundamcntay dncrcnt kind ol salcs ptch.
Rathcr than scng thc hcath bcncbts ol thc drug~vhch doc-
tors argcy undcrstood~thcy wcrc hcpng doctors undcrstand
hov to administerthc drug. Xoar vas not a pl or an inhaIcr, t
rcquircd nhson va an intravcnous drp. Jhs tcchnquc vas un-
lamlar (and thcrclorc Lcphant-spookng) to thc aIcrgsts and
pcdatrcans who voud bc prcscrbing thc drug.
4Z Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
Hcrc vas a classc brght-spot stuaton. Lkc thc Vctnamcsc
mothcrs vho mixcd svcct-potato grccns nto thcr kd`ricc, thcsc
salcsvomcn vcrc achcvng radicaly dillcrcnt rcsuts vth thc
samc sct ol rcsourccs cvcryonc csc had. Having dscovcrcd thc
brght spot, Gcncntccn's managcrs could hcp sprcad thc nnova-
tion across thcr cntrc salcs lorcc.
ut that ddn`t happcn. And hcrc s vhcrc a cautionary talc n-
trudcs on our succcss story. Vhat actualy happcncd vas ths:
Jhc supcror rcsuts ol thc Lalas!ort Vorth rcps vcrc vcvcd
vith suspcon| Managcrs spcculatcd that thc salcsvomcn had an
unlar advantagc, and thcir ntal assumpton vas that thc par's
salcs tcrrtorics or quotas nccdcd to bc rcvstcd. (atcr nvcstga-
tion cstablishcd that thc two vomcn had thc samc typc ol ccnt
basc as thc othcr rcps. )
Jo bc lar to thc Gcncntcch managcrs, ct's acknovlcdgc that
thcrc vas ndccd a chancc that thosc tvo rcps vcrc smply an
anomaly. ut thc managcrs` rstreactionto thc good ncvs vas
that t must bc bad ncvs| Jhat rcacton s a good rcmindcr that
thc Rdcrs capacty lor analyss s cndcss. Lvcn succcsscs L ook
kc probcms to an ovcractvc Kdcr.
7.
Lct's crcc back to obby, thc troubcd studcnt, bccausc nov vc
can start to undcrstand his rathcr abrupt translormation. Hcrc's
a brcl cxchangc lrom onc ol obby`s counscling scssons. lotcc
hov Murphy, thc schoo counsclor, starts by poppng thc Lxccp-
tion Qucston.
N\HX: Jcl mc about thc tmcs at schoo vhcn you
don't gct n troubc as much.
f1h d I h e f g h t 5 p o I $ 4J
OY ncvcr gct n troublc, vcll, not a lot, n Ms.
Smth's class.
N\hY Vhat`s dhcrcnt about Ms. Smth's cass:
OY. don't knov, shc`s nccr. Vc gct along grcat.
N\HY: Vhat cxacty docs shc do that's nccr:
Murphy vasn`t contcnt vth obby`s vaguc concluson that
Ms. Smith s nccr. Hc kcpt probng untl obby dcntihcd scv-
cral thngs about Ms. Smth and hcr class that sccmcd to hclp
hm bchavc vcl. Ior instancc, Ms. Smth avays grcctcd hm as
soon as hc vkcd nto class. (Cthcr tcachcrs, undcrstandably,
avoidcd him.) Shc gavc hm cascr vork, vhch shc kncv hc
could compctc (obby has a lcarnng dsablty) . And vhcncvcr
thc class startcd vorkng on an assignmcnt, shc chcckcd vth
obby to makc surc hc undcrstood thc nstructons.
Ms. Smith`s class vas a brght spot, and as vc`vc sccn, any-
tmc you havc a bright spot, your mssion is to clonc it. Lsng
Ms. Smth`s cass as a modcl, Murphy gavc obby`s othcr tcach-
crs vcry practcal tps about hov to dca vth hm. Grcct obby
at thc door. Makc surc hc's assgncd vork hc can do. Chcck to
makc surc hc undcrstands thc instructons.
Vhat Murphy had avodcd, ol coursc, vas archacoogy. Hc
didn`t dg nto obby`s troubcd chldhood, and hc ddn`t try to
cxcavatc thc sourccs ot hs angcr and vlmncss. Ior Murphy, al
that inlormaton vould havc bccn JL, as Stcrnin voud say.
truc but usccss. Jhc othcr thing Murphy avodcd vas Gcncn-
tcch`s kncc-jcrk skcpticsm. Jhc mcntal qubblcs could havc comc
so casy. /:. Smithis ustanicer ersonthantheotherteachersor
Herc/ssueasieror IachersshouHn'thaoetoadttheiraroach
toaro/hmstvdnt. nstcad, Murphy lound a brght spot, and hc
trustcd it.
44 Ol K b L T T h b K I Ob K
Bobby's teachers were pleased when Murphy approached
them with such speciGc guidance, and they promised to give his
recommendations a tty. Murphy asked the teachers to help him
track whether the solutions were working by recording Bobby's
perIormance on three metrics: (1) arrivlng to class on time,
,2) completing assignments in class, and (3) behaving acceptably
in class. Over the next three months, as reported eatlier, Bobby's
rate o| being sent to the ptincipal's omce |ot a majot in|taction
decreased by 80 percent. Bobby also made striking progress on
day-to-day behavior as measured by the three metrics. Be|ote
solutions-Iocused therapy, his teachers typically rated his perIor-
mance as acceptable in only 1 or 2 out o| 6 class pet.ods per day.
Aer solutions-|ocused therapy, he was rated as acceptable in 4 or
5 oI the 6 periods. Bobby is sti|l not a model student. But he's a
lot better.
8.
Notice something remarkable about both the Vietnam and the
Bobby case studies. ln each one, relatively smal| changes
cooking with sweet-potato greens, greeting Bobby at the door
had a big impact on a big problem. There is a cleat asymmetty
between the scale oI the problem and the scaIe o| the solution. Big
problem, small solution.
This is a theme you will see again and again. Big problems
are rarely solved with commensurately big solutions. |nstead, they
are most ohen solved by a sequence oI small solutions, sometimes
over weeks, sometimes over decades. And this asymmetty is why
the Rlder`s predilection Ior anaIysis can backre so easily.
W hen the Rider analyzes a ptoblem, he seeks a solution that
behts the scale oI it. II the Rider spots a hole, he wants to hll it,
and iI he's got a round hole with a 24-inch diameter, he's gonna
l h d t h e r l g h t 5 p o t $ 45
go looking Ior a 24-inch pcg. ut that mcnta modcl is vrong.
or instancc. in anayzing manutrition in Victnam, thc cxpcrts
had cxhaustivcy anayzcd a thc big systcmic Iorccs that vcrc rc-
sponsibc Ior it. ack oI sanitation, povcrty, ignorancc, lack oI
vatcr. ^o doubt thcy aso concoctcd big systcmic pans to ad-
drcss thosc Iorccs. ut that vas Iantasy. !o onc, othcr than
Stcrnn, thought to ask, Vhat`s vorkng right nov:
In rcvicving obby`s situation at high schoo, thc tcachcrs
and administrators vhispcrcd about a thc things that vcrc bro-
kcn. brokcn homc, carning disabiity, uncontrolabc impulscs.
Any normal pcrson, anayzing obby`s situation, voud havc
cravcd an intcnsivc, compcx solution to match thc intcnsivc,
compcx probcm. ut no onc, othcr than thc counscor Mur-
phy, thought to ask, Vhat`s vorking right nov:
Jo pursuc bright spots is to ask thc qucstion Vhat's vork-
ing, and hov can vc do morc oI it: Sounds simpc, docsn't it:
Yct, in thc rca vord, this obvious qucstion is amost ncvcr askcd.
nstcad, thc qucstion vc ask is morc probcm Iocuscd. Vhat`s
brokcn, and hov do vc hx it:
Jhis probcm-sccking mindsct is a shortcoming oI thc Kdcr
in cach oI us. Psychoogists vho havc srudicd this phcnomcnon
our prcdicction Ior thc ncgativc~havc rcachcd somc Iascinat-
ing concusions. 1 an iustration oI vhat thcy'vc Iound, takc a
look at thc Iooving vords takcn Irom a Lcam Lngish at homc
vcbsitc. Jhcy`rc al vords Ior cmotions. Vc`vc cxccrptcd thc hrst
tvcnty-Iour oI thcm Irom an a|phabctica ist. Scc iI you notcc
any pattcrn:.
1^LbA
TLYL
1JLL
:bLlLONL
LLL1LlLL
LO1LLL
LLOJL
L/LLL
4b Ol K b L T T h b K l O b K
JOJLL LLLJ
LNLLbL LNLO
LbJYLL LJbHJOOLL
LLtOLL tbLO
LLtLL 1bLLLL
LLJLL LbLJ
LbLOO JY
LLbLOOLL LbbtLL
Jhose are 24 oF the most common "emotion" words in En-
glish, and only 6 oF them are positive' In a more exhaustive study,
a psychologist analyzed 558 emotion words-every one that he
could hnd in the English languageand Found that 62 percent
oF them were negative versus 38 percent positive. That's a pretty
shocking discrepancy. According to an old urban legend, Eski-
mos have I00 dierent words lor snow. Vell, it tutns out that
negative emotions are our snow.
This negative Focus is not conhned to emotions. Across the
board, we seem wired to Focus on the negative. A group oF psy-
chologists reviewed over two hundred articles and concluded that,
For a wde range oF human behavior and perception, a general
princip|e holds true. "ad is stronger than good."
Exhibit A. People who were shown photos oF bad and good
events spent longer viewing the bad ones.
Exhibit . Vhen people learn bad stu about someone else,
it's stickier th good stuh. People pay closer attention to the bad
stu, rehect on it more, remember it longer, and wcigh it more
heavily in assessing the person overall. Jhis pattern is so robust
that researchers who study how we perceive one another have a
label For it-"positive-negative asymmetry."
Exhibit C. A researcher reviewed seventeen studies about how
people interpret and explain events in their lives~Ior example,
h d t h e t g h I 5 p o t $ 41
how sports tans intcrprct sporting cvcnts or how studcnts dcscribc
thcir days in thcir journas. ^cross mutipc domainswork and
poitics and sports and pcrsonal ilcpcopc wcrc morc ikcly to
spontancousy bring up and attcmpt to cxpain) ncgativc cvcnts
than positivc oncs.
c coud prcscnt pcnty morc cxhibits, but lor now wc' givc
thc study`s authors thc ast (disappointcd) word on thc subjcct.
"hcn wc bcgan this rcvicw wc anticipatcd hnding somc cxccp-
tions that woud dcmarcatc thc imits ol thc phcnomcnon . . .
butj ueuereuna//eto/ocateansigncantsheresinuhichgood
uaconsistentstrongerthan/ad" (cmphasis addcd) .
ad is strongcr than good. ^ Lcsic icdlcr oncc said, ots ol
novcists havc achicvcd thcir lamc by locusing on marita probcms,
but thcrc's ncvcr bccn a succcsslu novc about a happy marriagc.
9.
^ particuar strain ol this "bad is strongcr than good" bias is crit-
tcwhcn it comcs to tacking changc. Lct`s cal it a ro//em/cus.
Jo scc it, considcr this situation: Your chid comcs homc onc day
with hcr rcport card. Shc got onc ^, lour 's, and onc hcrc
wi you spcnd your timc as a parcnt:
Jhis hypothctica comcs lrom author Marcus uckingham,
who says that ncary al parcnts will tcnd to hxatc on thc ! t's
casy to cmpathizc with thcm. Somethingseems/roken-ueshou/d
it.Letsgetheratutor Orma/esheshouH/eunished-shes
goundedunti/thatgraderecooers. !t is thc rarc parcnt who would
say, instcad, Moncy, you madc an in this onc cass. You must
rcaly havc a strcngth in this subjcct. Mow can wc buid on that:"
(uckingham has a hnc scrics ol books on making thc most ol
your strcngths rathcr than obscssing about your wcakncsscs.)
hcn thc Ridcr sccs that things arc going wcl, hc docsn't
4B Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
thinkmuchaboutthcm. butwhcnthngsbrcak,hcsnapsu at-
tcntion andstarts appying hs probcm-sovng skis. Sowhcn
yourkids arc making As and B`s, you don`t think much about
thcirgradcs. ButwhcnthcymakcaOoranF, youspringintoac-
tion. It's wcrdwhcnyouthnkabout, isnt it:
VhatifthcKdcrhadamorcpositvcoricntation!Imaginca
wordinwhichyoucxpcricnccdarushofgratitudccvcrysngc
timcyou hippcd a ght swtch and thc room it up. Imagnc
wordinwhichahcrahusbandlorgothiswifc'sbirthday,shcgavc
himabigkissandsaid,Forthirtccnofthcastfourtccnycars you
rcmcmbcrcdmybirthday!Jhat'swondcrm!
Jhisis notourworld.
Butintimcsofchangc,itnccdstobc.OurRdcrhasaprob-
cmfocuswhcnhcnccdsaso/unon[cu:. Ifyouarcamanagcr,ask
yourscf. "VhatisthcratioofthctimcIspcndsovingprobcms
tothctimclspcndscaingsucccsscs
Vcnccd to switch fromarchacologica|probcm sovingto
bright-spotcvangczing.Jhcrcsnoqucstionthatit`spossibcto
do.Jakc|crry Stcrnin. Hc camc nto an cnvironmcnt riddcd
with faiurc. Jhc opportuntics for analysiswcrc cndcss. Hc
coudhavcstaycdinVictnamfortwcntyycars,wrtingposition
apcrsonthcmanutrtionprobcm.Butwhathckncwwasthis:
Lvcninfaiurcthcrcssucccss.
A cohoicgocsanhourwithoutadrnk.Jhrccsacsrcpsout
ofhhysclikccrazy. ^ fcwVictnamcscmothcrs,with no morc
moncythananyothcrs,managctoraischcalthykids.
Jhcsc hashcs ofsucccss-thcsc brightspots-aniuminatc
thcroadmaploractionandsparkthchopcthatchangcispossibc.
J
bIII IhE LIIIIC M0VE5
!.
^ doctor vas askcd to consdcr thc mcdcal rccords ol a
/-ycar-old patcnt whohad chronchp panlrom arthrts. In
thcpast, thc patcnt had bccn gvcn drugs to trcaths pan, but
thcyd bccn nchcctvc, sothc doctorwas lorccd to consdcr a
morcdrastcopton. hp-rcplaccmcntsurgcry,whchnvolvcsslc-
ngopcn thc thgh, wrcnchng thc bonc outolthc sockct, saw-
ng oll thc arthrtc cnd, and rcplacng t wth an mplant.
Rccovcry lromhp-rcplaccmcnrsurgcryslongandpanhl.
Jhcncamcuncxpcctcdbrcaknthccasc.^hnalchcckwth
thcpatcntspharmacyuncovcrcdoncmcdcatonthathadntbccn
trcd. owthc doctor laccdadlcmma. Shouldhc prcscrbc thc
untrcdmcdcaton,cvcnthough othcrmcdcatonshadlalcd,or
shouldhcgo ahcadandrclcr thcpatcnt lorsurgcry:
Jhs dlcmma, bascd on rcal mcdcal cascs, was crcatcd by
physcanOonaldRcdclmccrandpsychologstLldarShahr,who
5O D l K b L T T h b K l D b K
uscd t to study thc vay doctors makc dccsons. hcn doctors
vcrc prcscntcd vith ths casc hstory, 47 pcrccnt ol thcm chosc
to try thc mcdicaton, n hopcs ol saving thc patcni lrom gong
undcr thc knlc.
ln a varaton on thc dcmma, anothcr group ol doctors vcrc
prcscntcd vth almost cxactly thc samc sct ol casc lacts-cxccpt
this timc, thc patcnt`s pharmacy dscovcrcd tuountrcd mcdica-
tons. ll you vcrc thc paticnt vth thc arthrtc hip, you'd bc
thrcd-ccrtainy tvo nonsurgca optons arc bcttcr than onc.
ut vhcn thc doctors vcrc prcscntcd vth tvo mcdcations, on
2dercentchosetopeitherone.
Jhs docsn't mc scnsc. Jhc doctors vcrc actng as though
havng morc mcdcaton optons somchov madc mcdcaton a
vorsc bct than surgcry. ut l 47 pcrccnt ol doctors thought mcd-
caton ^ vas prclcrabIc to surgcry, thc mcrc oistenc.ol a sccond
mcdcaton shoudn't havc tippcd thcm tovard surgcry.
Vat happcncd hcrc s decisionarasis. Morc optons, cvcn
good oncs, can lrcczc us and makc us rctrcat to thc dclaut pan,
vhich n ths casc vas a painml and nvasvc hp-rcpaccmcnt sur-
gcry. Jhs bchavor ccary is not ratona, but t s human.
Lccsons arc thc Ridcr`s tur| and bccausc thcy rcqurc carc-
lul supcrvson and scIl-control, thcy tax thc Ridcr`s strcngth.
(Rcmcmbcr thc radshlchocoatc-chip cookic study lrom
Chaptcr I. ) Jhc morc choccs thc Ridcr s ohcrcd, thc morc cx-
haustcd thc Rdcr gcts. Havc you cvcr notccd that shoppng s a
ot morc trng than othcr kinds olight actvty: ^ov you knov
vhy-its a thosc choccs. Jhs s mportant, bccausc vc cn-
countcr cxccss choicc a around us. Consdcr thrcc rca cxampcs
ol dccson parayss.
Sccnc I : ^ gourmct lood storc. Jhc storc managcrs havc sct
up a tabIc vhcrc customcrs can sampc mportcd jams lor lrcc.
Cnc day, thc tabc shovcascs 6 dllcrcnt jams. Anothcr day,
5 c r p t t h e L r t c a l M o v e $ 5\
24 jams. ^ you'd cxpcct, thc 24-jam dispay attracts morc cus-
tomcrs to stop by lor a samplc-but whcn it comcs timc to buy,
thcy can't makc a dccision. Shoppcrs who saw onIy 6 jams on dis-
pay arc !Jtimesmorc ikcly to buy a jar ol jam'
Sccnc 2. Jhc omcc. Jhc cmployccs ol a Iargc company rcad
ovcr thcir 40I (k) matcrias, rcady to start savng lor rctrcmcnt.
Jhc human rcsourccs dcpartmcnt has thoughtluIy providcd
many invcstmcnt optons. domcstic growth stock lunds, domcs-
tic valuc stock lunds, municipaI bond lunds, rca cstatc invcst-
mcnt trusts, cmcrging markct lunds, dcvcopcd markct lunds,
moncy markct accounts, and morc. Lach catcgory mght havc
scvcra choiccs within it. (Rcaly compctc 40I (k) plans mght
ohcr dozcns ol options.) Jhc cxtra optons backhrc, howcvcr, bc-
causc lor cvcry ! 0 options ohcrcd, thc cmpoyccs' ratc ol partic-
ipation gocs doun/ 2ercent. Occison parayss dctcrs pcopIc
lrom saving lor thcir own rctrcmcnt! ^nd bccausc many com-
pancs match cmpoyccs' contributions, cmpoyccs may aIso bc
wa|kng away lrom lrcc moncy.
Sccnc 3. ^ oca bar. !t's spccd-dating nght. Snglcs mcct a
scrcs ol othcr singcs onc-on-onc, spcnding pcrhaps hvc min-
utcs wth cach pcrson, in hopcs ol making a romantic conncc-
tion. ut dccison para|ysis thwarts cvcn Cupid. Young aduts
who mcct cight othcr singIcs makc morc "matchcs than thosc
who mcct twcnty.
ottom |inc. Lccision parayss disrupts mcdca dccisions
and rcta dccisions and invcstmcnt dccisons and dating dcci-
sions. Lct's go out on a limb and suggcst that t might ahcct dc-
cisions in your job and lilc, too.
Jhink about thc sourccs ol dccsion paraysis in your organi-
zation. Lvcry busncss must choosc among attractivc options.
Growing rcvcnuc quickIy vcrsus maximzing prohtabiity. Mak-
ing pcrlcct products vcrsus gctting products to markct lastcr.
:. Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
cing innovativc and crcativc vcrsus optimizing cmcicncy. !l you
lod togcthcr ots ol thosc tcnsions, you crcatc J surchrc rccipc
lor paralysis. t took only two mcdications to luzz thc doctors'
brains. !ow many options do your pcopc havc:
Jhink about your oca schoo board. Lvcry ycar, thc prob-
cms and soutions mutipy. You can just imaginc thc mcntal
convcrsation. Propcrty tax rcvcnuc is laling, but thc tcachcrs
nccd a 3 pcrccnt cost-ol-iving raisc, and wc can't Iorgct about
cxtracurricuars (cutting thc marching band ast ycar was a kilcr) ,
but wc must continuc to invcst in our ncw scicncc magnct
schooil it docsn't work, thcrc wi bc cgg on our lacc-yct it`s
ridiculous to considcr any ol this unti wc hx our crumbling in-
lrastructurc and addrcss our ovcrcrowdcd cassrooms. or thc
lrazzcd schoo board mcmbcr, it suddcny ooks a ot morc
attractivc to ro ovcr ast ycar's budgct with a I . 5 pcrccnt incrcasc
on cvcry inc itcm.
^arry Schwartz puts it in his book IheParadoxoChoice,
as wc lacc morc and morc options, wc bccomc ovcrloadcd.
Choicc no ongcr ibcratcs, it dcbiitatcs. !t might cvcn bc said to
tyrannizc.
.
Jhc status quo lccs comlortablc and stcady bccausc much ol thc
choicc has bccn squcczcd out. You havc your routincs, your ways
ol doing things. or most ol your day, thc Ridcr is on autopiot.
ut in timcs ol changc, autopiot docsn't work anymorc, choiccs
suddcny proilcratc, and autopiot habits bccomc unlamiiar dc-
cisions. cn you`rc on a dict, thc habitua daiy trip lor Nachos
c Grandc is disquaihcd, and in its pacc is lch a dccision.
hcn you'vc got a ncw managcr, thc way you communicatc stops
bcing sccond naturc and starts bcing a choicc.
5 c f l p t t h e L f l t c a M o v e $ 53
Changc brngs ncw choccs that crcatc unccrtanty. Lct's bc
ccar. !t's not ony optons that yicd dccson paraysskc pck-
ng onc donut from I00 havors. Ambguity docs, too. n tmcs of
changc, you may not know what optons arc avaiabc. And ths
unccrtanty cads to dccson parayss as surcy a tabc wth 24
jams.
Ambguty s cxhaustng to thc Ridcr, bccausc thc Ridcr s
tugging on ihc rcins of thc Lcphant, tryng to drcct thc Lc-
phant down a ncw path. ut whcn thc road s unccrtan, thc Lc-
phant wl nsst on takng thc dcfaut path, thc most famar
path, just thc doctors did. hy ccausc unccrtainty makcs
thc Lcphant anxous. (Jhnk of how, n an unfamiar placc, you
gravtatc toward a famlar lacc. ) And that's why dccson paray-
ss can bc dcady lor changcbccausc the most/amiliarathis
aluasthestatusquo.
Many cadcrs prdc thcmscvcs on scttng high-lcvcl drcction.
Ilsetthe oisionandsta outo/thedetai/. !t's truc that a com-
pclng vson s crtica (as wc'l scc n thc ncxt chaptcr) . ut t`s
not cnough. g-pcturc, hands-oh cadcrshp sn't lkcy to work
n a changc stuaton, bccausc thc hardcst part of changcthc
paralyzing part-s prccscly n thc dctas.
!n Chaptcr I , wc cxpancd why what ooks kc rcsistancc s
ohcn a lack of clarty. Jhc citzcns of two cst Vrgina com-
muntcs, unhcathy n thcir catng habts, undcrwcnt a maor
changc whcn a coupc of prolcssors coachcd thcm to buy 1 %
mk. Jhcy didn't nccd a bg-pcturc vson~no onc nccds con-
vncng thai catng hcathy s an admirabc goa. hat thcy
nccdcd was somconc who coud bring a nobc goa within thc
rcam of cvcryday bchavor, somconc who coud cut through thc
bcwidcrng array of potcntaly hcalhy choccs and suggcst a
good pacc to start.
Ambguity s thc cncmy. Any succcssfu changc rcqurcs a
a4 Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
trans|ationolambiguousgoasntoconcrctcbchaviors.Inshort,
tomakcaswitch,younccdtoscritthecritica/mo:es.
3.
In I 5, BrazianprcsdcntIcrnandoHcnriqucCardoso dc-
cidcd to privatizc Brazi's rairoads. Hc spit thc systcm into
scvcndihcrcntbranchcs(shadcsolMaBcl)andauctioncdoh
thc rights to run thcm. lrcvious administrationshadnot in-
vcstcdmuchinthcrailsystcm,andatthctimcolthcauction,
itwasadctcrioratingmcss.Astudyconcudcdthat 50pcrccnt
olthcnctwork`s bridgcs nccdcdrcpairand20pcrccntolthcm
wcrc onthcvcrgc olcoapsc. Jhctcchnoogics uscd in Brazi
wcrclarbchind thosc in othcrdcvcopcdcountrics. Inlact,thc
raisystcmwasstiusingtwcntylocomotivcspowcrcdbysteam
engines.
Aprivatc hrm, Gl InvcstimcntosLimitcd, dccidcdtobidlor
thc branch known as thc "southcrn inc, which ran through
Brazi`sthrccsouthcrnmoststatcs.Glwashighbiddcrinthcauc-
tion inLcccmbcrI . Ahcranintcrimpcriodolmanagcmcnt,
thc hrm put onc olits own cxccutivcs,Acxandrc Bchring, in
chargcolthccompany,whichwaslatcrrcnamcdAmcricaLatina
Logistica(ALL).cnBchringtookchargc,hcwasinhiscarly
50s-justlourycarsoutolbusincssschool.
Bchringdidn`thavcmuch toworkwith. ALLhad ony50
miion Brazilian rca|s in cash on its balancc shcct. At onc ol
Bchring'shrstmcctings, amid-cvcmanagcrbcsccchcdhimlor
5 milionrcals to rcpair a singc bridgc. Jhough sympathctic,
Bchringkncwthathxngcvcrythingthatwas brokcnwoudrc-
quirchundrcds olmiions olrcas. Jhc nccds wcrc prolound,
buthc laccd an unyicdingconstraint.ALLsdcplctcdbankac-
count.
5 c f p t t h e L r t c a l M o v e $ 55
Jhc ralroad purchascd by Gl was n chaos, and whcn
Bchrngandhstcamtookchargc,wthncwpcrsonncandncw
prortcs, morc chaoswas whppcd nto thc prccxstng chaos.
Jhc rcsutng dccsonparayssshoudhavcbccn ncscapabc.
AndtlkcywoudhavcbccnlBchrnghadn'tmadcccarcxacty
what nccdcd tobcdonc.
Hstop prortywasto hALLout olts prccarous, cash-
strappcdhnancalstatc.Jo accomplshths, hcandhs 55-ycar-
od CFC, Luo Cacoar, dcvcopcdlour rucs to govcrn thc
company'snvcstmcnts.
KulcI . Moncywoudbcnvcstcdonlynprojccts
that woud aowALL to carn morc rcvcnuc n thc
shorttcrm.
Kuc2.Jhcbcstsolutontoanyproblcmwasthc
oncthatwouldcostthccastmoncyup lrontvcn
ltcndcdup costngmorcnthcongtcrm,andcvcn
ltwasaowcr-qualtysouton.
Kuc5: Cptonsthatwoudhaproblcmqucky
wcrcprclcrrcd tosowcr optons thatwoudprovdc
supcrorong-tcrmhxcs.
Kuc 4: Kcusngorrccycng cxstng matcras
was bcttcrthanacqurngncwmatcrals.
Jhclourrulcswcrcccar.( I ) Inblockrcvcnuc. (2)Mnmzc
up-lrontcash. (5) Fastcrsbcttcrthanbcst. (4) Iscwhatyou`vc
got. Jhcsc rucs, takcn togcthcr, cnsurcd that cash woudn't bc
consumcduncsstwas bcnguscdasbatlormorccash. Spcnd
alttlc,makcalttcmorc.
Jhs s what wc mcan by "scrptng` thc crtcal movcs.
5b Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
ChangcbcginsatthcIcvcofindividuadccisionsandbchaviors,
butthat`sahardpacctostartbccauscthat`swhcrcthcfrictionis.
Incrtiaand dccision paraysiswiconspircto kccppcopc doing
things thcodway.Josparkmovcmcntinancw dircction, you
nccdtoprovidccrystaI-ccarguidancc.Jhat`swhyscriptingisim-
portant-you`vc got to think about thc spccihc bchaviorthat
you`dwant to scc in a tough momcnt, whcthcrthc tough mo-
mcnttakcspaccinaBraziianrairoadsystcmorlatcatnightin
yourownsnack-oadcdpantry.
Youcan'tscriptcvcrymovc thatwoudbcikctiingtoforc-
scc thcscvcntccnth movc inachcssgamc. lt`s thc ctica/movcs
thatcount.Kcclthat, inVcstVirginia,thcrcscarchcrsdccidcd
tofocusthcircampaignon milkbccauscitwasthcsourccofthc
mostsaturatcdfatinthcavcragcdict.Jhcrcscarchcrsddn'tohcr
suggcstionsaboutbrcadorsodaorbuttcrorpotato chips.Jhcy
scriptcd thccritica/movc. Switchto % mik.
Simiary, Bchring'sfourrucswcrcfocuscdonhnanciatriagc.
Hcdidn`thavc thcuxuryofong-tcrmpanning. Hcnccdcdhis
pcopcto movc, immcdiatcy, in ancwdircction, in hopcs that
thcy coud buy ALL cnough timc to makc a h:cr transforma-
tion. (Ioticcthathcdidn`tsayawordaboutothcrimportantis-
sucssuchascmpoyccmoralcormarkctingorRL.)Bystaying
focuscdonthcctica/movcs,hcmadcitcascrforhispcopc to
changcdircction.
In I 8, forinstancc, thc companyhadto turndown busi-
ncss hauing grain bccausc itddn`thavccnough ocomotivcs.
Vhic its compctitors wcrc ncgotiating for ncw ocomotivcs,
AILs cnginccrsworkcdaroundthccockrcpairingodocomo-
tivcs. (Fateris/etterthan/est.Minimizeuontcash.)
Aso,AILs cnginccrsngurcdoutawayto boostthcocomo-
tivcs`mclcapacitysothcycoudopcratcongcrwithoutrcmcing.
Jhis rcduccd downtimc, lowingmorc routcs pcrlocomotivc,
5 c r p t t h e L f t c a M o v e $ :
just as Southwcst ^irincs gcts morc hights pcr panc than its
compctitors bccausc ol its quick turnarounds at thc gatc. (|n-
/lckreoenue |Lnginccrs aso lound a crcativc solution to thc nag-
ging probcm ol damagcd tracks, whch imitcd a train's spccd.
Rathcr than purchasing ncw mcta rais, which cost LS$400 pcr
ton, thcy rippcd up tracks at abandoncd stations and instacd
thcm on activc routcs. (|euhatouvegot.)
Jhrcc ycars latcr, chring's discipinc was paying oh. ^L!.s
pcrlormancc improvcd lrom a nct oss ol 80 miion rcas in I 8
to a nct proht ol 24 miIlion rcas in 2000.
Inowing what wc know about thc Rdcr, it's no surprsc that
chring`s stratcgy workcd. chring had scriptcd thc movcs that
hcpcd his pcoplc makc hard dccisions. hat tircs out thc
Rdcrand puts changc chorts at riskis ambiguity, and chring
cminatcd t. or cvcry invcstmcnt dccsion, hs rucs suggcstcd
thc corrcct choicc.
Jo scc thc powcr ol this, lct's rcturn to thc doctors and thc pa-
ticnt with thc arthritic hip. !maginc that thc lcadcrs ol thc hos-
pta had sciiptcd thcr critica movcs, and that onc ol thosc
movcs was this: |einoaioeotionsonaa/stresort. Locs any-
onc doubt that this guidcinc woud havc causcd a big shih in
thc doctors' dccisions:
.
!n thc shadcd arca that loows, wc prcscnt a lcaturc that wc ca
a Clinic. " !n cach Cinic, wc dcscribc a rcal-word situation and
chacngc you to think about how to apply thc Suitchlramcwork
to crcatc chaogc. ^t thc cnd ol cach Cnic, wc givc our own sug-
gcstions, bui wc cncouragc you to gcncratc your own gamc pan
bclorc you ook at ours. Jhc Clinic is intcndcd to bc a kind ol
pausc button, a chancc to stcp outsidc thc tcxt and think about
ab U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
how to appywhat you`vc rcad. Vc hopcyouhnd this a uscfu
waytopracticcappyingthcframcwork.JhcClinicsarcwrittcn
to bcsidcbars-ifyouprcfcrtopowthroughthcproscunntcr-
ruptcd,youcanrcturntothcmlatcr.
L L M L
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bO l L L T T H L l L
3.
hcnAlcxandrc Bchrngsctup |oursmplcrulcs|or^!!cm-
ployccs to |ollow, thcy changcdquckly. So dd thc cstVr-
gnans who wcrc urgcd to drnk I% mlk. But why dd thcsc
changcs nccd tobc scrptcd:asn't tobvous to thccstVr-
gnans that thcy shouldbc drnkng !% mlknstcado|wholc
mlk:
cll, no, t wasn't. ot many pcoplc know that a glass
o|wholc mlk has thc samc amount o|saturatcd |at as hvc
bacon strps. Jhat's not ntutvc knowlcdgc. or was t
ntutvc|orany o|Bchrng'scmployccsat^!!todccdc, "Ycp,
lct's rp up old, abandoncd tracks nstcad o|purchasng ncw
oncs. hcn youwant somconc to bchavc n a ncwway, cx-
plan thc "ncwway clcarly. Oon't assumc thc ncw movcs arc
obvous.
Jo sccwhy thssso mportant, consdcracampagnthats
csscntally thc"antmattcrvcrson o|thc I% mlkcampagn~
acampagnthat,whlc wcll ntcntoncd,systcmatcally gnorcs
or rcvcrscs cvcry smart componcnt o|thc I% mlk ntcrvcn-
ton. hat would such an antmattcr campagn look lkc:
It mght look vcry much lkc thc \. S. govcrnmcnts Food
!yramd.
My[m|d.gOv
51L|51/ HLL1H| LHyOu
5 c f p t t h e L f l t c a M o v e $ bJ
Jhc Food lyramid,whichspccihcsthc typcs andquantitics
ofIoodthatmakcupahcathydict,isthcpcrfcctcxamplcofhow
nottochangcpcopc`sbchavor.Itsworthconsidcringforamo-
mcnt,bccauscwhatdoomsthclyramidcoulddoomyourchorts
tocrcatcchangcinyourifc,aswcl.
Lct's startwiththcpyramidshapc.Apyramidsignihcshicr-
archy, yctnohicrarchyiscvidcntinthcFoodlyramid.Jhchrst
vcrsionofitdispaycdrowsoffood, oncrowontopofthcncxt,
withgrainsatthcbottomandoilsatthctop.Somcpcopcintcr-
prctcdthisarrangcmcnttomcanthatoiswcrcthc mostimpor-
tantfood group. (Vhoops.) Jhc rcviscd vcrsion, shown hcrc,
abandoncdrhatconstructIorvcrtica|-ishstrcaksoIcoorintcndcd
to cimnatc any implicd ranking. Vhat this mcans is that thc
pyramid structurc itscfhasno meaninguhatsoeoer. Jhc Food
lyramidmghtaswclbcaFoodRhombusoraFoodRoostcr.
Lookat itagain-its mcaningis most compctcyopaquc.
Vhatdothcstrcaksmcan:JhconymcanngthatL bcgcancd
quicklycomcsfromthsrickhgurcdashngupthcsidc.Jhcmcan-
ngsclcarcnough. "You shoudcxcrcisc.Jhcanswcrsto morc
mcaningm qucstions-How much: How ohcn: Vhat kind:-
arcn`tascasytoinfcr,whichofcourscaddsmorcambiguity.
Jo carnwhat thcFoodlyramidhas to sayaboutfood,you
mustbcwiingtodcciphcrthclyramid'smarkngs.lIyoumakc
thcchort,you' hndthatcachstrcakotcolorrcprcscntsacassof
food.Fornstancc,thcyclowstrcak(thctinyoncncarthcmd-
dc)is "ois,andthcorangcstrcak(onthcfarlch)s"grans."If
youdigcvcnmrthcr,you`h ndthatwithcvcrycolorstrcakcomcs
arccommcndation. For instancc, thcISLAadviscs that adults
consumc about 5 to7 tcaspoonsofoi cachday.
Quick, howmanytcaspoonsofoididyouconsumctoday:
Quick,howmany"ouncccquivacnts ofgraindidyouhavc
today:
bZ Ol K b C T T h b K l Ob K
Can you imaginc any mcssagc that woud bc css chcctvc in
changing pcoplc's cating bchavor: Jhc anguagc and conccpts hcrc
arc so hopccssy abstractcd from pcopc`s actua! cxpcricncc with
lood-which conssts of things Iikc buying groccrics and ordcrng
hamburgcrs at rcstaurants, not tabulatng grain portionsthat thc
mcssagc conhscs and dcmoraizcs. cantunderstandthisstu
^an anaogy, most of us havc intcrnazcd thc rulc of thumb
to gct thc oi in our cars changcd cvcry 5months or 5,000milcs.
!t's transparcnt and actionabc, kc thc I % mik campaign. hat
I nstcad, thc auto industry pubczcd its vcrson ol thc disas-
trous ood Pyramidsay, a Car Rainbow, whcrc cach coor ol
thc rainbow rcprcscnts a dihcrcnt diagnostc tcst. Pink woud
warn you not to ct your cngnc oi cxcccd a ccrtain "sudgc
thrcshod.") |i Lubc would bc out ol busincss in months.
OK,thc ood Pyramd is almost too casy to pick on. ut thc
cssons hcrc arc scrious and practica. !l you arc cading a changc
chort, you nccd to rcmovc thc ambguity lrom your vsion of
changc. Grantcd, this is askng a ot. !t mcans that you`| nccd to
undcrstand how to script thc critica| movcs, to transatc aspira-
tons nto actons. t's not good cnough to ask your tcam to "bc
morc crcativc" or to "tghtcn up on thc pursc strngs. Jhat`s ikc
tcling thc ^mcrican pubic to "bc hcathicr.
!n a pionccring study ol organizationa changc, dcscrbcd in
thc book IheCritica/Path toCororateReneua/ rcscarchcrs di-
vidcd thc changc chorts thcy'd studcd into thrcc groups. thc most
succcssfu (thc top third) , thc avcragc (thc middc third), and thc
cast succcsslul (thc bottom third). Jhcy lound that, across thc
spcctrum, amost cvcryonc sct goas. 8 pcrccnt of thc top third
and 86 pcrccnt ol thc bottom third. Atypica| goa mght bc to
improvc invcntory turns by 50pcrccnt. ut thc morc succcssm
changc transformations wcrc morc ikcy to sct /eh.uiora/goa|s.
8 pcrccnt of thc top third vcrsus ony 55pcrccnt ol thc bottom
5 c f p t t h e L f t c a M o v e $ t1
third.Fornstancc,abchavioragoamightbcthatprojccttcams
woud mcct oncc awcck and cach tcamwoud incudc at cast
oncrcprcscntativcolcvcrylunctionaarca.
IntilyoucanladdcryourwaydownIromachangcidcatoa
spcchc bchavior, you`rc not rcady to cad a switch. Jo crcatc
movcmcnt,you`vc got tobc spccihcandbcconcrctc.You`vc got
tocmuatcI % mikanddcclromthcFoodlyramid.
6.
Howlardocsthisthcorygo:Howmuchdihcrcncccanspccihc
instructionsmakc:!ct`ssubjcctthcidcatothctoughcstpossibc
tcst.Canyouchangcchdabuscrsbyscriptingsomccriticapar-
cntingmovcsIorthcm:
ln 2004, a studywas conductcd oI ! 0 parcnts who had
abuscd thcr childrcn. Scvcnty-thrcc pcrccnt oIthcm had as-
sautcd thcir kds-hitting orpunching thcmwith thcir hsts.
Jwcntypcrccnt had cngagcd ncvcn morcvocntassauts,rc-
sutinginbrokcnboncsorscvcrcaccrations.
Jhcparcntstcndcdtobamcthcirabusivcbchavioronthcir
kids.Jhcy`|say, ` Ihadtodiscipncmychidthiswaybccausc
hc`ssorottcnandhcwon`tistcn,`saidBcvcryFundcrburk,arc-
scarchproIcssoratthc\nivcrstyolOkoma'sHcathSccnccs
Ccntcr.Jhcparcntsbccvcdthatthcy`dgottcna"badkid, ora
stubbornonc,andthatvio|cnccwasthconywaythcycoudgct
thcirkidstoobcy.
Jhc misson olFundcrburk`s tcamwas to changc thcscpar-
cnts,tostopthcrabusc. llyouthinkthatsoundsnaivcandcvcn
hopccss,you'rc in good company.Jhat`s asowhat Fundcrburk
worricdaboutwhcnshchrstbcganthcwork.
Shc practiccswhat`scalcd parcnt-child ntcraction thcrapy
(lCIJ), which trics to disruptthc cscalatingcyclcs olcocrcon
b4 Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
and lrustraton that charactcrzc abusvc stuatons. In thc hrst
stcpollCIJ,parcntsarcgvcnanassgnmcnt. "Vcwantyouto
paywth your chd lor hvc mnutcs a day. Hcrc arc thc rulcs.
You'rc gong to dcvotc I 00% olyour attcnton to thcm, you`rc
notgongtoanswcrthcphonc,youarc notgongtotcach thcm
thcrAbCs.You`rcjustgongtocnjoythcm. "Jhcparcntsarcn-
crcdulousthathvcmnutcsw|laccompshanythng.Forgood-
ncss` sakc," sad onc parcnt, "I spcndcvcrymnutc olcvcryday
onthschd.
Athrst,thcschvc-mnutcp!aypcrodstakcplacenaabora-
toryscttng.Jhcparcntandchdstnancmptyroomwthony
atabcandchars.Jhrccorlourtoysarcputonthctabctop. Jhc
parcnts arc nstructcd to ct thc chd cad thc payscsson, and
thcy`rclorbddcntogvccommands,tocrtczc,cvcntoaskqucs-
tons. Lcttngthcrchddrcctthcactonsncrcdbydmcutfor
thcm.
Lurng thc play scsson, thcrapst watchcs thc parcnts
throughaonc-waymrrorandgvcsrcal-tmccoachngbymcans
olancarpccc. Fundcrburkdcscrbcsatypcantcracton:
Jhcparcntandchldmghtstartcolorng,andthcpar-
cnt trcs to payalong by colorngonthcchld'spapcr.
Jhc chld objccts. Sowc tcl thc parcnt, "kay, gct a
scparatc pccc olpapcrand mtatcwhatyourch|ds
dong.
Ilthcchdscoorngaranbow, thcparcntcolors
aranbow too, sayng, 'I`mcoorngaranbowjustlkc
you. You`rcusnggrccn, I'm gongto uscgrccn. "
Andsomc kds, lthcy`rc partcuaryoppostonal,
mght rcach ovcr and grab thc parcnt's grccn crayon
yclng, "I wantthat."Andwctcach thc parcnts to say,
"kay. I'dbc ha tosharcthatcrayonwthyou . . . n
5 c r p t t h e C f t c a l M o v e $
|act |et me put all the ctayons ovet by you so you can
teach them al|."
Or pethaps the patent says, '1m go|ng to co|ot my
ta|nbow with pink now. And the child says, link is
ug|y, don't do pink|" lI the ch||d has been patt|culat|y
nasty we may ]ust ask the patents to ignote the com-
ment, but othetwise we coach the patents to agtee with
theit ch||d, You'te t|ght' link |s not a good co|ot Iot
the tainbow' I th|nk l'll do ted."
We tty to get the patents to bend ||ke a teed. What-
ever the chi|d is doing, the parent oers no resistance, so
the chi|d has nothing to hght aga|nst.
t:
A abusie patent typical|y nnds the hve-minute exetcise ut-
tetly exhausting. (And you undetstand why-the patent's Ridet
has to supetv|se evety sing|e moment.) Fundetbutk and het co|-
leagues demand that the patents ptactice the same set oI behav-
iots (ca||ed "child-ditected intetaction") evety day, whethet in the
|ab ot at home, so that the behaviots gtadua||y become instinc-
tive. The mote |nstinct|ve a behaviot becomes, the |ess selI-
contto| Itom the Ridet it tequites, and thus the mote susta|nab|e
it becomes.
latents ate taught sk|||s that Iee| unnatuta| at htst. They ate
taught to |ook Iot oppottunities to ptaise theit kids' behaviot. ("I
||ke how hatd you`te wotking. "Cood j ob. You'te being vety kind
to that do|l.) They ate taught to simply descri/e theit child's
behaviot, so that the chi|d Iee|s noticed. ,"Oh, look. now you'te
putting the cat in the gatage.)
Latet in the ptogtam, aItet patents have become bettet at
having short positive intetactIons w|th theit kids, they ate
taught how to give commands so that theit kids wi|| listen and
obey. They ate taught a vety specihc Iotmu|a Iot a command

bb Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
combining a com
g
andwith a rcason so thc commanddocsn`t
fccl arbitrary. ("|ohnny, it`s amosttimcforthc bus to comc, so
pcascputyourshocs on now.)
Fundcrburkandhcrtcam at thc Inivcrsity olOkahoma
studicd ! ! 0parcntswhohadabuscdthcirchildrcn.Halfofthcm
wcrc randomy assigncd to takc ! 2scssions of!L, and thc
othcr hafwcrc assigncd to takc I 2scssions ofaform ofangcr-
managcmcnt thcrapy, focuscd on hcping thcm contro thcir
cmotions-thcstandardtrcatmcntforabusivcparcnts.Ahcrthc
thcrapyscssionsconcudcd,thcparcntswcrctrackcdfor5ycars.
Across 5 ycars, 60 pcrccnt ofthc angcr-managcmcnt-thcrapy
groupcommittcdanorhcractolchildabusc. Incontrast, only20
pcrccntofthclCIJparcntsrc-oltcndcd.
CJ did not climinatc thc probcm: Onc in hvc parcnts
abuscdhisorhcrkidsagain. Bur, fromthcpcrspcctrvcofbchav-
ior changc, thc rcsults arc staggcring. Most otus bcicvc in our
hcartsthatchildabuscrsarcirrcdccmabydawcd.Vhocou!dhit
achildothcrthansomconcwhoisdisturbcdinsomcbasicway:
lt simp!yboggcs thc mindto think that thc bchaviorof

hid
abuscrscoudbcatcrcdbyonytwcvc scssionsofthcrapycon-
ccntratingon suchsimpcinstructions.
Fundcrburksaid, "ln mycxpcricncc, thc physica|ly abusivc
parcnthas thc samc goals as a norma parcnt, it's thcirmcthod
andthciridcasthatarcwrong.Jhcythinkthatthcirchidiswoc-
fu, bccausc thcy tod thcir 5-ycar-old to justplay in thc front
yard,and thcn hcwandcrcd olfintothcstrcct.And thcy don`t
undcrstand that a 5-ycar-old might forgct an instruction, or
might nothavcthatkindofimpulsccontrol,sothcythinkthcy
havctopunishthc chi|d[rhisoungoodbccauschcwasdisobc-
dicntanddangcrous.
Larlicr,wcsaidthatwhat|ooksikc stubbornncssoropposi-
tionmayactuaybcaackofclarity.hcCintciVcntionsug-
5 c f p t t h e L f t c a M o v e $ b/
gcststhatchiIdabusc,too,maybcpartythcrcsultolaackolun-
dcrstanding,aackolccarnstructionorgudancconwhattodo.
Jhssnot cxcuscthcparcnts'bchavor,olcoursc.Itissmpy
topointoutthatsim
[
cscriptinghaspowcrbcyondwhatanyol
uscoudhavcprcdctcd.Lvcnchildabuscrsbccomcpiabcinits
prcscncc.
7.
InI 99;, thcsamcycarBraz'sprcsidcntCardosoannounccdthc
prvatization olthcrairoads, agroupolhighschoostudcnts in
Howard, South Lakota, startcdpottingarcviva.Jhcywantcd
to do somcthing, anything, that might rcvivc thcir dying com-
munity.
HowardandsurroundingMincrCountyhad bccnshrinking
lordccadcs. Farmandndustria|jobs had sowlydricdup, and
nothingrcplaccd thcm.Jhcmcdianpriccolhouscs in Howard
wasony$20,;00. Jhcpopuationwasabout3,000 andshrnk-
ng.Jhccountyhadthchighcstcdcrypopuationpcrcaptain
South Lakota, and it also had thc highcst ratc olyouth out-
migraton in SouthOakora, mcaning rhar whcn youngpcopIc
gotodcnough,thcylchandddn`trcturn.
"Vc'd bccn in dccnclorninctyycars,sadRandylarry, a
ongtimc rcsidcntwho taught a busincss cass at thc ocalhigh
schoo,coacHcdthcvarsitybaskctbatcam,andrananicccrcam
parloronthcsidc.
AtHowardHighSchoo,thcstudcntshadjusthnshcdrcad-
ng abookabout thc dcath olrura communitics in Iowa. Jhc
studcnts sad, "Jhat`s us, it's j ust scvcnty ycars lrom now, "
accordingto larry. "Soincassthcystartcdaskng, `Howcoud
wcchangctHis:'"
Imagincthcdccisionparaysisinthissituation.Jhnkolhow
tt OI K b C T T h b K I Ob K
many lactors inducncc a towns hcath. its history, its dcmo-
graphics, its ocation, ts cconomc basc, its wcathcr, among
countlcssothcrs.Jhcproblcmwassimpytoocompcxlorany-
onc to sovc. And it wasn't lorack olmotivation--thcrcwasn't
onc pcrson in MincrCountywhowoudnthavc jumpcdatthc
chancctohcprcjuvcnatcthccommunty.JhcLcphanthcrdwas
rcadyto movc. utwhcrc:Vhat can alcwpcopcdo to rcstorc
an cntirc counp:
Jhcstudcnts startcdinvcstgatingthcsituation, dcsignnga
survcyand distributing itto asamplcolMincr County`s ! ,000
rcgstcrcdvotcrs.Onchndinginparticuardsturbcdthcm.Jhcy
discovcrcd that halolthc rcsidcntswcrc shoppng outsidc thc
county, driving anhourto SiouxFasto shop n largcrstorcs.
!lMincrCountywasgongtobcrcborn,itscconomywould
nccdaboost.Mostolthcthngsthatwouldboost cconomy-
nvcstmcnt,cntrcprcncurship,immigration-wcrcoutolthcstu-
dcnts' contro. ut thcyhad uncovcrcd onc thng thatwasvcry
much in thcir control: spcndingmoncyocay.Jhcyhadlound
thcirhrstrayingcry. Lct`skccpMincrdoarsinMincrCounty.
larryurgcdthcstudcntsto prcscntthcrhndingsto thccom-
munty. Jhc studcnts acccptcd thc chacngc andbcgan to put
togcthcraprcscntation.
Jhcstudcnts ncwlound intcrcst inrcvitaization dovctailcd
with thc chorts olothcrs n thccommunity. A group olothcr
Mincr Countycitizcns hadbccnhostingascrcs olmcctings in-
tcndcdtogctcountyrcsidcntstakingaboutthch:turc.Jhcyhcld
hvc gathcrings, somc in thc highschool and somc in pcoplcs
homcs, andthcyinvitcdacrossscctionolrcsidcnts. larmcrsand
busincsspcopcandministcrsandrctirccs.Jhcychalcngcdcach
othcr.VhatcanwcdotocncrgizcMincrCounty:
Jhc ssucs raiscdwcrca ovcr thc map. wh does ourtoun
/ooksosha//uithruspcarsonthestreetwh shouUarmerget
5 c f p t t h e L f t c a M o v e $ t
asu/siduhena/usinessersondoesn'tgetasu/sid?wh dontue
ha:eamorethri:ingMainStreet?Many ol thc issucs wcrc JL,
unsovabc by thc community. Many rcquircd invcstmcnt, but
with a imitcd poo ol ta doars to draw lrom, it wasn`t ccar
whcrc thcy`d hnd thc moncy. ut thcrc wcrc a lcw things thcy
kncw thcy coud takc into thcir own hands.
Agas station owncr in thc town ol cdora, popuIation ! ;0,
comp|aincd that rcsidcnts ycars ago had cut down a ot ol ds-
cascd trccs-stumps wcrc sti ittcring thc arca, making cdora
ook run-down and sad. Jhc group ol conccmcd citizcns dccidcd
to dcaI with thc stumps in cdora. Cnc Saturday, larmcrs carry-
ing chain saws rodc into cdora on thcir tractors and oadcrs.
Cthcr rcsidcnts madc sandwichcs and cookics lor thc workcrs.
!n a singc day, thc group dug up lour hundrcd stumps.
Kathy C.dics, who was hcading up thc ktchcn crcw that day,
said it was amazing to scc hhy pcopc, agcs ranging lrom ;to ;,
comc togcthcr to do somcthing lor thcir community. Caics rc-
caIcd that by thc cnd ol thc day, Pcoplc lcIt ikc, `Look at what
wc did in a day.` And whcn you`vc dug up stumps togcthcr and
you start to rcaIizc you havc sharcd idcas about what you want thc
community to bc, thcn things start to happcn. (Noticc that thc
log-ccaring day had powcrm Lcphant and Path ccmcnts, as
wcl. Jhc hush ol victoryl making a dihcrcnccgavc thc Lc-
phant strcngth to continuc. And thc strong support ol thc com-
munity madc thc Path lccl css dimcut. !t`s casicr to makc a ong
ourncy whcn you`vc got a hcrd around you.)
Jhc community bcgan to ralIy around thc movcmcnt. Ca|ics
rcmcmbcrcd thc day that Phyis, a civic-mindcd woman in hcr
80s, droppcd by thc omcc whcrc thc community boostcrs wcrc
mccting. PhyIis announccd, "!`vc bccn waiting lor you to ca
mc. ! thought il you nccdcd my hcp, you would caI. ut thcn !
rcaIizcd that `Ch, thcy'rc al too busy to caI' ` So hcrc ! am. Cn
/O Ol K b C T T H b K l O b K
hcrrcfrigcrator at homc, lhylis hadpostcd a cross-stitch that
said"ScrcwthcGodcnYcars.
Vhcnthchighschoostudcntswcrcrcadytounvcithcirrcc-
ommcndations,cighty-hvcrcsidcntsgathcrcdin thchighschool
gymtohcarthcprcscntation.Amongthcmwcrcthetopcadcrs
ofthctowns inMincrCounty. thcschooboards,thccitycoun-
cis,andthccountycommissioncrs.
Jhc crowd istcncd attcntivcyto thchighschoo studcnts.
larrysaid,"Youcoudhcarapindrop. . . . lcopcsaid,`can`tsay
no bccausc! wanttomakcthis apaccwhcrcthcsc kidscan comc
homcsomcday. ` ccausc thcothcroptioniswcsithercandkcc
P
watchingthingsdcclinc,soprcttysoonathatwil occftsthc
dust.
Jhcstudcntshadprcparcdanimprcssivcarrayofsprcadshccts
and charts and graphs. ut thcy`d aso simpihcd thc compcx
data into onc simpc, surprisingfact. Jhcy`d calcuatcd that il
Howardrcsidcntsspcntjust I0 pcrccntmorcolthctrdisposablc
incomc at homc, thcy woud boost thc oca cconomy by S7
milion.
Jhc audicnccwas imprcsscd, and thcprcscntationworkcd
bcttcr than anyonc cxpcctcd.Jhcstudcnts hadscriptcdthchrst
criticamovclorMincrCounty, andthcocasrcspondcdimmc-
diatcy,consciousyspcndingmorcolthcirmoncyinthccounty.
Aycaratcr,SouthOakota's OcpartmcntofRcvcnuerccascdan
astonishing numbcr. Jhc amount olmoncy spcnt in Mincr
CountyhadincrcascdbyS ! ;. 6milion,morcthanrwiccthcin-
crcascthckidshadcxpcctcd.
Jhcchangcbcgantosnowbal.Suddcny, bccauscthccounty
wascolcctingmorctaxcs, moncywasavaiabctolundthcothcr
proposasthcocalgroupshadconsidcrcd.Andinthcycarsfo-
owingthcstudcnts`prcscntation,thctaxrccciptskcptclimbing,
which cnabcd thc communitytotackc cvcn morc ambitious
5 c f p t t h e L r t c a l M o v e $ 1 I
probcms.Latcr,HowardandMncrCountyrcccvcdS6mlon
n grants lromvarousfoundatons to mc thc transformaton.
Randy Iarry clt hs tcachng job and bccamc a fu-tmc
rcvtazcr-n-chcf. Jhc town olHoward bccamc thc host to
twcnty-hrst-ccnturybusncsscssuchas anorgancbccfproduccr
andawnd-turbncrcparshop.
"ltalstartcdsma,sadIarry. !t`slkcwhcnItookovcrthc
baskctbatcamatthchghschoo.Jhcywcrcjustcomngohol
aosngscasonandyoucoudn`tgctpcopctocomcntothcgym.
utthcnyoustarttownandafcwpcopccomc,andthcnmorc
pcoplccomc.Adthcnwcstartcdwnnngalot."Jo datc, Iarry
hasdscusscdthcrcbrthofMncr Countywthcommuntycad-
crsfromthrty-thrcc dhcrcntstatcs.
8.
ArairoadandaSouthLakotasmatown. othcrumbng.oth
wthadcnscthckctolprobcmsandnorcarcsourccs to uscn
untangngthcm.Incachstuaton,anunkcycadcrcmcrgcd~
ayoungmanfrcshoutofbusncss schoo andahgh schoo bas-
kctbacoach.Andbothsuccccdcdbyformuatngsolutonsthat
wcrcstrknglysmalcrthanthcprobcms thcywcrcntcndcdto
sovc. (Vc`vc sccnths asymmctrybclorc, n thcstorcsof|crry
StcrnnnVtctnamand obbythctroublcdtccnagcr.)
JhcchacngcsfacngMncrCountywcrcbgandsprawng.
thcdccnc ofanndustrabasc,thcagngofapopuaton.Jhc
ctzcnsundcrstoodthcscchacngcswc,butthcknowcdgcwas
JL-truc butusccss. Itwas paralyzngknowcdgc.
Jo thcRdcr,abgprobcmcasforabgsouton. utlyou
scckouta souton that`s as complcx as thc problcm, you` gct
thcFoodIyiamdand nothngwchangc. (JhcRdcrwljust
spnhswhccs tryngto makcscnscoft.)JhcRdcrhastobc
/Z D l K b L T T N b K l D b K
j arrcdoutofntrospcction,outofanayss.Hcnccdsascrptthat
cxpainshowtoact,andthat'swhythcsucccsscswc'vc sccn havc
invovcdsuch crspdrccton.Bu1Xmi/k. Dontsendcashun-
hssitmakescash. Shoa/itt/emoreinMinerCoun.
Vc alhcaraot ofcommonscnsc" wsdomaboutchangc.
lcopcdon'tkctochangc,pcopcrcsstchangc,pcopcarcsctn
thcrways, pcopc arc stubborn. Buthcrcwc'vc sccnsomcthng
csc cntrcy. raroads madc prohtabc, towns rcborn, dcts
changcd,andchdabuscrsrcformcd.
Cartydssolvcsrcsstancc.
4
0DI I0 IhE E5IIDII0D
!.
Cryst|oncsjoncdJcachIor^mcrcan2003.Shcwasassgncd
to tcach thc hrst-gradc class at an cIcmcntaryschool n^tlanta,
Ccorga. Jhc school had no kndcrgartcn, so lor many olthc
kds,|oncswouldbcthcrhrsttcachcr.
^tthcbcgnnngolthcycar, thcskllgapsamonghcrstudcnts
wcrcdauntng. Shcsad, "Ihad two orthrccstudcntswhocould
rccognzc kindcrgartcn sght words, and I also had somc that
couldntcvc hoIdthcrpcncls.Jhconcswhohadncvcrbccnto
school-thcrbcbchavorwasntwhcrctnccdcdtobclorthcm
tobcnthccIassroom. Ihadstudcntsthat,olcoursc,ddntknow
thcr alphabct orthcr numbcrs. . . . Jhcywcrc all on dhcrcnt
lcvcls, and no oncwas rcallywhcrc thcy nccdcd to bc lor hrst
gradc.
|oncs lcl tconhdcntthatshccouldclcvatc thc kds abltcs.
Shccouldcrcatcgrcatlcssonplansandactvtcs(shccouldscrpt
/4 Ol K b L T T h b K l Ob K
thc critica movcs) . ut to vhat cnd: Hov do you shov a room-
Iul oI hrst gradcrs vhcrc thcy`rc hcadcd and vhy going thcrc is
vorth thc chort-in tcrms thcy can undcrstand:
Vcl, hcrc`s a vay not to do that, Irom anothcr Jcach
Ior Amcrica tcachcr, vho rcportcd hcr goas Ior thc ycar as
Ioovs.
Vith rcspcct to rcading lor thc school ycar, adminis-
tcrcd thrcc diagnostics. CVJ, ^scssmcnt ol Comprc-
hcnsion, and Monstcr Jcst. !sing rbc CV!, idcntihcd
my casscs` avcragc as gradc lcvc I . ; in Scptcmbcr. My
goa is to incrcasc my studcnts` vord idcntihcation so as
to cnsurc a cass avcragc oI J. O. Lpon anaying thc rc-
sults ol thc Asscssmcnt ot Comprchcnsion, I idcntihcd
my casscs' avcragc as a 4I % in Scptcmbcr. My goa is to
incrcasc my studcnts' comprchcnsion so as to cnsurc a
class avcragc ol 8O%. Lsing tbc Monstcr cst, idcnri-
hcd my classcs` avcragc scorc as Scmiphonctic/Phonctic.
My goa is to incrcasc my studcnts` phonics and spcling
skis to Jransitional.
Jhat ambitious and spccihc sct oI goals vas probab|y quitc usc-
m to thc tcachcr in hcr planning. ut it obviously von`t bc usc-
Iu in ighting a hrc in thc hcarts oI hrst gradcrs.
Crysta |oncs, in contrast, kncv that il shc vantcd to moti-
vatc thc kids, shc had to spcak thcir anguagc. At thc bcginning
ol thc schoo ycar, shc announccd a goa Ior hcr c|ass that shc
kncv voud captivatc cvcry studcnt. y thc cnd oI this schoo
ycar, yourc going to bc thirdgaders. (Mot itcray, oI coursc,
but in thc scnsc that thcy voud bc at third-gradc ski cvcs.)
Jhat goa vas taior-madc lor thc hrst-gradc psychc. Iirst
gradcrs knov vcry vc vhat third gradcrs ook likc-thcy arc
F o h t t o t h e Oe $ t a a t o h 1b
bggcr, smaricr,andcoolcr. You knowthclccngyougctwhcn
you'rc admrng thc gracc and powcr olan Olympc athctc:
Jhat`sthclccnghrstgradcrsgctaboutthrdgradcrs.
|oncs chosc thc goal carcluly. Shckncw cxact|y what thc
thrd-gradcstandards nGcorgarcqurcd, andshckncwwhcrc
hcrkdswcrtstartng.Shcgcnuncythoughtshccoudcoscthc
gap.
Oncolhcrhrstcortswastocultvatcacuturcolcarnng
inhcrcassroom,calnghcrstudcnts"schoarsandaskngthcm
to addrcss oncanothcrthatway. Vhcnpcoplcvstcdhcrc|ass-
room, shc ntroduccd hcrcass asagroupolscholars andaskcd
thcm to dchnc thc tcrm for thc gucst. Jhcy woud shout, "A
schoar s somconc who vcs to carn and s good at t.Jhc
schoarswcrccncouragcdtogohomcandsharcwhatthcycarncd
wththcr lamcs.
Onc day, a schoarwas cacd out olthccassroom lor ad-
mnstratvc rcasons,andsomcolthcothcrsnthcroomstartcd
groanng. In most cassrooms t woud havc bccn a groan ol
jcalousyCctmeoutohere, too.|oncs rcazcd, tohcrsurprsc,
thattwasagroanolpty-Ihatkidisgoingtomisssomescho/r
uork. "Atthatmomcnt,|oncs sad, ! kncw! hadthcm.
Bysprngtmc,thckds'tcstscorcshadrcachcdsccond-gradc
cvcl. So|oncs thrcwagraduation ccrcmonyrghtbclorcsprng
brcak. Iorthcrcstolthcycar, thckdstookgrcatpcasurcnrc-
lcrrngto thcmsclvcsas "sccondgradcrs.Andbythccndolthc
ycar,ovcr0pcrccntolthckdswcrcrcadngatorabovcathrd-
gradccvc.
Jhcscwcrcsomcolthcsamckdswho, nncmonthscarlcr,
ddn'tknowthca|phabct.
Crysta|oncs`scha|cngcsrcmnsccntolwhat|m Cons
and|crrylorras, nBui/ttoLast, thcrgrcatstudyolong-vcd
busincssorganzatons,mcmorabycalcdaBHAG. aBg,Hary,
/b D l K b L T T N b K l D b K
AudacousGoal.HcnryFord`sBHAGcarynthcrwcntcthccn-
turywas to "dcmocratzcthcautomoblc",Va-Mart, n I 0,
sctthcgoalofquadrupngnszctobcaS I 25bloncompany
bythcycar2000. Cons and Iorrasdchncd a BHAG as "an
audacous I 0-to-50-ycargoatoprogrcsstowardsancnvsoncd
mturc,"andthcrrcscarchshowcdthatscttngthcscbg, mot-
vatnggoalswasapractccthatdstngushcdastngcompancs
fromlcss succcssfuoncs.
lncrcatngchangc,though,wc`rcntcrcstcdngoals that arc
closcrathand-thckndsofthngsthat can bctacklcdbyparcnts
ormddcmanagcrsorsocalactvsts.Vcwantagoathatcanbc
tackcdnmonthsorycars,notdccadcs.
Vc wantwhatwc mght cal adestinationostctrd-avvd
pcturclromthcncar-tcrmfuturcthatshowswhat could bcpos-
sblc. Jhat`s thc mssng pccc ofwhat wc`vc dscusscd so far.
Vc'vc sccn thc mportancc olpursungbrght spois, andwc'vc
dscusscdways ofnstructng thc Rdcr hou to bchavc, butwc
havcn`t answcrcdavcrybascqucston. Vhcrc arc wc hcadcdn
thccnd:Vhat`sthcdcstnaton:
Crysta|oncsprovdcdagrcatdcstnatonpostcird: KuIl/e
thirdgraderssoon!Iotcc that thc goa shc sct for Hcr studcnts
ddn`t onydrcct thc Rdcr, t aso motvatcd thc Llcphant. It
wasnspratona.Ittappcdntofccng.Consandlorraskc
thatgoas should havc an cmotona componcni-a BHAG
shouldn`t j ust bc bgandcompcng, t shoud "htyou nthc
gut. Joahrstgradcr, bccomngathrdgradcrnnncmonthss
agut-smacknggoa.
.
VomcnwthbrcastcanccrhcwtoSanFrancscotobctrcatcdby
Iaura!sscrman, asurgcon and an assocatc profcssorofsurgcry
F o l h t t o t h e D e $ I t h t l o h
at thc \nivcrsity oI LaiIornia at San rancisco (\LS). aticnts
ovcd Lsscrman Ior hcr warmth and cmpathy. Shc gavc out hcr
pcrsona cc phonc numbcr to hcr paticnts, and shc somctimcs
sang paticnt to sccp in thc opcrating room as thcir ancsthcsia
took chcct.
Lsscrman's human touch was in sharp contrast to thc usua
trcatmcnt aI|ordcd womcn diagnoscd with brcast canccr. ^ iI
thc diagnosis itscI wcrcnt Irightcning cnough, womcn wcrc ohcn
bounccd around Irom pacc to pacc during thc trcatmcnt cycc,
adding strcss. n a typica progrcssion, dcscribcd by a StanIord
casc study, a woman hrst noticcs a ump on hcr brcast during a
monthy scI-cxam. Axious, shc cas a doctor and waits a Icw
days (or wccks) Ior an appo

ntmcnt. Jhc doctor conhrms that

thc ump shoud bc cxamincd, so thc paticnt is rcIcrrcd to a ra-
dioogst at anothcr Iaciity to gct a mammogram. Lctting thc
rcsuts oI thc scan takcs anothcr agonizing Icw days.
Jhc mammogram shows somcthing suspicious, so shc is rc-
Icrrcd to a surgcon, who mccts hcr and again vcrihcs that thc
ump is prcscnt. LnIortunatcy, thc mammogram imagcs didnt
arrivc at thc surgcon's omcc bcIorc thc visit, so thcrcs anothcr
dcay whic radioogy i

contactcd. Jhc surgcon conducts a
biopsy, which is scnt to thc pathoogy dcpartmcnt to dctcrminc
whcthcr thc growth contains canccrous ccs. Jhc woman is scnt
homc to wait by thc phonc Ior thc answcr.
I canccr is dctcctcd, shc undcrgocs surgcry, and thcn thc sur-
gcon rcIcrs hcr to a radiation thcrapist Ior radiation trcatmcnt
and to a mcdica oncoogist Ior chcmothcrapy. Kadiation and
chcmothcrapy arc conductcd at diIIcrcnt sitcs with diIIcrcnt
booking proccdurcs and dcays. n an attcmpt to smooth thc
proccss, a paticnt might havc to cocct hcr own rccords, hms,
and pathoog
'
y sidcs and carry thcm around hcrscI, somctimcs
cvcn within thc samc hospita. Jhc scqucncc might takc wccks to
t D l K b L T T N b K l D b K
unIod, and a whic thc woman is wondcring, Zm1goingto/ioe
through this?
Jhis anxicty-hcd proccss appacd Laura Lsscrman, and shc
had a vision oI how it coud bc dihcrcnt. at iI thcrc wcrc a
brcast carc cinic whcrc a woman worricd about a |ump in hcr
brcast coud wak in at thc bcginning oI thc day and wak out at
thc cnd oI thc day with an answcr--cithcr knowing that thc lump
was no probcm, or iI it was a probcm, having a trcatmcnt pan
arcady in hand:
Jhc main barricr to this vision was thc ack oI coordination
among mcdica dcpartmcnts. I thcy coud bc intcgratcd morc
tighty, thcn wccks oI agonizing waiting coud bc ciminatcd, thc
paticnt woud not havc to cavc thc buiding, and thc cxpcricncc
woud bc dcsigncd around thc paticnt's nccds, not thc dcpart-
mcnts. Jhat was Lsscrmans dcstination postcard, and it was an
admirabc onc.
But as an associatc proIcssor at a argc univcrsity mcdica ccn-
tcr, !sscrman was Iar down thc totcm poc, with Icw rcsourccs at
hcr disposa. Lvcn iI shc coud start a brcast carc cinic, shc woud
ncvcr bc abc to hirc or hrc thc pcopc who might work Ior it,
and shc coudnt cvcn sct thcir saarics. Jhc mcdica dcpartmcnts,
such as radioogy and pathoogy, controcd thc pursc strings and
thc rcsourccs. Jhc two most commony uscd dcscriptions oI thc
mcdica schoo at LCS wcrc burcaucratic and poitica.
Jhc dcpartmcnts havc moncy, and thc dcpartmcnts havc turI
and you cant bring thcm togcthcr, said Ncrcdithc Ncndcsohn,
who bccamc !sscrmans chicI administrativc dircctor.
!sscrman said, "Jhc radiation oncoogists rcport to radiation
oncoogy. Jhc surgcons rcport to thc Schoo oI Ncdicinc. Jhc
mcdica oncoogists rcport to mcdica oncoogy. Jhc nurscs and
stah rcport to thc mcdica ccntcr. Jhc psychoogists and socia
workcrs rcport somcplacc csc. 5o it's an organizationa chalcngc
F o l h t t o t h e D e $ t h t o h J9
to makc pcopc Icc ikc thcy bcong to somcthing. Bccausc
Lsscrman wicdcd so ittc institutiona powcr, hcr bcst asscts Ior
crcating changc wcrc hcr own tcnacity and hcr abiity to sc a
vision oI what brcast canccr carc coud bc.
Lsscrman and Ncndcsohn startcd sma. Jhcy sct up thc
Brcast Larc Lcntcr to opcratc Ior Iour hours onc day pcr wcck.
Jhcy cajocd thc mcdica dcpartmcnts to start working togcthcr
in morc intcgratcd ways. t took practicc, and it took pcrsistcncc.
"Kadioogy, which docs thc mammographics, works ikc a train
station, says Ncndcsohn. "I your appointmcnts at ! 2. ! 5,
yourc sccn at I 2. I 5 and thats how thcy opcratc. But Lsscrman`s
goa was to buid trcatmcnt around thc paticnts' nccds, and thosc
nccds wcrcnt aways prcdictabc cnough to conIorm to radio-
ogy's schcdu|c. Lsscrman workcd with thc radioogists to hgurc
out how to crcatc somc hcxibiity in thcir traditionay rigid
proccsscs.
"c coudnt takc up too much oI radioogy's timc, said
Ncndcsohn, so thcy hgurcd out how to improvisc. "Or. Lsscr-
man woud scc thc paticnt in thc morning, and shc was thc ony
doctor that woud do it-shc was thc guinca pig-and thcn shc
woud scnd thcm oh, say `Lo havc unch. Lo shopping. Lomc
back at !:00. ' ^nd during unch timc shc woud go to radioogy,
whcrc shc and thc radioogist woud sit and ook through a oI
thc imagcs and dccidc what nccdcd to happcn ncxt.
or thc hrst ycar, thc Lcntcr stuck with thc onc-day-pcr-wcck
modc. Jhcn, oncc thc work was going smoothy, Lsscrman cx-
pandcd to two days pcr wcck. Norc surgcons startcd to gct in-
vovcd, and thcn nurscs, and counscors, and support stah, and
thc snowba bcgan.
Lvcntua|y, thc Brcast Larc Ccntcr achicvcd cnough succcss
that it was oIIcrcd an cntirc hoor in a ncw canccr ccntcr bcing
constructcd by \LS. hcrc's radioogy: askcd Lsscrman
BO D l K b L T T N b K l D b K
whcnshcsawthcayout.Jhccanccrccntcrmastcrpanassumcd
thatthcradioogydcpartmcntwouldrcmaininitso!dbuiding.
But thatwoud havc madc Lsscrman's "cvcrything undcr onc
rool"visionmpossibc.Soshcagrccdtogivcuponc-thirdolthc
Brcast Carc Ccntcrs spacc to makc room loramammography
unitonthcsamchoor. Onookcrswcrcshockcd-acadcmcdc-
partmcntsusualyloughthardtosccurcspacc,andLsscrmanwas
givingupsomcolhcrs!)
IowLsscrmanhadtwopowcrlu asscts: apropcrhomclor
}
hcCcntcrandastalIwhoincrcasnglycmbraccdhcrvisionlor
ancwkindolcarc. laticnts hockcdto thcBrcast CanccrCcn-
tcr.From ! 7to2005,thcnumbcrolpatcntssccnpcrmonth
s}rockctcd lrom ! 7 to ! ,500. ln timc, thc Ccntcrbccamca
major sourcc olrcvcnuc lor LCSF and a rccognizcd nationa
lcadcrnbrcastcanccrcarcandrcscarch.JhcCcntcrcvovcdto
bc thc placc that Lsscrman dcscribcd in hcr dcstination post-
card.
Hcrc`showLsscrmandcscribcs thcwaythcpaticnt's cxpcri-
cnccookstoday.
WcnapaticntcomcsintothcBrcastCarcCcntcr,I L
wakaroundthc corncrandookathcrblmsthatday.
Vhicshc'sin thcroom,wccandoabiopsyand gct thc
diagnosis in hvc minutcs. Vc havc agynccologist on
stahthat spccializcs inIcrtility issucs Iorwomcnwith
brcast canccr, and havc a psychoogist and gcnctic
counscloronstahthatisoncolthcnurscpractitioncrs.
Jhcpaticntstaysinthcsamcpaccanddocsn'tnccdto
goanywhcrc.
JhcBrcastCarcCcntcralsohasarcinghcainggardcnand
a calc that scrvcs cohcc.Jhc boutquc scs not ony thc usua
F o l h t t o t h e D e s I l h t l o h b
howcrs and ghs but aso wgs and scarvcs Ior patcnts undcrgo-
ng chcmo.
or thc hrst tmc, sad Lsscrman, wc put thc woman at thc
ccntcr.
3.
hcn you dcscrbc a compcng dcstination, yourc hcpng to
corrcct onc oI thc Kidcrs grcat wcakncsscs-thc tcndcncy to gct
ost n anayss. Cur hrst nstnct, n most changc situatons, s to
ohcr up data to pcopc's Bdcrs. Heresuhueneedtochange. Here
arethetab/esandgrahsandchartsthatrooeit. Jhc Kidcr ovcs
ths. Hc' start ponng ovcr thc data, anayng t and pokng hocs
n it, and hc` bc ncncd to dcbatc wth you about thc concu-
sons youvc drawn. Jo thc Kdcr, thc "anayng phasc s ohcn
morc satisng than thc "dong phasc, and thats dangcrous Ior
your swtch.
^oticc what happcns, though, whcn you pont to an attrac-
tvc dcstnaton: Jhc Kdcr starts appyng his strcngths to hgur-
ng out houogetthere. or nstancc, ahcr Lsscrman announccd
hcr undcr onc rooI vson, hcr tcam coud start thnkng
through thc impcatons oI that: Letssee. ue'/neoeru/thato
un/ess uehaeeaccess to radio/ogy, so ue!/needtogioe u square
/otagetothem.e .
You havc a chocc about how to usc thc Kdcrs cncrgy. By
dcIaut, hc obscss about which way to movc, or whcthcr ts
ncccssary to movc at a. But you can rcdrcct that cncrgy to
hcping you navgatc toward thc dcstnaton. or that to hap-
pcn, you nccd a gut-smackng goa, onc that appcas to both
Kidcr and Llcphant. Jhnk oI Lsscrman's "undcr onc rooI v
son or oI Lrysta |oncs's chacngc to hcr kds to bccomc third
gradcrs.
b U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
Loals n most organzatons, howcvcr, ack cmotona rcso-
nancc. nstcad, SNAKJ goalsgoas that arc Spcchc, Ncasur-
abc, ^ctionabc, Kccvant, and Jmcyhavc bccomc thc norm.
^ typca SN^KJ goa mght bc Ny markcting campagn w
gcncratc 4,;00 quahcd sacs lcads Ior thc salcs group by thc cnd
oI Q309.
Jhc spcchcty oI SN^KJ goals s a grcat curc Ior thc worst
sns ot goa scttngambguty and rrccvancc (c arc going to
de/ightour customcrs cvcry day n cvcry way! ). But SN^KJ
goas arc bcttcr Ior stcady-statc situations than Ior changc stua-
tons, bccausc thc assumptons undcrying thcm arc that thc goas
arc worthwhc. I you acccpt that gcncratng 4,;00 cads Ior thc
salcs Iorcc is a grcat usc oI your tmc, thc SNAKJ goa wl bc cI-
Icctvc. But iI a ncw boss, pushng a ncw drccton, assigns you
thc 4, ;00-cads goa cvcn though youvc ncvcr handcd cad
gcncraton bcIorc, thcn thcrc mght bc troubc. SN^KJ goas
resumethc cmoton, thcy dont gcncratc t.
n ooktng Ior a goal that rcachcs thc Llcphant-that hts pco-
pc n thc gutyou cant bank on SNAKJ goas. (Jhcrc arc somc
pcopc whosc hcarts arc sct ahuttcr by goas such as mprovng
thc qudity rato by 30 pcrccnt ovcr thc ncxt ! 8 months.
Jhcyrc cacd accountants. ) n thc ! 980s, a major study ot cor-
poratc changc chorts tound that hnancia goas insprcd succcss-
h: changc lcss wc than dd morc cmotona goas, such as thc
goa to provdc bcttcr scrvcc to customcrs or to makc morc usc-
h products. ^ccordng to thc rcscarchcrs, Lhcctvc vsions cx-
prcsscd vaucs that aow cmpoyccs to dcntiIy wth thc
organizaton . . . . Lnc managcr at a gass company suggcstcd, `ts
hard to gct cxctcd about ! ;% rcturn on cquty.
Ocstnaton postcards do doubc duty: Jhcy show thc Kidcr
whcrc you'rc hcadcd, and thcy show thc Lcphant vhy thc j our-
ncy s worthwhlc.
F 0 0 I I 0 I h 0 0 5 I 0 8 I 0 0
L L M L
H0W LB0 0d 0I L0fg0fBI005 I0 V00
h0M10fm h0K0@1
83
blTUTlM Judy Samue|son heads a po|icy th|nk tank w|thin the Aspen lnst|
tute ca||ed the Bus|ness and Soc|ety P|og|am. lt's comm|tted to !|ght|ng sho|t
te|mism |n the business wo||d. Samue|son points out that it's hard to so|ve
g|obal p|oblems (g|oba| warm|ng, poverty, ene|gy needs) without the help o! the
bus|ness seclo|. A!let a||, some bus|nesses have more |esou|ces than ent||e coun
t||es. But bus|nesses w|th a sho|tterm !oc0s can't a!!ord to tack|e |ongte|m
p|ob|ems. Samue|son recounts a conve|sat|on with the CE0 o! a h0ge !inancia|
senices !irm. he te||s he| that he wou|d |ike to be |nvo|ved with the b|g |ssues o!
the day, but he poinIs to the 9Uday ca|endar posted on h|s wa|l and admits, T|s
|s my |ea||ty. Trans|ation. The pub||c markets are !o|c|ng h|m to adopt a quane|
byqua|ler !ocus. how can Samue|sonthe |eader o! a sma|| nonpro!|tposs|b|y
|n!|uence such massive !o|ces! how can she !|ght shorlterm|sm ! jT|s is an
actua| s|tuation, ongoing as o! 2OO9. We'|| d|scuss some o! Samuelson's st|ategy
a|ong with some o! our own th|nk|ng.]
WHT'b THb bWlTCH M WHT'b HLl M l T BCKT We want
execut|ves to act w|th a |ongerterm m| ndset. So what's stopping them! ||rst,
there's a b|g Rider problem here. We hope you| |ada| went o!! when you |ead
the ph|ase "shortte|mism. |t's use!u| as a onewo|d summary o! the p|ob
|ems that Samue|son is !|ghting, but to p|ovoke change, we've got to sc|ipt the
critica| moves. (A | ongterm m|ndset isn't a behav|or.) Second, the|e's a Path
p|ob|em. The cu|tu|e o! the stock ma|ket encourages sho|tte|m Ih|nk|ng. ln
teresting|y, the E|ephant probab|y |sn't the v|||ain he|e. Most execs wou|d prob
ably p|e!e|, a|l th|ngs being equa|, to have a |onge|term !ocus. That means
motivat|on p|obab|y |sn`t ou| obstac|e. ||na| |y, |et's be |eal|st|c. Samuelson |s
seek|ng a 0855l90 change. We can't expect to generate a mag|c-bu||et so|u
t|on. But big changes can start w|th sma|| steps. how can we |mprove Samue|
son's odds!
84 L L T T H L l L
HW Wb NKb THb bWlTCHT
/lCCl lOC h/0Cl. T . blpI I6 f|I|8 m0V6S. Samue|son !|nds a way to
t|ans|ate he| b|gpicture goa| into speci!|c behav|ors. 0ne ins|ght. |et's convince
execut|ves to stop g|ving quarte||y ea|nings guidance. Backstory: |nvesto|s know
the biza|re Kabuk| dance o! earnings guidance, but othe| peop|e may not. Each
qua|ter, a pub||c company sets expectations !or the ea|n|ngs pe| sha|e it wi||
de|iver |n its next qua|ter|y !|nanc|a| repo|t. Ten, when the company !||es its re
po|t, a mi|ac|e occu|s. The company announces that it beat the expectations by
a penny per sha|el 0h, g|o|yl The markets !ind th|s ||tt|e game |nspi ||ng, but none
o! it |s requ| red by |aw. A company cou|d simp|y !i|e its quaner|y !inancia| repo|ts
w|thout any advance expectat|onsetting. ln other words, Samue|son has |ocated
a 50Cl0C 00089l0I I08IS wlI0l0 I00 C00II0 0 I00 0X0CUIl90. The expectat|ons
dance is the pedect symbo| o! shortterm think|ng. .0|I I0 I6 06SI|8I0.
Samue|son shou|d se|| the vis|on he|e. how wi|| |i!e be di!|e|ent !o| the p|ogres
s|ve CE0 who |ids h|mse|! o! the burden o! manag|ng to the quane| |ather than
to the |ong te|m! What's the destination postcard!
NOlvdC OC tlCOBD. !.bIK I0 c08nge. Wote that by !ocusing on
quarter|y ea|n|ngs gu|dance, Samue|son sh|inks the change. |t's an atta| nab|e
!|rst step on the |oad to |ongte|m th|nking. .pp68 I0 06II. Samue|son
shou|d p|ay up the !act that the CE0s o! some we|||espected compan|es6E,
Microso, CocaCo|a, 6oog|e, and othershave a|ready made th|s change. |!
othe| CE0s want to act |i ke !onardthinking CE0s, this | s the :tep they need
to take.
OdC lOC /dlO. T . bu0 8 80I. Remembe| the sto|y o! 0ona|d Benick
and the campaign to save ! OO,OOO |ives! Ben|ck made |t easy !o| hosp|ta|s to
o|n the campa|gn. They s|mp|y subm|Ued the hospita| CL0's s|gnatu|e on a one
page !o|m. At that po|nt, Berwick's team swooped in to he|p the hosp|ta| bu||d
the new hab|ts. What |! Samue|son cou|d make |t that easy to oin a Wo Earn
ings 6uidance campa|gn! her team shou|d o!|e| a simp|e check|ist o! things to
F 0 0 I I 0 I h 0 0 5 I 0 8 I 0 0 8'
address (|nc|ud|ng |ega|, PR, and operaI|ona| |ssues) and support the companies
as they change. . a||y I6 6f0. Some CE0s are |e|uctant to d|scontinue ea|n
ings gu|dance. They wo|ry that |nvestors w||| th|nk |t's a s|gna| that the company
is |n t|oub|e and w||| hu||y to se|| o!! Ihe|r stock. Samuelson cou|d he|p CE0s
counter th|s perception by o|gan|t|ng a 0rop t
g
e 6u|dance day on a ce|tai n
date. That way, the t|m|ng o! the announcement wou|d be less consp|cuous. A|so,
by |inking togethe| business leaders who a|e int||gued by the idea, Samue|son
cou|d encou|age a bandwagon e!!ect. As we'|| see |ate|, behavior |s contag|ous.
4.
Ocstnaton postcardspcturcs ola hturc that hard workcan
makc possblc-can bc ncrcdbly nsprng. Jhc hrst gradcrs
drcamcdolbcngthrdgradcrs. !auraLsscrmanstcammagncd
ancwkndolbrcastcarcclnc thatwould catcr to thc nccds ol
thcpatcnt.
Butwhatlyourtcamsnt nsprcd:
hat I, n tact, mcmbcrs olyour tcamarcsccrct!y or not-
so-sccrctlyrcsstanttothcvsonolthchturcyou`vc artculatcd:
Jhsntroduccsancwcncmy.ratonalzaton. Iornstancc,surcly
wcvc allmadcacwYcarsrcsolutonto Bchcalthcr.c con-
jurcup amcntmagcolourhturcsclvcs-htandsvcltcand
wclkc what wcscc. But, dccp nsdc us, thc commtmcnt snt
thcrc. ^lcwdaysahcr|anuary I , wcgcthungry, andwcsccthat
gorgcousbagolChcctosnthc pantry.
Jhcrcs no qucston what thc Llcphantwants. abg mouth-
hlol Chcctoangoodncss.^ndwhcn thcLlcphantwantssomc-
thngbadly, thc Rdcrcan bc trustcd togoalong-whatchocc
docshchavc:-andhcmayactuallybcgntolormulatcratonal-
zatonstocxcuscthcbrcach. Vll uc d:d cul lhul :umd m:l 1hur:-
mj. nd ji Jclc: :ukc, uc bou_hl 1%m:lk ul lhc _rorctj :lorc! V
bb U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
dontuanttogoooer/oardonthisdiet.Z/uCheetosi:areaona/h
reuard/rgood/ehaoior Andprcsto!Vc cat thc Chcctos! Lvcn
morcimprcssivcthan that,wc`stilbc convinccd, in our hcart
ofhcarts, thatwc`rcbcnghcathicr.
Abig-pcturcgoalikcchcathicr sncccssariyimprccisc,
and that ambiguity crcatcs wigglc room for thc Ecphant. lt
makcsitcasytorationaizcfaiurc.Oncrcsponsctoihisdicmma
istosctsupcr-prcscriptivcgoas.Yourhrmmightannouncc,Vc
wi boost rcvcnucby !4. 2 pcrccnt thisycar. Ccrtainy, that's
muchbcttcrthanjust urgingcmployccstodo thcirbcst. utal-
though numbcrs thcmscvcs arc wggc-proof, thcwaywc dca
withnumbcrsisn`t. Forinstancc,ifyourhrmachicvcda!2.3 pcr-
ccnt incrcasc in rcvcnuc, do you rcaythinkanyonc woud gct
hrcd` Orisitmorcikcythatacompclingratonaizationwoud
smoothovcrthc discrcpancy: 2eam, in thiseconomicclimate, ue
shouHconsider!2.ercentahugeoicto!
Jhc dangcrisprcscntinourpcrsonalivcs,too.!magincthat,
inhopcs ofrcnng nyouracoho consumption,yousctagoa
ofdrinkngnomorcthanoncgassofwincpcrnght.Vc!,ct`s
facc it, thcrcwil comc anightwhcnyourLcphant is gong to
cravcmorcthanonc, andthat`swhcnthcboundaricsarcgoingto
gctmzzy.You'l"honoryouronc-glassruc-byhlingyourglass
thc wayto thc brim. Or you'mcntay tradc an cxtra drink
nowforazcro-drnk night inthc (spccuatvc) futurc.Vc`rc al
oopholc-cxpoiting !awycrs whcn it comcs to our own sclf-
contro.
Ifyourcworrcd about thc possbiity ofrationaizationat
homc oratwork, you nccdto squcczc out thc ambiguity from
your goal. You nccd a back-and-whitc (V) goa. A V
goais an a-or-nothinggoa, andit`s uscm ntimcswhcnyou
worryaboutbacksliding. MaybcyourVgoaforyouraco-
ho consumption coud bc lo winc cvcr. Io wigglc room
F 0 h I I 0 I h 6 U 6 5 I B I 0 B b/
thcrc. And what il wc changcd our Mcw Ycar`s rcso|ution lrom
"c hca|thicr" to "Gym cvcry day' or cvcn "Mo morc Chcctos":
Jhosc goals |cavc nowhcrc to hidc. Lithcr you`vc got damning
orangc Chccto dust on your hngcrs or you don't.
Motc that &V goa|s"Mo morc Chcctos," "Mo winc
cvcr"arc not inspiring at .Jhcy`rc I 00 pcrccnt rcstrictivc. Iur-
thcrmorc, thcy arc scripting critical bchaviors rathcr than painting
a picturc ol a dcstination. Is it possiblc to combinc thc cmotion
powcr ol a destination postcard with thc rationa|ization-squashing
strcngth ol a &V goa|: Ycs, and to scc how, considcr thc casc ol
ritish Pctrolcum (P). In I I , P announccd a &V goal that
shockcd its cmployccs who had spcnt ycars in thc oi| industry. It
was thc multibi|lion-do||ar cquiva|cnt ol "Mo morc Chcctos."
J.
For most oI thc twcnticth ccntury, oi| cxp|orcrs had trustcd thcir
gut, which workcd out wc|l, bccausc thcir gut was prctty smart
and oi| rcscrvcs wcrc |argc|y untappcd. ln thc I 60s, |im
Vandcrby, onc ol thc grcat P cxp|orcrs, wcnt to Lgypt. Jhc hrst
lour or hvc ho|cs hc dri||cd thcrc wcrc dry. His supcriors at P
scnt him a tc|cgram and to|d him to stop trying. Hc didn`t gct thc
tc|cgram, or so hc c|aimcd. Rcgardlcss, hc dri|lcd again, and on
his ncxt try in thc Gu|l ol Sucz, hc tappcd into thc wor|d's hrst
multibi|lion-barrc| oi| hc|d.
P`s good lortunc continucd in thc I 60s and I 70s, with
hugc discovcrics such as Prudhoc ay in Aaska ( I 68) and Mon-
trosc in thc Morth Sca ( I 7I ) , among othcrs. Joward thc |atc
cightics, though, thc mcga-hits s|owcd down. "Vhat was chang-
ing was that hc|ds wcrc gctting morc dimcu|t to hnd," said Pctc
Ca||aghcr, a scnior |cadcr at Amoco, which mcrgcd with P in thc
|atc I 0s. ` Jhc o|dcr hclds wcrc huge, visib|c on 2-L scismic
bb U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
tcchno|ogy. Jargcts bccamc sma||cr and morc dimcu|t to scc. So
thc skil| scts changcd."
A thc landscapc changcd, P's stratcgy cvo|vcd. In I 8, its
lcadcrs |ockcd onto thc cxp|oration doctrinc that wou|d guidc
thcm lor thc ncxt hhccn ycars. hcy wou|d locus on|y on /ighc|ds
and stop compcting lor thc sma||cr oncs, thcrcby avoiding com-
pctition with hundrcds ol sma|lcr compctitors. Jhcy a|so dccidcd
to attack costs. At that timc, P was considcrcd by many to bc
thc world's most chcctivc cxp|oration company. Evcn so, P`s |cad-
crs bc|icvcd it was spcnding lar too much on cxp|oration. Jhcy
committcd to s|ash cxp|oration costs lrom $5 pcr barrcl to $I .
Pcop|c insidc thc company thought this goal was outragcous.
Jo rcducc costs so drastica||y, P nccdcd to minimizc thc
numbcr ol "dry ho|cs" it dri||cd. Jhc historica| succcss ratc lor
dril|ing a ncw wc|| was rough|y I out ol 8. P's ratc was much
bcttcr: I out ol 5. Jo cut cxp|oration costs lrom $5 to $I pcr bar-
rcl, though, it wou|d havc to go lrom "good" pcrlormancc to un-
prcccdcntcd pcrlormancc. (Somc said imossi//epcrlormancc.)
Rcscarchcrs at P bcgan to invcstigatc past cxp|orations. Cnc
thing thcy studicd was whcthcr cxp|orcrs wcrc good at prcdcting
thc succcss ol thcir wc|ls. Jhcy rcvicwcd wcl|s that had bccn
dri||cd ovcr a I 0-ycar pcriod and lound that, on avcragc, cxp|or-
crs` prcdictions wcrc cxtraordinari|y accuratc. Jhcir avcragc prc-
diction was that a wc|| had a 20 pcrccnt chancc ol hitting, and on
avcragc, 20 pcrccnt ol wcl|s actua|ly hit.
ut thc avcragcs concca|cd somc lascinating biascs. For in-
stancc, whcn thc cxp|orcrs gavc thc wc|l a 20 to 70 pcrccnt prob-
abi|ity ol hitting, thcir prcdictions wcrc prctty accuratc. ut whcn
thc cxplorcrs prcdictcd a grcatcr than 75 pcrccnt chancc ol suc-
ccss, thc wc||s hit ncar|y al| thc timc. A|so, wc||s that had bccn
givcn a I 0 pcrccnt chancc ol succcss actua|ly had morc |ikc a I
pcrccnt chancc. So thc cxp|orcrs` instincts about thc wc||s wcrc
F 0 h I I 0 I h 6 U 6 5 I h I 0 h B9
corrcctthcy kncw thc good oncs lrom thc bad oncs. ut thcrc
was inlormation, cspccia|ly lor high- and |ow-probabi|ity wc|ls,
that thcy wcrcn`t using.
Jraditiona||y, thc cxp|orcrs had bccn sa|csmcn |or thcir wc|ls,
rcssing top managcmcnt |or thc grccn light to dri|l. ln thc
I 80s, thcy had lcarncd that thc way to sc|| managcmcnt was to
usc thc tools ol risk cconomicsin particu|ar, thc conccpt o| ex-
ectedoa/ue.
Lxpcctcd-valuc calcu|ations arc bul|ctproo| in situations
whcrc thc risks and rcturns arc wc|l undcrstood. Il I hip a coin,
you can |cc| conhdcnt that you havc a 50 pcrccnt probabi|ity o|
winning. ut what arc thc odds ol hitting a gushcr: And il you
hit onc, what`s thc payoh Jhosc arc sub]cctivc cstimatcs. Vhcn
you lccd subjcctivc cstimatcs into an cxpcctcd-va|uc ca|cu|ation,
a prccisc numbcr pops out, giving thc iIIusion o| scicntihc ccr-
tainty. ("Cur cxpcctcd va|uc |or this wc|l is $ I I 2. 8 mi||ion. lt`s a
no-braincrlct`s dri|| it.")
It didn`t go unnoticcd among cxp|orcrs that i| thcy rca||y
wantcd to dri|| a wc|l, thcy could simpIy tinkcr around with thc
math in a sprcadshcct. I| thcy ] ackcd up thc hit ratc or thc pay-
on thc cxpcctcd valuc obcdicnt|y indatcd. (Jhis tinkcring prob-
ab|y wasn`t ma|icious or cvcn conscious. Rcmcmbcr, whcn thc
L|cphant rca|ly wants somcthing, thc Ridcr can bc trustcd to hnd
rationalizations |or it.)
Morc subt|y, thc usc ol cxpcctcd valuc madc pcoplc think
about dril|ing as a numbcrs gamc. ^|im Farnsworth, a top |cadcr
in P`s cxp|oration unit, said, "Explorcrs think in tcrms ol risk
probabi|itics. Pcop|c gct so caught up in thc numbcrs that thcy
think, 'Vc||, il wc dri|| tcn ol thcsc I -in- I O wc|ls, wc`l| hit at lcast
onc o| thcm and wc`l| al| makc a |ot o| moncy. ut whcn you do
thc ana|ysis, you rcalizc that somcthing that is I in I 0 neoer
works, so it`s a lalsc scnsc ol statistica| carity. "
U U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
Jhc odds-p|aying gavc cvcryonc a la|sc scnsc ol comlort. H
q uedndsomed hohs, oneo/theotherho/esuidhitandmakeu
/rit. Explorcrs wcrc likc vcnturc capita|ists, hoping lor an cay
or a Goog|c to bai| thcm out ol an othcrwisc |ousy portlolio.
ll you wcrc an cxccutivc at R hoping to cut your cxp|oration
costs by 80 pcrccnt, your hrst mission wou|d bc to rcmovc this
la|sc scnsc ol comlort. Jhc ambiguity in thc goa| is a||owing
rationa|ization to crccp in. So how could you changc your tcam`s
bchavior so that cvcry singlc dri|ling opcration is takcn scriously:
How cou|d you |cavc your tcam`s Ridcrs with nowhcrc to hidc:
Considcr thc a|tcrnativcs lor your ncw stratcgic ra||ying cry
"Vc'|| doub|c our strkcs!" "Mo morc dumb ho|cs!" "Lct's mi-
mizc cxpcctcd valuc'" Somc ol thcm sound promising, but noticc
thc mdgc room in a|l ol thcm. "Mo morc dumb ho|cs" wou|d bc
casy lor any compctcnt Ridcr to dodgc. Vou|d any sell-rcspccting
cxp|orcr think hc was dri||ing a dumbho|c: "Ooub|tng strikcs" is
bcttcr, but thcrc`s sti|| room to rationa|izc a |ot ol dry ho|cs. And
as lor "maximizc cxpcctcd valuc," wc||, lct's ]ust movc on.
Ian Vann, P's hcad ol cxp|oration at thc timc, hgurcd out a
way to c|iminatc thc mdgc room. Hc announccd his ncw vision.
"Mo dry ho|cs."
Monc.
Exp|orcrs wcrc iratc. Jhcy thought thc goa| was prcpostcr-
ous. Jhcir |cadcrs wcrc asking thc impossib|c. Ory ho|cs had a|-
ways bccn a norma| and acccptablc part ol doing busincss.
Rcmcmbcr, thc numbcr ol dry ho|cs outnumbcrcd succcsscs by
a lactor ol 4. Mow Vann was dchning thcm as lai|urc.
"Mo dry holcs" was a painlul &V goa|. Probabilistic prc-
dictions had a|ways providcd a covcr lor lai|urc. As |im
Farnsworth said, "Vc wantcd to gct away lrom thc |anguagc ol
probabi|ity, lrom pcop|c hiding bchind a notion t|at il a !-in-5
wc|| didn`t work, `l to|d you it was I in 5 so I was right.` `Mo dry
F 0 h I I 0 I 6 U 6 5 I h I 0 h JI
ho|cs` was an attcmpt to makc pcoplc go to thc absolutc cxtrcmc
limit, to makc surc thcy'd |ookcd at cvcry piccc oI data and donc
thc right ana|ysis."
A cxp|orcrs bcgan ta|king about "Mo dry ho|cs," thcy startcd
taking oh thcir cxp|orcr hats and putting on thcir gc,o|ogist hats.
Lots oI things had to go right to crcatc a productivc oi| hc|d, and
gco|ogists had prcvious|y dcviscd dihcrcnt tcsts to cva|uatc cvcry
gco|ogic Icaturc. Vas thc right carbon-rich substratc avai|ab|c to
Iorm oi|: Vas thcrc a hardcr, impcrmcablc basc |aycr undcrncath
thc oi| to capturc and contain it iI it Iormcd: Lvcn iI thc oi| had
Iormcd at somc point in gcologic history, could subscqucnt un-
dcrground prcssurcs or tcmpcraturcs havc dcgradcd thc oi|:
Jhc idca oI c|iminating dry holcs promptcd gcologists to
bccomc morc systcmatic about mapping and aggrcgating thc
inIormation thcy had. Jhcy coIor-codcd mapsgrccn Ior as-
pccts that might support an oi| hc|d, ambcr Ior arcas whcrc
inIormation was missing, and rcd Ior c|car countcr indications.
Jhcn thcy ovcr|aid thc co|or-codcd maps on top oI onc anothcr,
cach |aycr rcprcscnting a dihcrcnt gco|ogic tcst. Jhcy dccidcd to
dri|l on|y in rcgions that wcrc grccn on cvcry conccivab|c
dimcnsion.
"Mo dry ho|cs" was chcctivc in stamping out ~o kinds oI ra-
tiona|izations Ior poor|y conccivcd dri||ing opcrations. Cnc was
"|carning"~hc convcnicnt notion that cvcn iI a particu|ar wc||
docsn`t hit, thc tcam wi|| lcarn so much Irom thc proccss that m-
turc opcrations wi|| bc morc succcssml. Vann said, "l can givc
you a hundrcd cxamp|cs whcrc pcoplc madc a mistakc bccausc
thcy didn`t usc know|cdgc thcy alrcady had, Ior cvcry onc cxam-
p|c whcrc wc lcam somcthing that is vaIuablc Ior ncxt timc." Jhc
othcr common rationa|ization was that ccrtain wc|ls had "stratc-
gic va|uc. " Cal|aghcr said, "Jhc |ast dcIcnsc oI thc char|atan is
a|ways that somcthing is 'stratcgic.' 'Jhis is a stratcgic wc||, so wc
U2 U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
havc to dri it.' " "lo dry hocs" rcmovcd thc mdgc room. ^ wc
might bc stratcgic, or it might not bc, but cithcr way, it bcttcr
not bc dry.
Oavid am|ord, P's chic| gcophysicist during much o| this
pcriod, said, "I can think o| scvcral cxampcs o| whcrc tcchnica
tcams kncw a proposcd wcl would bc dry and yct scnior man-
agcmcnt wantcd to dri it bccausc o| prcssurc |rom govcrnmcnt
or busincss partncrs. " Ircviousy it was hard |or |rontinc pcoplc
to ob]cct to thcsc dccisions. Vhcn your managcr is thc only onc
who knows what thc "partncr prcssurc" consists oI how can you
possiby raisc a crcdibc objcction:
Jhc "Mo dry hocs" goa| boostcd thc conhdcncc o| thc |ront-
inc cmpoyccs. Jhc Exploration Forumthc pccr group ac-
countabc |or cxporation dccisionsbccamc morc outspokcn
and pushcd back on "stratcgic rcasons" to cngagc in ow-
probability cxporations. ^cr al, thc stratcgy was "lo dry
hocs," not "Mo dry holcs uncss driing hcps to pacatc an im-
portant partncr. " Jhc stratcgy had changcd in a way that gavc
owcr-cvc cmpoyccs an cqua|y crcdibc voicc in thc dccision.
Jhc &V goa workcd cxactly as thc managcmcnt tcam had
intcndcd. Vhcn P lch nowhcrc |or pcoplc to hidc, its pcoplc
stoppcd trying to hidc. Jhcy tightcncd up thcir analyscs, and th
madc |cwcr "play-thc-odds" dccisions. Jhcy got scrious about using
cvcry avaiablc scrap o| data in thcir dccisions. And thcy tough-
cncd up thcir rcsistancc to govcrnmcnta and partncr prcssurc.
y 2000, P's hit ratc was an industry-cading Z in 5.hat's
tri/ethc succcss ratc o| I 8. P was sti hitting dry hocs, but
thc goal had stirrcd improvcmcnts that many had considcrcd im-
possibc. P trans|ormcd itsc| whcn it ciminatcd iis own wigglc
room. Vhenuedri//ahoh, itbetternotbed
Motc that thc cadcrs at P didn't say, "Jwo ot:t o| thrcc
F 0 h I I 0 I h 6 U 6 $ I h I 0 h JJ
thats cosc cnough. Lcts cccbratcl Lvcry dry hoc was a Iaiurc,
and thcrc was no dodging it. Bccausc thcy coudn`t casiy cxcusc
faiurc-t uasnategict uaahaingoormnip!-thwcrc
ch with ony onc choicc. Ori smartcr ncxt timc.
6.
I you worry about thc potcntial Ior inaction on your tcam, or
iI you worry that sicnt rcsistancc may sow or sabotagc your
changc initiativc, B goas may bc thc soution. But, to bc
ccar, you wont aways nccd a goa that's so unyicding. Lrysta
]oncss ca to bccomc a third gradcr was not a B goa. Lct's
Iacc it, iI kids got third-gradc-cvc scorcs on math and scicncc
but not on vocabuary, wcd a lct thcm graduatc. Laura Ls-
scrmans vision Ior thc Brcast Larc Lcntcr wasnt B and it
didn't nccd to bc.
hat is csscntia, though, is to marry your ong-tcrm goa
with short-tcrm critica movcs. Lsscrmans vision was compcing,
but it woud havc bccn cmpty tak without ots oI bchavior-cvc
cxccution.
You havc to back up your dcstination postcard with a good
bchaviora script. Jhat's a rccipc Ior succcss. hat you dontnccd
to do is anticipatc cvcry turn in thc road bctwccn today and thc
dcstination. ts not that potting thc whoc ourncy is undcsir-
abc, it's that its impossibc. Jo think that you can pot a turn-by-
turn map to thc cnd, ikc a cadcrs vcrsion oI Nap qucst, is amost
ccrtainy hubris.
hcn yourc at thc bcginning, dont obscss about thc middc,
bccausc thc middc is going to ook dihcrcnt oncc you gct thcrc.
|ust ook Ior a strong bcginning and a strong cnding and gct
moving.
U4 D l K b L T T h b K l D b K
7.
Jhc avcragc invcstor might makc stock-picking dccisions by |is-
tcning to |im Cramcr or rcading ncws rcports or compu|sivc|y
watching CMC. ut big institutiona| invcstors, such as phi|-
anthropic loundations or tcachcrs` rctircmcnt lunds, gct spccia|
attcntion lrom Va|| Strcct. Historical|y, invcstmcnt banks spon-
sorcd rcscarch dcpartmcnts as a lrcc scrvicc to institutional in-
vcstors. Jhc cxchangc was c|car. Jhc bank hopcd that il it madc
good rccommcndations, thcn thc invcstors wou|d usc thc bank's
tradcrs to buy and sc|| stocks, bringing in rcvcnuc lor thc bank.
ccausc rcscarch is, in csscncc, a |urc lor big invcstmcnt dol-
|ars, it is takcn vcry scrious|y on Va|l Strcct. Evcry ycar, Institu-
tiona/In:estormagazinc asks big invcstors to asscss thc rcscarch
thcy`vc rcccivcd. ascd on thosc rcsponscs, thc magazinc ranks
thc rcscarch ana|ysts in cach industry and a|so providcs an ovcr-
a|l ranking lor thc rcscarch dcpartmcnts on VaI| Strcct. Jhcsc In-
stitutiona/Iniestorrankings arc trcatcd likc ho|y writ. Jhcy drivc
(hugc) bonuscs to individua| ana|ysts, and thcy attract customcrs
to thc banks with thc bcst rcscarch dcpartmcnts.
ln I 86, Shcarson Lchman`s rcscarch dcpartmcnt rankcd a
humi|iating hhccnth. Jop cxccutivcs at Shcarson wantcd a ncw
|cadcr, so thcy rccruitcd |ack Rivkin, who had bui|t Iainc
Vcbbcr's rcscarch dcpartmcnt into a powcrhousc. Jhc cxccs` cx-
pcctations lor Rivkn wcrc clcar. Gct us into thc Jop 5.
Rivkin's hrst imprcssions ol thc dcpartmcnt wcrc not prom-
ising. "Vhcn I got to Lchman, thc rcscarch dcpartmcnt was a
mcss. It got no rcspcct." Cnc ol Shcarson`s top an.uysts, E|ainc
Garzarc||i, said, "Jhc dcpartmcnt wasn't disciplincd . . . . Pcop|c
did whatcvcr thcy wantcd to do. Jhcy didn`t havc to ta|k at rcg-
u|ar mcctings, thcy didn't havc to submit rcports at ccrtain timcs.
Abso|utc|y no mcntion was cvcr madc ol thc Institutiona/In:estor
Al|-Amcrica tcam."
F 0 h I I 0 I h e D e 5 I h I 0 h Ub
Rivkin madc many lormal changcs to thc dcpartmcnt. Hc
hircd a numbcr two, Frcd Fracnkcl. Hc succcsslul|y pctitioncd
Shcarson lor a much |argcr stall and budgct. Hc hrcd dcadwood
on thc tcam. Hc changcd thc compcnsation systcm lor thc
tcam.
Jhcsc changcs wcrc vita|, but u|timatc|y, Rivkin had to in-
hucncc thc day-to-day bchavior ol thc ana|ysts on his tcam. Aan
analogy, considcr a gcncra| managcr (GM) running a bascbal|
tcam. ll you havc morc moncy at your disposa|, you can sign
morc ta|cntcd p|aycrs. You can tradc undcrpcrlormcrs. You can
ohcr your tcam a bonus lor making thc p|ayohs. Jhcsc changcs
arc important, but thcy don`t drcctly inducncc thc way playcrs
p|ay. Jo do that, you nccd a coach.
Rivkin was both GM and coach. As a coach, hc kncw hc
nccdcd mcmbcrs ol his tcam to improvc thcir work dramatica||y,
and that mcant hc nccdcd to script somc ol thcir car|y movcs.
Hc startcd by announcing that hc cxpcctcd ana|ysts to initiatc at
|cast I25 c|icnt convcrsations pcr month. Hc rcquircd thcm to
takc notcs on thcir convcrsations and post thcm to thc intcrna|
nctwork. oth thc quantity and thc qua|ity ol ana|ysts` contacts
bccamc a mattcr ol pub|ic rccord. Cnc ncw|y hircd analyst said,
"Cncc thc rcport card on ana|yst contacts was c|cctronical|y
pinncd up on a board, a|| thc ana|ysts bcgan trying to gct to thc
lront scction ol thc rankings, no onc wantcd to bc ncar thc
cnd . . . . Jhc ana|ysts startcd asking onc anothcr. ` How do you
makc so many ca|ls: Vhcrc do you hnd thc timc:` "
Jhc I 25-ca|| bcnchmark ]oItcd thc dcpartmcnt, snappcd it
out ol its |ackadaisica| attitudc. Most ol thc ana|ysts bcgan work-
ing I 2 to I 5 hours pcr day, ncarly cvcry day ol thc ycar. (Motc thc
c|arity ol thc instructionsthis is Rivkin's I % mi|k campaign.)
Rivkn a|so sought to bui|d a tcam mcnta|ity in thc dcpart-
mcnt, hghting against thc traditiona| culturc ol scll-intcrcstcd
Jb U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
cowboys. Hc dcmandcd that, whcn ana|ysts wcrc making
prcscntations to c|icnts, thcy ctc thcir co||cagucs` work at |cast
twicc. "l don`t want to hcar `-I-Iin thc prcscntation. l want
to hcar `wc,` and I want to hcar othcr pcop|c`s namcs. " Jhc
lorccd (at hrst) sharing ol idcas and crcdit madc thc tcam as a
who|c bcttcr, but it a|so bcnchtcd thc individua| ana|ysts by cx-
posing thcm to inlormation thcy othcrwisc wou|dn`t havc cn-
countcrcd.
Rivkin didn`t ]ust script thc critca| movcs/Uke!2ca//.
andciteourcodeagues'uork-healso pointcd to thc dcstination.
ve'regoingtocrackthe. . nstitutiona| lnvcstor) 7 p. Jhat
was somcthing cvcryonc in his dcpartmcnt undcrstood and as-
pircd to.
In lact, thcrc was a jokc that circulatcd in thc dcpartmcnt.
or Oic. " ut thc aspiration was scrous. Vthin cightccn
months ol thc turnaround, a lul| 5 pcrccnt ol onc group ol
ncw|y mintcd ana|ysts brokc onto thc individua ana|yst rank-
ings lor thcir industry. Customcrs wcrc noticng thc cxtra attcn-
tion thcy got lrom Shcarson ana|ysts, and lor thc hrst tmc,
Shcarson ana|ysts wcrc top-ol-mind whcn Institutiona/In:estor
magazinc cal|cd invcstors to ask who thcy rc|icd on most.
Jhc dircction sct by Rivkin prcparcd thc dcpartmcnt lor
a contrarian bct that |ch thc dcpartmcnt aonc on Va|l Strcct. lt
was a bct that wou|d ccmcnt Shcarson`s p|acc in thc 1rankngs.
ln I 88, a Shcarson ana|yst bcgan invcstigating a drug ca||cd
Lpogcn, madc by Amgcn and distributcd by |ohnson & |ohnson.
Lpogcn is a synthctc vcrsion ol a hormonc ca|lcd crythropoictin,
which incrcascs thc body`s production ol rcd b|ood cc|ls. Rcd
b|ood cc|ls arc rcsponsib|c lor lcrrying oxygcn to al| thc cc|ls ol
thc body. Lpogcn wou|d givc thcm a boost, making thc drug thc
pcrlcct trcatment lor various typcs ol scrious ancmialor
F 0 h I I 0 I h 6 D 6 5 I h I 0 h U7
cxamplc, in paticnts whosc blood cclls wcrc damagcd by
chcmothcrapy. At thc timc, thc drug was winding its way through
thc drug approval proccss. Vith its rc|casc immincnt, stock in-
vcstors bcgan to makc thcir bcts on how thc drug would scll,
which would in turn drivc Amgcn`s stock pricc.
Cthcr rcscarch dcpartmcnts had idcntihcd onc ma]or mkct
lor thc drug, but Shcarson analysts thought thcrc might bc othcrs.
Surcly, thcy rcasoncd, thcrc`d bc othcr uscs lor a drug that incrcascd
rcd blood ccll production. So thcy divcd into thc rcscarch proccss.
Frcd Fracnkcl said, "Evcry analyst and cvcry assistant madc calls.
Jhcy callcd about I 00 hospita|s and pharmacics around thc world,
cstimating thc markct potcntial lor thc drug. Cncc thcy had thc
data togcthcr, thcy kncw Amgcn had a multibillion-dollar drug on
its hands. Norcscarch dcpartmcnt could havc possibly madc this
cstimation with just onc analyst and an assistant."
Shcarson`s analysts dchcd thc convcntional wisdom by prc-
dicting that Amgcn had a blockbustcr on its hands. Shcarson's
tcam was so conhdcnt, in lact, that it publishcd ads touting its
hndings in thc NeuKrkIimesand wdStreet}ourna/.
Jhcy wcrc right. Lpogcn bccamc Amgcn's hrst blockbustcr
drug and, at that timc, was thc most succcsslul drug ol thc wholc
oiotcch industry. In I 0, Shcarson was rankcd at thc top ol thc
Institutiona/In:estorA|l-Amcrica Rcscarch cam. In j ust thrcc
ycars, Shcarson had lcaplroggcd lrom hhccnth to hrst.
Jhc call on ^gcn was somcthing that Rivkin ncvcr could
havc anticipatcd, and it wou|d havc bccn pointlcss to try. Hc lo-
cuscd on what hc could control. Hc providcd a dcstination post-
card ("11 or Oic"), and hc scriptcd somc movcs that womd givc
his pcoplc a hcad start. Hc had thc bcginning right and thc cnd-
ing right, and whcn thc Amgcn situation poppcd up in thc mid-
dlc, thc tcam was rcady.
Ub U l K L L T T h L K l U L K
8.
So lar wc'vc |camcd a grcat dca| about thc Ridcr and his many
strcngths and wcakncsscs. Cn thc p|us sidc ol thc lcdgcr, thc Ridcr
is a visionary. Hc`s wil|ing to makc short-tcrm sacrihccs lor |ong-
tcrm payohs (which is why hc nghts so ohcn with thc E|cphant,
who gcncra||y prclcrs immcdiatc gratihcation). Hc`s a c|cvcr tac-
tician, too-~givc him a map and hc`|| lo|low it pcrlcct|y. ut wc`vc
also sccn p|cnty ol cvidcncc ol thc Rdcr`s Haws~-his |imitcd
rcscrvcs ol strcngth, his para|ysis in thc lacc ol ambiguity and
choicc, and his rc|cnt|css locus on prob|cms rathcr th.m so|utions.
Hcrc`s thc good ncws. Jhc Ridcr`s strcngths arc substantia|,
and his daws can bc mitigatcd. Vhcn you appca| to thc Ridcr in-
sidc yoursc|l or insidc othcrs you arc trying to inducncc, your
gamc p|an shou|d bc simp|c.
First, ///outhebrightsots.Jhink ol thc Victnamcsc childrcn
who staycd wc|| nourishcd against thc odds, or thc Gcncntcch
scs rcps who rackcd up sa|cs against thc odds. ^ you ana|yzc
your situation, you`rc surc to hnd somc things that arc working
bcttcr than othcrs. Oon't obscss about thc lai|urcs. lnstcad, in-
vcstigatc and c|onc thc succcsscs.
Mcxt, gi:edirectiontotheRiderboth a start and a hnish.
Scnd him a dcstination postcard ("You'|| bc a third gradcr soon!"),
and script his critica movcs ("uy % mi|k") .
Vhcn you do thcsc things, you'|| prcparc thc Ridcr to |cad a
switch. And you`|| arm him lor thc ongoing strugg|cs with his
rcluctant and lormidab|c partncr, thc L|cphant.
Y0T l VAT E
T H E
E | E P h AN T
b
ID0 \hE EE IDg
!.
I n !992, Jargcr was a $3 bllon rcgonal rcralcr, a pp-squcak
comparcd ro rs compcrrors Kmarr ($9 bllon) andal-Narr
($30bllon) . Burrasprcdro bcdhcrcnr. Lvcn nrhosc days,
rhc chans advcrtsngwas hp and lashonablc. \nlorrunarcly,
rhc srorcs mcrchandsc ddnr dclvcr on rhcadvcrrsng's prom-
sc. Cusromcrs complancd. :cc u lhc:c _rcul a, bul uhcn
romc lo lhc :!orc, jou1c _ol lhc :umc bor:n_ :lu_ N Wl-url.
You alrcadyknow how rhs movccnds. Lvcr rhc lollowng
hhccnycars,JargcrbccamcJar-Z!^Y, rhc
$
3 bllon ganr,
rhc^pplcolrhcrcralngworld, rhckccpcrolrhcbclovcdbulls-
cyc, rhcchamponoldcsgn.Jhc ncwcrasrarrcdwrhrhc conc
Nchacl Cravcs tcakcrrlc and cxpandcdovcrrhcycars roJodd
Lldham bcddng and !saac Nzrah showcr currans and
Nossmo swcarcrs and counrlcss orhcrproducrs rhar combncd
rhcholyduoolhpandchcap.
! 2 M UT l V T b T h b b L b P h N T
Jhc bcginning and cnd points oI thc Jargct ta|c arc prctty
wc|| known. ut wc suspcct you don't know much about thc mid-
d|c, and that`s a shamc, bccausc what happcncd in thc midd|c
was thechange. It didn't happcn in thc boardroom. lt happcncd
bccausc oI pcoplc |ikc Robyn Vatcrs.
Vatcrs had no intcntion oI working Ior Jargct. Shc was a sc|I-
dcscribcd Iashion snob, and shc`d vowcd not to comc back to
Minncsota, whcrc shc was raiscd, and whcrc wintcr takcs ovcr
much oI Ia|| and spring. Shc ccrtain|y had no intcntion oI work-
ing Ior a discounter. Shc had an cnviab|c ]ob at thc posh |ordan
Marsh dcpartmcnt storc and was |iving in high sty|c. " was going
to lta|y and attcnding mcctings with Armani and Vcrsacc and
rubbing shou|dcrs with a|l thc Iashionistas, and that was rca||y
cool whcn you'rc in your mid-thirtics. ut thcn onc day wc a|| got
|aid oh So that's how camc to bc opcn-mindcd. "
Shc ]oincd Jargct in I 2 as thc "rcady-to-wcar` trcnd man-
agcr, which madc hcr rcsponsib|c Ior b|ack stirrup pants, swcats,
and Looncy Juncs J-shirts. Shc'd wondcrcd how shc`d managcd
to s|ip Irom Vcrsacc to Jwccty ird.
Jhc company was at an important inhcction point whcn shc
] oincd. ob Llrich had ]ust rctircd as CEC, and hc'd bccomc
chairman oI thc board. Hc had a vcry c|car vision ol Jargct as an
"upsca|c discountcr" that would dihcrcntiatc itsc|I through dc-
sign. Hc drcamcd that Jargct`s bul|'s-cyc would bccomc a "|ovc-
mark," as rcspcctcd and wc|| |ovcd as Coca-Cola or thc catlcs or
Lcgo. Hc wantcd thc bu|l's-cyc to bc as ubiquitous as McOona|d's
goldcn archcs.
At thc timc, though, Jargct was a |ong way Irom rcalizing that
vision. Jhc mcrchants at Jargctthc pcoplc who sc|cct thc mcr-
chandisc that wi|| show up lor sa|c in various dcpartmcntshad
traditiona||y bccn copycats. Vatcrs said thc mindsct among thc
c|othing mcrchants had bccn to "hnd thc bcst sc||cr this yc, takc
f h 0 I h 6 f 6 6 h g I 0J
it to Asia, knock it on and sc|| it ncxt ycar at ha|l thc pricc. " For
Jargct to bccomc a dcsign powcrhousc, thc company had to stop
lagging thc trcnds and start riding thc trcnds. Jhat was Vatcrs`s
mandatc in thc trcnd dcpartmcnt.
Jhc prob|cm was that Vatcrs had a|most no powcr to ad-
vancc this "trcnd-right" vision. Jhc mcrchants didn't havc to dcal
with hcr. "l had to win thcm ovcr. l cou|d ncvcr mandatc, `Vc
havc to havc purplc this ycar bccausc that's thc trcnd, ` '' shc rc-
ca||cd.
Vatcrs s|ow|y bui|t up bc|icvcrs. An car|y convcrt was thc
mcrchant rcsponsib|c lor turt|cnccks. Shc was lcd up with us-
ing thc same tircd pattcrns cach ycaryou know, thc cutcsy
snowhakc-and-rcindccr prints uscd by cvcry discount rctai|cr. So,
at Vatcrs's urging, shc hircd a dcsigncr to crcatc somc lrcsh pat-
tcrns, and as thcy both prcdictcd, sa|cs improvcd dramatica||y.
Jhcsc cai|y-adoptcr cxpcrimcnts gavc Vatcrs much-nccdcd
succcss stories. Sincc Jargct had an analytica|, numbcrs-drivcn
cu|turc, publicizing thc car|y rcsu|ts was critica|. Vatcrs cou|d
point to "hcrocs" in thc organization who'd takcn a risk and suc-
cccdcd. ("Chcck out what thc turt|cncck mcrchant did.")
For a timc in rctai|, trcndy c|othng was ncutra| in color.
Evcrything was gray, whitc, kaki, tan, or b|ack. Jhcn, onc
scason, co|or cxp|odcd at thc labric shows and in thc rctai|crs in
London and Paris. It wasn`t an obscurc trcnd, it was a big wavc.
So, as thc dcsign champion at Jargct, Vatcrs nccdcd to gct hcr
mcrchants cxcitcd about co|or. ut thc mcrchants, bcing numbcrs
drivcn, wou|d rcvicw thc past lcw ycars' sa|cs and scc that co|or
hadn`t so|d. ,In this situation, a Ridcr appca| cou|dn't possib|y
succccd bccausc thc data contradictcd Vatcrs's position.)
Vatcrs had to gct crcativc. Shc wcnt to thc candy storc at
FAC Schwarz, whcrc you cou|d buy M&Ms in whatcvcr co|or
you wantcd, and brought hugc bags ml| ol bright-co|orcd M&Ms
I 04 M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
to hcr intcrna| mcctings. Shc pourcd thc candy into a g|ass bowl,
crcating cascadcs ol turquoisc and hot pink and |imc grccn. "Pco-
p|c wou|d go `Vow, ' and l'd say, 'Scc, look at your rcaction to
co|or.' "
Shc brought in samp|cs ol Applc`s rcccnt|y rc|cascd iMac
computcrsin |imc, strawbcrry, grapc, and tangcrincwhich had
bccn a scnsation. For thc hrst timc, consumcrs wcrc choosing thc
co|or ol thcir computcrs with thc samc scriousncss thcy uscd to
choosc thc co|or ol thcir cars. And shc constant|y brought in pho-
tographs lrom boutiqucs around thc wor|d. Shc'd show a mcrchant
thc photo ol a po|o assortmcnt and say, "Scc how thcy havc thrcc
ncutra|s, and a mi|d yc||ow, and thcn thcy add thc bright b|uc lor
a pop." Jhcn shc`d crcatc a mock-up display with actua| c|othing
samp|cs so thc mcrchants cou|d scc lor thcmsclvcs, Iu, thatb/ue
co/oros.And, soon ahcr, that b|uc po|o shirt wou|d show up on
thc hoor ol Jargct, lor onc c|othing |inc, lor onc scason.
Jhis is how organizational changc happcns.
Vhcn Vatcrs ta|ks about this pcriod, shc is cmphatic that
shc`s not thc "hcro" ol thc Jargct story. Shc says shc was onc pcr-
son among many who managcd to translorm thc company. How-
cvcr you asscss hcr contribution, thc rcmarkab|c thing is that hcr
succcsscs camc dcspitc a |ack ot authority and rcsourccs. Vatcrs
said, "I had no hcad count at thc timc. I was a|ways borrowing
pcop|c, and my budgcts ncvcr balanccd. ut l kcpt gctting sup-
port lrom mcrchants who wouId say, `Ch, I'vc got an cxtra hcad
count ovcr hcrc. And you can hirc this dcsigncr, but shc`s on|y
going to work on our stuh` And in thc ncxt division thcy'd say,
`Vow, l want onc, too. ` ``
Mot only did Vatcrs |ack contro| ovcr thc mcrchants, shc
didn`t cvcn spcak thcir |anguagc. lndccd, thc biggcst mystcry ol
Vatcrs`s succcss might wc|| bc this. ln thc ana|ytica| cu|turc ol
h 0 I h 6 f 6 6 h I O5
Jargct, whcrc numbcrs wcrc thc |ingua lranca, why did a bunch
ol dcmonstrations sccm to makc thc dihcrcncc:
Z.
In IheHear/oChange,|ohn Kottcr and Oan Cohcn rcport on
a study thcy conductcd with thc hc|p ol a tcam at Oc|oittc Con-
su|ting. Jhc pro]cct tcam intcrvicwcd ovcr 400 pcop|c across
morc than !J0 companics in thc Lnitcd Statcs, Luropc, Austra|ia,
and South AIrica, in hopcs ol undcrstanding why changc hap-
pcns in |arge organizations. Summarizing thc data, Kottcr and
Cohcn said that in most changc situations, managcrs initia|ly
locus on stratcgy, structurc, culturc, or systcms, which |cads thcm
to miss thc most important issuc:
. . . th: corc ol thc mattcr is a|ways about changing thc
bchavior of pcop|c, and bchavior changc happcns in
high|y succcsslul situations most|y by spcaking to pco-
p|c`s lcc|ings. This is truc cvcn in organizations that arc
vcry locuscd on ana|ysis and quant|tativc mcasurcmcnt,
cvcn among pcop|c who think ol thcmsclvcs as smart in
an MA scnsc. ln high|y succcsslul changc cIorts, pco-
p|c hnd ways to hc|p othcrs scc thc prob|cms or solu-
tions in ways that inducncc cmotions, not just thought.
In othcr words, whcn changc works, it's bccausc |cadcrs arc spcak-
ing to thc L|cphant as wc|| as to thc Ridcr.
Most ol us, in Robyn Vatcrs`s shocs, wou|d crcatc a "busincss
casc" lor thc powcr ol dcsign. Vc`d compi|c a PowcrPoint prc-
scntation with charts and graphs and stratcgica||y sclcctcd quotcs
lrom thc chairman who`d cmbraccd thc dcsign-lorward vision.
! Ub M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
Vhcn wc hnishcd our prcscntation, cvcryonc in thc room would
undcrstand what wc mcant. Jhcy might cvcn agrcc! ut wou|d
thcy changc thcir bchavior: Kottcr`s rcscarch suggcsts no.
Kottcr and Cohcn say that most pcop|c think changc hap-
pcns in this ordcr. AM^YZL-1HIMK-CHAMGL. You ana|yzc,
thcn you think, and thcn you changc. In a norma| cnvironmcnt,
that might work prctty wc|l. Il you nccd to rcducc dup|ication
costs in your print shop by 6 pcrccnt, or il you nccd to shavc oh
5 minutcs lrom your dai|y commutc, thcn that proccss wil| scrvc
you wc|l. Kottcr and Cohcn notc that ana|ytica| too|s work bcst
whcn "paramctcrs arc known, assumptions arc minim, and thc
mturc is not mzzy. "
ut big changc situations don't |ook |ikc that. In most changc
situations, thc paramctcrs arcn`t wc|| undcrstood, and thc luturc
is mzzy. ccausc ol thc unccrtainty that changc brings, thc E|c-
phant is rc|uctant to movc, and ana|ytical argumcnts wil| not
ovcrcomc that rcluctancc. (Il somconc is unsurc about whcthcr to
marry hcr signihcant othcr, you`rc not going to tip hcr by taIking
up t advantagcs and rcnt savings.)
Kottcr and Cohcn obscrvcd that, in a|most a|| succcsslu|
changc cllorts, thc scqucncc ol changc is not AMALYZE-
JHIMK-CHAMGE, but rathcr SLL-FLLL-CHAMGE. You`rc
prcscntcd with cvidcncc that makcs you lcc| somcthing. t might
bc a disturbing |ook at thc prob|cm, or a hopclu| g|impsc ol thc
solution, or a sobcring rchcction ol your currcnt habits, but rc-
gard|css, it`s somcthing that hits you at thc cmotion |cvcl. It`s
somcthing that spcaks to thc L|cphant.
ln staging dcmos lor hcr co||cagucs at Jargct, Robyn Vatcrs
was honoring thc SEE-FEEL-CHAMGL philosophy. Shc sct up
displays that |ct thc mcrchants scc what was possib|c. Seehouthat
b/ueo/oshirtos!Seehouit catchesourattention anddraus
ourattennon?Shc brought in iMacs and M&Ms and |ct pcop|c
h 0 I h 6 6 6 h g ! O7
ooh and a ovcr thcm"Scc, |ook at your rcaction to co|or."
(nd[theua, uouUntitbenicetobearto/thesamemo:ement
aSte:e}obsandZ/e?)
Vatcrs thought carcm||y about what hcr co||cagucs wou|d see
bccausc shc kncw what shc wantcd thcm to /e/.cncrgizcd, hopc-
m|, crcativc, compctitivc. Jhcy took thc bait.
Lct`s rcmcmbcr, too, thc story about |on Stcgncr lrom Chap-
tcr , thc man who crcatcd thc G|ovc Shrinc. Hc kncw his co|-
|cagucs wcrc:it cnthuscd about hs idca lor ccntralizcd purchasng,
so hc didn`t bothcr ta|kng about thc numbcrs. Instcad, hc showcd
thcm somcthing that madc thcm lcc| somcthing. (rea/ bu
a//thesedy rentkindo/g/o:es)SLL-FLLL-CHAGL.
Jrying to hght incrtia and indihcrcncc with ana|ytca| argu-
mcnts is |ikc tossng a hrc cxtinguishcr to somconc who`s drown-
ing. Jhc so|uton docsn`t match thc problcm.
It can somctimcs bc chal|cnging, though, to distnguish why
pcop|c don`t support your changc. Is it bccausc thcy don`t un-
dcrstand or bccausc thcy`rc not cnthuscd: Oo you nccd an L|c-
phant appcal or a Ridcr appca|: Jhc answcr isn`t always obvous,
cvcn to cxpcrts.
3.
Pam Cmidyar, thc loundcr ol HopcLab, kncw thc strugg|cs ol
tccnagcrs with canccr. Jhcy cndurcd wccks ol brutal chcmothcr-
apy in thc hospita| and wcnt homc a mcss-sappcd ol cncrgy,
thcir hair la|ling out, thcir throats raw and tcndcr, thcir immunc
systcm wrcckcd. ut whcn thcy hna||y wa|kcd out ol thc hospi-
ta| to rcturn homc, thcrc was onc s|vcr lning: Jhc worst was
|ikcly ovcr. Going lorward, thcir ob|igations wou|d bc rclativc|y
simp|c. Jhcy'd nccd to immcdiatc|y rcport any symptoms thcy
dcvc|opcd, such as a lcvcr, and takc thcir mcdicinc laithlu||y,
I Ub M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
which might inc|udc a rcgimcn ol antibiotics and |ow-dosagc
chcmothcrapy pi||s lor two ycars.
ut many tccns simp|y lai|cd to comp|y, pardy bccausc lo|-
lowing thc mcdication rcgimcn wasn`t casy. hc sidc cllccts ol
chcmothcrapy, cvcn at |ow doscs, wcrc roughnausca, skin brcak-
outs, tircdncss, irritabi|ity. Jhc sidc chccts ol thc homc rcgimcn,
though, wcrc nothing comparcd to thc horror ol intcnsivc
chcmothcrapy, and by missing thcir doscs, kids wcrc risking a rc-
currcncc ol thcir canccr. Stcvc Co|c, thc rcscarch dircctor lor
HopcLab, says, "Il you skip 20 pcrccnt ol your doscs, you dont
just havc a 20 pcrccnt highcr chancc ol gctting canccr again. Your
odds go up 200 pcrccnt."
How cou|d tccns takc such a tcrriblc risk: Cmidyar was con-
vinccd that tccns simp|y wcrcn't gctting thc mcssagc. Shc sought
a ncw way ol inhucncing thcir bchaviorsomcthing unconvcn-
tiona|, somcthing that spokc in thcir |anguagc. Hcr inspiration.
Vc`|| makc a vidco gamc.
Acr months ol chort, HopcLab dcvc|opcd a g:c cal|cd Rc-
Mission. In thc gamc, tccns bccamc Roxi, a si|vcr-suitcd
nanobot who chargcd through thc b|oodstrcam zapping tumor
ccl|s with c|cctric-grccn chcmo-rays. In bctwccn rounds ol gamc-
p|ay, tccns watchcd short "brichng" vidcos lcaturing Smitty, a
mcntor robot, who providcd additiona| inlormation about
chcmothcrapy and rccovcry.
Rc-Mission lcaturcd twcnty |cvc|s ol p|ay, cach |asting an hour
and packcd with inlormation. Jhc tcam at HopcLab was con-
vinccd that il it cou|d gct kids to p|ay thc who|c gamc, any mis-
undcrstandings that could |cad to noncomp|iancc wou|d bc
wipcd out.
Evcntua||y thc tcam |aunchcd thc hrst clinica| trial lor Rc-
Mission. ln 2008, thc rcsu|ts wcrc announccd in thc mcdica|
]ourna| Pedianics.Jo thc tcam`s dc|ight, thc gamc had incrcascd
f h 0 I 6 f 6 6 h g I UJ
kds' adhcrcncc to thcir mcdcaton pans. Jhc amount oI
chcmothcrapy drugs crcuatng n thc bood oI kds who paycd
thc gamc wcnt up by ZU pcrccnt. Jhat may not sound kc much,
but sma dhrcnccs n adhcrcncc makc a bg dhcrcncc n hcath.
Jhc odds oI survvng canccr doubc iI you can bump up
chcmothcrapy adhcrcncc by ZUpcrccnt.
But thcrc was a surprsc burcd n thc cvdcncc oI succcss. ^
ot oI thc kds ddnt acti)ay pay thc gamc a that much, at-
tcmptng ony onc or rwo cvcs nstcad oI thc twcnty that had
bccn dcsgncd nto thc gamc. Yct cvcn thosc cary quttcrs cndcd
up takng thcr mcdcatons morc rcguary. n Iact, thc tccns who
paycd ony two cvcs wcrc changng thcr bchavor as much as
thc kds who paycd a twcnty.
^t hrst gancc, that hndng sccmcd as absurd as I youd ds-
covcrcd that studcnts got comparabc scorcs on thcr agcbra hnas
whcthcr thcy took ony onc wcck oI casscs or a whoc scmcstcr.
Kcscarch drcctor Loc acknowcdgcd, Lcary, n onc or two
cvcs wc'rc not tcachng thcm a whoc ot, sncc thc buk oI that
tmc s spcnt hying around thc body bowng things up. hy
had thc undcrutzcd gamc bccn so chcctvc at changng thc kds'
bchavior:
Loc startcd askng around, tryng to undcrstand thc puzzng
rcsut. Cnc oI his Iricnds, a markctng proIcssor at StanIord, said,
Jhnk about ths Irom a markcrng pcrspcctvc. c can changc
bchavor n a short tccvson ad. c don't do t with nIormaton.
c do t wth dcntty. `I buy a BN `m gong to bc this
knd oI pcrson. I takc that knd oI vacaton, 'm that knd oI
cco-Ircndy pcrson.
^nd t dawncd on Loc: hcn tccns ddnt compy wth thcir
drug rcgmcn, thc probcm wasnt knowcdgc, it was cmoton.
Hc sad, t bois down to an idcntq thng. Acr you havc gonc
through intcnsvc chcmo, youvc had your iIc stocn Irom you
I T 0 m T l VT L T H L L L L F H N T
bycanccr.Sothckdsthnk,`!justwanttogctback\ bcngthc
orgna mc.`Jhcydon`twantto bc `thc sckkd' anymorc.'
Jhcgamcwasmakngagut-Icvclcmotonalconnccton.You
arc Rox, thc nanobot, boldly dclcatng canccr. You|ucyour
raygunbytakngchcmothcrapyandantbotcs. Ncdicncmcans
powcr.^ndthccducatonalvdcosthatpopupoccasonay,wth
thc mcntor-robot ccturngyou about thc mportancc olcom-
plancc, arc compctcyrrccvant to thc changc that`s gong on.
Jhcchangcsnotoncolundcrstandngbutoncollccng.!t`src-
alzngthat cun drh::. m :n chur_c. Chcmosnt arcmndcrol
thc sckncss, ts howyou gctyourllcback-howyou stcaback
thc rcayou lromcanccr. Jakc thc ps, andyou L stop bcng
acanccrkdlorcvcr.
LL M L
H0W LB0 00 mBK0 0V0l0g0f5 LBf0 00dI
Ih0 c0050f1
blTUTlM At many so!tware companies, the deve|ope|swho are respon
sib|e !o| wr|t|ng new so!Iware p|ograms!a|| |n |ove with thei| code. When the||
programs a|e tested by custome|s, they can be skeptica| o! the custome| !eed
back. At M|croso!t, !or |nstance, one test o! a new !eatu|e showed that s|x out o!
ten use|s cou|dn't !igure out how to use |t. When the test |ab sha| the data with
the deve|opers, their |eact|on was, Where'd you !|nd s|x dumb peop| e! Many
compan|es experience a !o|m o! this prob|em. ls |t poss|b|e to convince deve|op
ers to be mo|e responsive to customer !eedback!
WHT'b THb bWlTCH M WH1'b HLlM lT BCKT 0|t|mate|y,
companies need deve|ope|s to tweak their so!tware in response to !eedback !rom
customers, othenise, the programs won't be success!u|. But somet|mes deve|
ope|s res|st o| dismiss customer !eedback and make on|y token rev|sions |ather
d I h 6 6 6 g I I I
than tq|ng to empath|ze with custome|s' d|!!icu|ties. T|s |s probab|y an E|ephant
prob|emthe deve|opers understand what's be|ng asked o! them but resent
be|ng !orced to change their beaut|!u| code !or the dummies in the|r audience. But
|et's not be too qu|ck to treat deve|opers as a type (e.g., as arrogant techno|
og|sts). Character udgments | |ke that re!|ect a psycho|og|ca| bias that we ex
p|ore |n Chapter .|et's !ocus on provid|ng deve|ope|s w|th more motivation and
a smoother path.
HW Wb NKb THb bWlTCHT
/l0Cl lO0 h/00l. T. 0I I0 \6 06SI8I0. We shou|d pa|nt a p|cture
o! the g|oup g|o|y that w||| result !rom a success!u| product |aunch. The deve|
opers w||| be so!tware heroes, and they'| | have a ||ne on their resumes that wi||
a|ways be impress|ve. |isten|ng care!u||y to the customer |s s|mp|y a way to ac
ce|erate that g|o|y. . bfpI I6 fI8 m0V6S. Are we being speci!|c enough
about what's needed !rom the deve|opers! lmagine that we te|| them that their
program's ease o! use |s rated as poor'' What |n the wor|d can they do with
that! The|r Riders w|| sp|n !or hours, tq|ng Io dec|de among dozens o! possib|e
improvements. lt's our responsib|| |ty to de!|ne the crit|ca| movesa|ong the |ines
o[ We need to g|ve peop|e a qu|cker way to rotate these obects.
NOl/vdl0 lO0 Ll0OdDl. 1 . 0 I6 66g. At M|croso!t, the deve|op
ers were |nvited to v|sit the usab|| |ty test|ng |ab. There, !rom beh|nd a oneway
m|rro( they cou|d watch rea| users strugg||ng w|th the|r programs. lt made a| |
the di!!erence. Te test | ab manager says that when deve|opers see a user |ive,
"Twenty ideas ust |mmed| ate|y come to mi nd. ||rst o! a||, you |mmediately em
pathite w|th the person. The usua| nonsense answerse||, they can ust |ook
iotbemaoua|iftbeydoo'tkoowbowtouseit,or'Nyideaisbril|iao(youjust
!ound s|x stup|d peop|e' . . . that k|nd o! stu!! ust goes out the doo|'` . f0W
0uf p60p6. 0eve|opers may worry that, |! the|r code needs revis|ng, it re!|ects
negat|ve|y on the|r ab|| |t|es. (We'|| ta|k about more about this |n Chapter , the
sect|on on the !|xed m|ndset.) We shou|d stress that the test o! a great
I I m T V T L T H L L L L F H N T
deve|ope| isn't the qua|ity o! his o| her !|rstd|a!t code, |t's how we|| the devel
ope| codes a|ound the |nevitab|e roadb|ocks. We shou|d make an eho|t to p|a|se
ingenious so|ut|ons to customers' prob|ems.
OdC lOC /dlO. 1 . bu0 80IS. |s the custome| !eedback com|ng at the
most convenient time |n Ihe code deve|opment cyc|e! 0eve|ope|s have |out|nes
that work !or them. Can we make an e!lo|t to snap the use|test|ng onto an ex
|st|ng |out|ne, so we`re not comp|icating the Path! .1W68K I6 6Vl0m6I.
At many compan|es, programmers are given the best compute|s. Tis practice |s
g|eat !or p|oductivity but lousy !or custome| empathy. 0ne manager says that
eve|y t|me h|s deve|opers use machines a generat|on ahead o! thei| customers'
equ|pment, the so!tware they c|eate has usab|||ty p|ob|ems. Why! Because the
deve|ope|s have no |ntu|t|on about how s|ow|y the so!Iware |s running !or typ|
ca| end users. So|ut|on. Require deve|oe|s to program on the same machines
customers use. H|s |s another Path solution that has been pu|sued by M|c|oso!t.)
4.
hcnpcoplcpush!orchangcandtdocsn't happcn, thcyohcn
chalk t up to a lack olundcrstandng. ^ mom grouscs, Ilmy
daughrcrjust undr:lood thar hcr drvng habts arc dangcrous,
shcdchangc.^sccntstsays, "Ilwccouldj ustgctCongrcss to
undcr:lund rhcdangcrsolglobwarmng,rhcydsurclyrakclcg-
slarvc acton.
Burwhcnpcoplclaltochangc, tsnotusuallybccauscolan
undcrstandngproblcm. Smokcrs undcrsrandthat cgarcttcs arc
unhcalthy, but thcydontqut.^mcrcanautomakcrs n thccarly
twcnty-hrstccnturykncwrhcywcrc too dcpcndcnt onthc salcs
olS\s andrrucks (andthus on low ol prccs), but thcyddn't
nnovarc.
^t somc lcvcl, wcundcrsrandrhsrcnson.c knowthcrc's
adhcrcnccbctwccnknownghowroacr and bcngmorvatcd
f h 0 I h 6 f 6 6 h g I I J
toact. utwhcnitcomcstimctochangcthcbchavioroIothcr
pcopc, ourhrst instinct is to tcach thcmsomcthing. Smoking
isrea/ unhea/th!Kurchemothera medicineis rea/ imor-
tant!We speaktothcRidcrwhcnwcshouIdbcspcakingtothc
Lcphant.
Jhis rcalization-thatwc can makc an impcccablyrationa
cascIorchangcandpcoplcstiIwon'tchangc-isprcttyIrustrat-
ing.VhydidRobynVatcrsnccdtogothroughathctroubcoI
stagingdcmosIorhcrcolcagucsatJargct:Shouldn'tthcogicoI
dcsigninnovationhavcbccncompcIlingcnoughonitsown!
Vhy can't wc simpy think our way into ncw bchavior:
Jhcanswcr isthat,insomccascs,wc rcalycan`t trust ourown
thinking.
J.
^youwatch,astrangcrwaksintoaroomandsitsdownbchind
atabc. Hcpicksup apicccoIpapcrandrcadsaloudagcncric-
soundingwcathcrrcport."Jomorrow,wc'Iscchighsinthcuppcr
8OswithanovcrnightowoI53 e e ."Hccompctcshis"rcport"
inaboutOsccondsandwalks outoIthcroom.
Ncxt,you`rcaskcdtogucsshisIQ.
You'rcpartoIapsychologycxpcrimcnt,andyouob]ccttothc
absurdityoIthcrcqucst.Idontknouanthingaboutthatg He
ustcameintoaroomandreadareort.Ituasnte:enhisreort~
ouga:eittehim toread!Houam IsuosedtoknouhisIQ!!
Rcuctantly, youmakcawiIdgucss. ScparatcIy, FakcVcath-
crmanisaskcdtogucsshisownIQ. Vhomadcabcttcrgucss:
Amazingy, you did, cvcn though youknownothingabout
FakcVcathcrman.Jwopsychoogists,IctcrorkcnauandAncttc
LicbIcr, Irom Lnivcrsitt iccIcd in Gcrmany, conductcd this
cxpcrimcnt. and thcy Iound that thc strangcrs` lQ prcdictions
! I 4 M U T l V T L T H L L L L F h N T
wcrc bcttcr than thc prcdictions oIthoscwhosc IQwas bcing
prcdictcdabout66 pcrccntmorcaccuratc.
Jo bcccar, it`s not so muchthatyou'rcabriiantprcdictor,
it'sthathc'saousyscI-cvauator.Vc`rcalousyscl-cvaluators.
Colcgc studcnts doa supcriorjob prcdicting thc longcvityol
thcirraammatcs romanticrcationshipsthanthcirown.
Savor,Ioramomcnt, thcprcpostcrousncssoIthcschndings.
FakcVcathcrmanhasalthcinIormation,andyou'vcgotnonc.
Hc`sgotdccadcsoIdata-ycars`worthoIgradcs,colcgccntrancc
C scorcs,]obcvaIuations,andmorc.FakcVcathcrmanshoud
bcthcword'sIorcmostcxpcrton FakcVcathcrman!
IIsclI-cvauationhingcdoninIormationaonc,thchndingsoI
thcscstudicswouldhavcbccnimpossiblc.t`dbcikcdiscovcring
thatyoucoudbcatrandomysclcctcdmothcrsonatriviaqucs-
tion abouthowmanykIdsthcyhavc.
ut scI-cvauation invovcs interretation, and that's whcrc
thcLcphantintrudcs.JhcLcphanttcndstotakcthcrosicstpos-
siblcintcrprctation oIthcIacts. ("My2. I GPA is asign oImy
intcIigcncc-itshowsthatmyintccctsimpyisn`t bcingcha-
cngcdcnoughtokccpmccngagcd. ")
Vc`vc ahcardthcstudicsshowingthatthcvastma]orityoI
usconsidcrourscvcsabovc-avcragcdrivcrs. lnthcpsychologyit-
craturc, this bcicIisknown as aositi:eidusion. Curbrains arc
positivciusionIactorics: Cny2 pcrccntoIhigh schooscniors
bcicvcthcircadcrshipskiIsarcbcowavcragc.A Iul25 pcrccnt
oIpcopcbcicvcthcy'rcinthctop I pcrccntinthcirabiitytogct
aongwith othcrs. Mincty-IourpcrccntoIcocgcproIcssorsrc-
portdoingabovc-avcragcwork.Icopcthinkthcy`rcatlowcrrisk
thanthcirpccrsIorhcartattacks,canccr,andcvcnIood-rcatcdil-
ncsscs suchas samoncla. MostdciciousyscI-dcccptivcoIa,
pcopcsaythcyarcmorcikcythanthcirpccrstoprovidcaccu-
ratcscI-asscssmcnts.
r h 0 I h e r e e l h g I I b
Iositivc iusions poscan cnormous probcmwith rcgard to
changc.cIorcpcoplccanchangc,bcIorcthcycanmovcinancw
dircction,thcy`vcgottohavcthcirbcarings. utpositivciusions
makcithardIorustooricntourscvcstogctaccarpicturcoI
whcrcwcareandhowwc'rcdoing. Howcanwcdispcpcoplc`s
positivciusionswithoutrainingdownncgativityonthcm:
6.
CncwayoIcuttingthroughpositivciIusionsissuggcstcdbyan
cxampcIromMassachuscttsinastatcagcncycalcdthcOcpart-
mcntoIYouthScrviccs. OYSdcatwithdcinqucntkidsitwas
bothacorrcctionsagcncyandasocia scrviccorganiztion.Inthc
atc I 7Os,Massachuscttscdapionccringchorttoovcrhau its
juvcnicjust.ccsystcm,scaingbackitsyouth prisons inIavoroI
anctworko|nonprohtshabayhouscs, group homcs,outpa-
ticntcounscingccntcrs,jobccntcrs,andmorc.JhcgoaoIthcsc
nonprohtswastorchabiitatcyoungohcndcrsandkccpthcmn
thcirhomccommunitics.
AMassachuscttscmbraccdthisnctworkmodcl,OYShadto
changcsubst.mtiaIy.Jhcagcncystartcdworkingprimariythrough
vcndorssuchashabayhouscs andcounscingccntcrs-rathcr
thandclivcringscrviccstokidsdirccty.AarcsuIt,agcncystahcrs
had to adapt thc way thcyworkcd, and most oIthcm handlcd
thctransitionwcl.
ExccptIorthcaccountingdcpartmcnt.
JhchcadoIaccountingwas anauthoritarianmanagcrwho
rucdhisdcpartmcntwithanironhst.Hcwasknownasayccr,
somc colcagucs cacd him Attila thc Accountant. Attia was
mcticuousaboutIolowingthcrucs, toaIault.Iyousubmittcd
ancxpcnscrcporttohistcamandlchohasingcdctailadatc,
asubtota-thcaccountantswoudbounccthcrcportrightback
I I b M U T l V T L T H L L L L F H N T
atyourathcrthansimpyhlinginthcdctaithcmscvcs.ccausc
oI this pcrccivcd pcttincss, Attila was "prctty much hatcd
throughoutthc organization," rccalcd Sim Sitkin, who at that
timcwas thc dircctor oIpanningandrcscarch IorOYS. Attias
accountinggroupsawitscImorcasawatchdogthanasanintcr-
nascrviccprovidcr.
VhcnOYSshihcdtothcnctworkmodc,thcIocusoIthcac-
counting dcpartmcnt shihcd, too. Now itwas outsidc vcndors
whowcrcsubmittingthcrcimburscmcntrcqucsts,notcmployccs.
And wc can say onc thing Ior Attia. Hc was consistcnt. Hc
trcatcd thc ncw vcndors with thc samc dictatoria styc that hc
haduscdwith hisin-housccocagucs. lIvcndors submittcdrc-
portsthatwcrcn'tpcrIcct,hcrc]cctcdthcm.Jhiscrcatcdbigprob-
cms, though.A Sitkin said, "Jhcsc nonprohtsdidn`thavc aot
oIsack.Jhcywcrcivingonashocstring,andsodelays inpay-
mcntsrcaly]copardizcdthcirabiityto scrvc kids."
Sitkin andGaiAnncHcay, thc dcputy commissioncr oI
OYS,bcgantohclddcspcratccasIromthcscnonprohts.lnsomc
cascs, thcy couldn`t makc payro unlcssAttiacut thcir chccks
quicky. SitkinandHcaytricdtorcasonwithAttia, thcytricdto
cxpainwhyitwasimportanttocutthcvcndors somc slack. ut,
aswc'vcsccnrcpcatcdy,thcknowcdgcwasn'tcnoughtotriggcr
achangc.AttiastaycdAttia.
Frustratcd, Sitkin andHcayaskcdAttia to jointhcm ona
roadtrip.JhcthrccoIthcmdrovcouttovisitscvcraoIOYS`skcy
scrviccprovidcrs.Chcn,thcscprovidcrswcrcopcratingIromod
houscsinrun-downncighborhoods.Jhciromccsookcddiapi-
datcd and chaotic. Andinthc midst olthis cnvironmcnt, thc
stahcrswcrc carncstly trying toworksmamiraccs. "Jhc typi-
castahcr,"saidSitkin,"wasikcacombinationoIabcatcopand
asocialworkcr. Somctimcsthcystruckyouaspcopcwhomight
havconccbccninthcsamcpositionasthckidsthcywcrctrying
h 0 I h e f e e h g I I /
to rcach. Jhcy wcrc working hard and obvious|y not making a |ot
ol moncy. "
Ouring thc visits, Atti|a saw hrsthand how busy th wcrc and
how distracting thc workp|acc was. Jhcy didn't havc c|oscd-door
omccs as hc did. It was noisy, thanks to thc kids who wcrc living
in thc homcsthcy wcrc constant|y coming and going, or cook-
ing mca|s, or ]ust hanging around and ta|king. Socia| workcrs
wcrc rushing around, trying to kccp tabs on thc kids, and shut-
t|ing thcm to doctors' omccs or ob intcrvicws.
Atti|a saw and lc|t thc prccarious hnancia| situation ol thcsc
nonprohts. Jhcy wcrc hanging by a thrcad. Vcn hc hc|d up onc
ol thcir chccks, it mcant that thcy cou|dn't pay lor somcthing.
Jhcy might havc to dc|ay payro||, or skimp on lood, or postponc
a doctor's visit lor a kid who ncedcd it. For thc hrst timc, Atti|a
got a gut-chcck about thc harm hc was causing with his nitpick-
ing. Hc camc back to thc omcc a translormcd man.
Mind you, hc was sti|| Atti|a. Hc was sti|| authoritarian, and
hc sti|l yc||cd. ut hc changcd what hc was yc||ing about. "clorc,
hc'd yc|l at his stah, `Vy did you givc mc this lorm whcn it's
got somcthing missing:!' " said Sitkin. "^crwards, hc switchcd
to, 'Oon't you rca|izc what happcns whcn wc don't gct this chcck
out on timc:' Pcop|c havc to makc payro||'' "
Atti|a's translormation rcprcscntcd a victory ovcr positivc i|-
lusions. clorc thc hc|d trip, il Atti|a had bccn askcd to asscss his
pcrlormancc as an accountant, hc a|most ccrtain|y wou|d havc
put himsc|l in thc top ! O pcrccnt. In his mind, accounting was
about paying attcntion to dctai|s, maintaining rigorous standards,
and rcsisting po|itica| prcssurc.
Hc wou|d havc bccn right to scorc himscll high|y on thosc
mcasurcsbut a|so sc|l-scrving. Cnc rcason wc'rc ab|c to bc|icvc
that wc'rc bcttcr-than-avcragc |cadcrs and drivcrs and spouscs and
tcam p|aycrs is that wc'rc dchning thosc tcrms in ways that hattcr
! \ 8 M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
us. (amrea/agoodteamle. comtantg:em couorkers
us/tqsonhoutoimro:ethemse/:es,Jhc ambiguity in tcrms
ikc "lcadcr" or "tcam paycr" cnabcs our iusionsthat`s why it`s
so much hardcr lor us to lancy oursclvcs bcttcr-than-avcragc polc
vautcrs.
Jhc ambiguity in bcing a "good accountant" dissolvcd whcn
Attia mct thc socia scrvicc workcrs. Vhcn hc saw how hard thcy
wcrc working, and thc raucous conditions they wcrc working in,
hc couldn't hcp but cmpathizc with thcm, and that lccing ol
cmpathy gavc thc ic to his positivc ilusions. theughtbeinga
goodaccountantuaaboutrigorbutnouseethatitsa/oaboutser-
:ice. Having bccn lorccd to cxpcricncc thc inadcquacy ol his od
approach, hc bccamc a zcaot lor thc ncw onc. Ieam,oubetterget
thoseachecksoutZSZP-eo/eareuaitingon us!
Jhat may not bc a hcartwarming talc, but it`s a big switch.
Attia thc Accountant was a hard casc. Hcay and Siikin managcd
to brcak through his prickly cxtcrior and makc him lccl somc-
thing. And oncc hc lct somcthing, hc changcd. Jhat outcomc
shoud givc al ol us hopc that wc can rcach thc Attias in our
own lilc (Attia thc Oad, Attia thc oss, or Attia thc Jccnagcr) .
7.
It's cmotion that motivatcs thc Lcphant. In hghting lor changc,
wc'vc got to hnd thc lccing. ut uhichlccing: Angcr, hopc, dis-
may, cnthusiasm, lcar, happincss, surprisc:
HopcLab built a vidco gamc lor tccnagcrs with canccr that
gavc thcm a lccing ol contro and powcr. |on Stcgncr's Govc
Shrinc shockcd thc cxccs and gavc thcm a dctcrmina:ion to hx thc
mattcr. Jhc Microsoh usabiity ab madc dcvclopers lcc cmpa-
thy lor thcir customcrs. Vil connccting with any o|d lccing do:
Vc ohcn hcar that pcopc changc only whcn a crisis compcs
f h 0 I h 6 f 6 6 l h g I I J
thcmto,whichimpicsthatwc nccdtocrcatcascnscoIIcaror
anxictyordoom.Jwo proIcssors at Harvard usincssSchool,
writingaboutorganizationachangc,saythatchangcishardbc-
causcpcopcarcrcIuctanttoaltcrhabitsthathavcbccnsucccss-
m inthc past. "In thc abscncc oIadirc thrcat, cmpoyccs wi
kccpdoingvhatthcy`vcaIwaysdonc."^arcsut,thcproIcssors
cmphasizc thc importancc oIcrisis: Jurnaround cadcrs must
convinccpcopcthatthcorganizationistruIyonitsdcathbcd
or, atthcvcryIcast, thatradicachangcsarc rcquircd iIthcorga-
nizationistosurvivcandthrivc."Inothcrwords,iIncccssary,wc
nccd to createa crisis to convincc pcopcthcy`rc Iacing acatas-
trophcandhavcnochoiccbuttomovc.
SimiarbclicIsaboutthcimportanccoIcrisisonccprcvalcd
amongthcrapists,mostoIwhombcicvcdthataIcohoicsordrug
addicts coudn`tbchcpcd unti thcy hit rock bottom. ackin
thc I8Os, at a proIcssiona conIcrcncc, thc thcrapist Ruth
Maxwcgavc aprcscntationsuggcstingto Icowthcrapiststhat
thc now-IamiIiar tcchniquc oIIamiy "intcrvcntion" coud bc
uscd\o con\ncc add\c\s \o cn\cr a\rca\mcn\ptogtam cvcn \\
thcy hadn't yct hit rock bottom. In hcr book Breakthrough,
Maxwcwrotcshcwas "ncarIyboocdoutoIthcroom. . . . Com-
ing Irom backgrounds dccplystccpcd intraditiona psychiatric
wisdom,thcyhrmlybcicvcthatpcoplccannotbctrcatcduncss
thcyarc motivatcd Iortrcatmcnt."And bcing motivatcd" rc-
quircdarock-bottomcrisis.
SpcakingoIthc pcrccivcdnccdIor crisis,ct'stakabout thc
burningpatIorm,"aIamiliarphrascinthcorganizationalchangc
itcraturc. ItrcIcrsto ahorrihc accidcnt thathappcncd in I88
onthcIipcrAlphaoilpatIorminthcMorthSca.Agascaktrig-
gcrcdancxposionthatrippcdthcrigintwo.Aarcportcrwrotc,
Jhoscwho survivcd had anightmarish choicc: to]ump as Iar
as I 5O h. down into a hcry sca or Iacc ccrtain dcath on thc
I 0 M U T V T L T h L L L L P h N T
disintcgratingrig."AndyMochan, asupcrintcndcnton thc rig,
said, "ItwasIryor]ump,solj umpcd."HcwcvcntuaIIysavcd
byarcscucmissioninvoIvingAJCandthcRoyaIAirForcc.
Cut oIthis human tragcdyhas cmcrgcd arathcr ridicuIous
busincsscIichc.VhcncxccutivcstalkaboutthcnccdIora"burn-
ingpIatIorm, "thcymcan, basicaIly,thatthcynccdawaytoscarc
thcir cmpIoyccs into changing.Jo crcatc aburning pIatIorm is
topaintsuchagIoomypicturcoIthccurrcntstatcoIthingsthat
cmployccscan`thcIp butjump intothchcrysca. (Andby"jump
intothchcrysca,"whatwcmcan isthatthcychangcthcir orga-
nizationaIpracticcs. V!ich suggcsts that this usc oI"burning
pIatIorm"mightwcIIbcthcdictionarydchnitionoIher/o/e. )
lnshort,thc "burningplatIorm" isagrcat, upIihingtalcIor
your pcopIc. "Jcam, Ict`s choosc adangcrous pIungc into thc
occanovcrgcttingburncdtodcathlNowgctbacktowork!"
LcavingasidcthcsiIlincssoIthcburning-pIatIormmctaphor,
Icarcan indccd bcapowcrmlmotivator.JhinkoI I|`sIamous
"Oaisy" campaign ad in ! 64, in which ayoung girI hoIds a
howcrwhiIcamushroomcIoudriscsbchindhcr.!IyouvotcIor
GoIdwatcr,thcadsuggcstcd,youmightaswcIlnukcyourchiId.
CrconsidcrthcslcazyrcaI-cstatc-saIcsbossinChngar

C/enRoss,
Oavid Mamct`s IuIitzcr Prizc~winning pIay. "First prizc is a
CadiIIacLIdorado . . . . SccondpriccisasctoIstcakknivcs.Jhird
prizcisyou`rchrcd."
HcaIthcducators,too,havcgottcninonthcact. Rcmcmbcr
thcadsshowingphotosoIsmokcrs' bIack,gnarlcdIungs, orthc
Iamous"Jhisis your brainon drugs" commcrciaI,whichanalo-
gizcd drug uscrs` brains to Iryingcggs (thosc visuaIs, in turn,
madcpotsmokcrsvcryhungry).
Jhcrc's no qucstion thatncgativccmotionsarcmotivating.
Mo oncwants to scc akid nukcd. ut what, cxactIy, arc thcsc
cmotions motivating:
h 0 I h 6 6 6 h I I
"IIyouhavc astonci nyourshoc,i thurts andyou'lhxthc
probcm,"saidMartinScligman, apsychoogistatthcLnivcrsity
oIIcnnsyvania. Ina scnsc, rcmovingthc stonc Iromyourshoc
iswhatncgativccmotionsarc dcsigncd todo to motivatcspc-
cihcactions.Vhcnyou'rcangry,yourcycsnarrowandyourhsts
clinchandyougctrcadyIoraconIrontation.Vhcnyou'rc dis-
gustcd,yournoscwrinkcs andyou avoidwhatcvcrhas grosscd
yOtlout.Vhcnyou`rcaIraid,yourcycsgrowwidcandyourbody
tcnscsup andprcparcstohcc. Cn adaiybasis, thcn, ncgativc
cmotionshcpusavoidrisks andconIrontprobcms.
ottom|nc.IIyounccdquickandspccihcaction,thcnncg-
ativccmotionsmighthcp.utmostoIthctimcwhcnchangcis
nccdcd,it'snotastonc-in-thc-shocsituation.Jhcqucsttorcducc
grccnhouscgascsisnotastonc-in-thc-shocsituation,andncithcr
isJargct`smssiontobccomcthc"upscacrctaicr,"orsomconc's
dcsirc to improvc his orhcr marriagc. Jhcsc situations rcquirc
crcativityand hcxibiity and ingcnuity. And, unIortunatcy, a
burningpatlormwon'tgctyouthat.
Sowhatwil!
8.
In I8,crpsychoogistshadspcntdccadcsstudyingncgativc
cmotions,thcpsychologistarbaraFrcdricksonwrotcaprovoca-
tivcpapcrcalcd"VhatGoodArcIositivcLmotions:"Jhcpapcr
bccamc a classic. It cvcntuay would bc citcd ovcr a hundrcd
timcsmorcohcnthanatypicapsychoogypapcr,andithcpcd
tomclthcriscoIthcdisciplincoIpositivcpsychoogy, whichhas
yicdcdmanypopuarbooksonhappincssovcrthcpastIcwycars.
A Frcdrickson suggcstcd in hcr titlc, positivc cmotions arc
a bit oIa puzzc. Lnlikc ncgativc cmotions, thcydon't sccm
cnginccrcd to producc particuaractions,suchas punchingor
I M U T V T L T h L L L L P h N T
hccing or avoiding. Jhcy don't cvcn havc thcir own signaturc la-
cia| cxprcssions. In lact, thc cmotions ol ]oy, contcntmcnt, pridc,
|ovc, and intcrcst a|l tcnd to producc thc samc gcncric ``l`m
plcascd" cxprcssion, which is known as thc DuchennesmiL(|ips
curlcd up at thc corncrs a|ong with a crink|ing in thc musclcs
around thc cycsor thc way your spousc looks whcn you ask,
"Havc you |ost wcight:"). Most ol our positivc cmotions arc mn-
nclcd through this samc Ouchcnnc mask, |ikc a symphony
pumpcd through a tuba. Vorsc, wc can't cvcn distinguish rcadi|y
bctwccn a gcnuinc Ouchcnnc smi|c and a lakc Ouchcnnc smi|c,
as gcncrations ol bcauty pagcant winncrs havc i||ustratcd. (Hint
Agcnuinc Ouchcnnc has thc cyc-crinkling that is hard to lakc.)
Mcgativc cmotions tcnd to havc a "narrowing cUcct" on our
thoughts. ll your body is tcnsing up as you wa|k through a dark
a||cy, your mind isn't |ikc|y to wandcr ovcr to tomorrow`s to-do
|ists. Fcar and angcr and disgust givc us sharp locuswhich is
thc samc thing as putting on b|indcrs. Po|icc dctcctivcs, lor in-
stancc, lrcqucnt|y arc lrustratcd by thc tcstimony ol gun-crimc
victims, who ohcn can providc a rich dcscription ol thc gun hc|d
by thc pcrpctrator but can`t rcca|l whcthcr thc pcrpctrator had a
bcard.
Frcdrickson argucs that, in contrast with thc narrowing cl-
lccts ol thc ncgativc cmotions, positivc cmotions arc dcsigncd to
"/roadnand /uiH"our rcpcrtoirc ol thoughts and actions. |oy,
lor cxamp|c, makcs us want to p|ay. I|ay docsn`t havc a script, it
/roadnsthc kinds ol things wc considcr doing. Vc bccomc wi||-
ing to loo| around, to cxp|orc or invcnt ncw activitics. And bc-
causc ]oy cncouragcs us to p|ay, wc arc /uiHingrcsourccs and
ski||s. For instancc, kids |carn physica| skil|s through rough-and-
tumb|c p|ay, thcy |car to work with objccts by p|aying with toys
and b|ocks and crayons, thcy |carn to gct along with othcrs by
prctcnding to bc anima|s or supcrhcrocs.
f n 0 I h 6 f 6 6 h g ! 2J
Jhcpositvccmotionolintcrcstbroadcnswhatwcwanttoin-
vcstigatc.Vhcnwc'rcintcrcstcd,wcwanttogctinvovcd,tocarn
ncwthings,totackcncwcxpcricnccs.Vc bccomcmorcopcnto
ncwidcas. Jhcpositivccmotionolpridc,cxpcricnccdwhcnwc
achicvcapcrsonal goal, broadcnsthc kinds oltaskswccontcm-
patclorthc mturc,cncouragingusto pursuccvcnbiggcrgoas.
Mostolthcbigprobcmswccncountcrinorganiztionsorso-
cictyarcambiguousandcvoving.Jhcydon'tookikcburning-
patlorm situations,whcrcwc nccdpcopcto buckcdownand
cxccutc ahardbutwcl-undcrstoodgamcpan.Jo sovcbiggcr,
morc ambiguous probcms, wc nccd to cncouragc opcn minds,
crcativity, andhopc.
Jhis brings us backto RobynVatcrs,whowasamastcrol
positivccmotions.Shcdidn'ttryto crcatc aburningpatlorm.
"Va-MartiscatingourunchlJargctisonitsdcathbcd| Comc
withmcintothchcryscasl"Instcad,shcloundawayto cngagc
thc lrcsh thinkingandcnthusiasmolhcr cocagucs. whatque
hadcokrsthat oed"/iketheseiMacs?ZndkokatthisParis/ou-
nquesdis/uhatq uecouHarrangeoursueaters/ikethat?
Vatcrshclpcdshihan cntrcnchcdcuturc,productbyprod-
uct,bccauscshcloundawaytoinstihopcandoptimismandcx-
citcmcntinhcr coworkcrs. Shc loundthclccing.
b
bhIIDk IhE LhDgE
!.
n200/,tworcscarchcrs,^laLrumandLlcn!angcr, publshcd
astudyolhotclmadsand thcrcxcrcschabts.JhctopcoIthc
studymay sound unrcmarkablc, but thc rcsultswcrcsosurprs-
ngthatyoumghthndthcmhardto bclcvc. (nlact,wcllarguc
that thc rcscarchcrsthcmsclvcs camc to thcwrongconclusonn
cxplanngthcrhndngs.)
!ct`sstartatthcbcgnnng,wththcmads.
Jhc avcragc hotcl mad clcanshhccnrooms aday, andcach
room takcs 20 to 30 mnutcs to complctc.Jakc a momcnt and
magnc an hour n thc llc olonc olthcsc mads. IIyou last-
lorward through your branhlm, youll scc thc mads walkng,
bcndng,pushng,lhng,carryng,scrubbng,anddustng.hat
thcyrc dong, nshort, s cxcrcsng. ^ lot. In lact, thcyarc dra-
matcallycxcccdngthc daly doscs olcxcrcsc rccommcndcdby
cvcn thc most cxcrcsc-conscous Surgcon Ccncral.
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 J Zb
ut thc maids don't sccm to rccognizc what thcy'rc doing as
cxcrcisc. ^t thc bcginning oI thc study, 67 pcrccnt oI thc maids
rcportcd to Crum and Langcr that thcy didn't cxcrcisc rcguIarIy.
Morc than a third said thcy didn't gct any cxcrcisc at aII. Huh: It's
Iikc a third o| taIk-show hosts compIaining that thcy ncvcr gct to
mcct anyonc ncw.
Jhcn again, what is "cxcrcisc: II wc acccpt thc cuIturaI dcb-
nition oI cxcrcisc as somcthing wc do on a trcadmiII in a htncss
cIub, whiIc surroundcd by spandcxcd womcn and pcrspiring
mcn, thcn thc maids wcrc corrcct. ut our bodics don't makc
styIc distinctionsa caIoric burncd is a caIoric burncd.
Jhc rcscarchcrs wcrc curious about what wouId happcn iI thc
maids wcrc toId, to thcir surprisc, that thcy wcrc cxcrcisc supcr-
stars. Cnc group oI maids got thc good ncws. Jhcy rcccivcd a
documcnt dcscribing thc bcncbts oI cxcrcisc, and thcy wcrc toId
that thcir daiIy work was sumcicnt to gct thosc bcncbts. Lxcrcisc
docsn't havc to bc hard or painIuI, thcy wcrc inIormcdand it
ccrtainIy docsn't havc to bc in a gym. It simpIy rcquircs you to
movc your muscIcs in a way that burns caIorics. Jhc maids in
this group wcrc givcn cstimatcs oI thc amount oI caIorics thcy
burncd doing various activitics. 40 caIorics Ior changing Iincns
Ior I 5 minutcs, I 00 caIorics Ior a haII hour oI vacuuming, and so
on. Mcanwhuc, maids in anothcr group rcccivcd thc samc inIor-
mation about thc bcncbts oI cxcrcisc, but thcy wcrcn't toId that
thcir own work was a good Iorm oI cxcrcisc (nor did thcy gct thc
caIoric-burning stats) .
Iour wccks Iatcr, thc rcscarchcrs chcckcd in again with thc
maids and Iound somcthing incrcdibIc. Jhc maids who'd bccn
toId that thcy wcrc good cxcrciscrs had Iost an avcragc oI I . 8
pounds. Jhat`s aImost a haII pound a wcck, which is a prctty sub-
stantiaI ratc oI Ioss. Jhc othcr maids hadn't Iost any wcight.
Crum and Langcr invcstigatcd possibIc cxpIanations. Jhc
! b M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
wcight Ioss wasn't simpIy a statisticaI huctuation. Jhcrc wcrc too
many maids Ior a hukc cxpIanation oI that kind, and mrthcr-
morc, thc maids who Iost wcight had a corrcsponding drop in
body Iat. Mor had thc maids caught thc "cxcrcisc bugthcy
wcrcn't cxcrcising any morc outsidc oI work than thcy had
bcIorc.
Jhc rcscarchcrs a!so ruIcd out a bunch oI othcr possibiIitics.
Jhc maids wcrcn't working any morc hours. Jhcy hadn't changcd
thcir consumption oI aIcohoI, cahcinc, or tobacco. Jhcir dictary
habits hadn't changcd in any mcaningIuI waythcy wcrcn't cat-
ing morc vcgctabIcs or consuming Icwcr sugary Ioods. ut stiII
thcy wcrc Iosing wcight.
Vhat was making thcm sIim down:
2.
^ IocaI car wash ran a promotion Icaturing IoyaIty cards. Lvcry
timc customcrs bought a car wash, thcy got a stamp on thcir
cards, and whcn thcy bIIcd up thcir cards with cight stamps, thcy
got a Ircc wash.
^nothcr sct oI customcrs at thc samc car wash got a sIightIy
dihcrcnt IoyaIty card. Jhcy nccdcd to coIIcct tcn stamps (rathcr
than cight) to gct a Ircc car washbut thcy wcrc givcn a "hcad
start. Vhcn thcy rcccivcd thcir cards, two stamps had aIrcady
bccn addcd.
Jhc "goaI was thc samc Ior both scts oI customcrs. uy cight
additionaI car washcs, gct a rcward. ut thc psychoIogy was diI-
Icrcnt: In onc casc, you'rc 20 pcrccnt oI thc way toward a goaI,
and in thc othcr casc, you'rc starting Irom scratch. ^ Icw months
Iatcr, onIy I pcrccnt oI thc cight-stamp customcrs had carncd a
Ircc wash, vcrsus 54 pcrccnt oI thc hcad-start group. (^nd thc
hcad-start group carncd thc Ircc wash Iastcr.)
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! 7
IcopIc hnd it morc motivating to bc partIy hnishcd with a
Iongcr journcy than to bc at thc starting gatc oI a shortcr onc.
Jhat`s why thc convcntionaI wisdom in dcvcIopmcnt circIcs is
that you don`t pubIicIy announcc a Iund-raising campaign Ior a
charity untiI you`vc aIrcady got 50 pcrccnt oI thc moncy in thc
bag. (Acr aII, who wants to givc thc brst $I 00 to a $I miIIion
mnd-raising campaign:)
Cnc way to motivatc action, thcn, is to makc pcopIc IccI as
though thcy`rc aIrcady cIoscr to thc bnish Iinc than thcy might
havc thought.
J.
Jhc rcscarchcrs Crum and Langcr chaIkcd up thc maids` wcight
Ioss to a pIaccbo cIIcct. In othcr words, thcy concIudcd that
awarcncss oI thc cxcrcisc vaIuc oI thcir activitics triggcrcd thc
wcight Ioss, indcpcndcnt oI any physicaI changcs in thc maids` bc-
havior.
Jhc pIaccbo chcct is onc oI thc most rcIiabIc phcnomcna in
modcrn mcdicinc, so at brst gIancc, this cxpIanation sccms rca-
sonabIc. Vc`vc aII got Iricnds who swcar by thc hcaIing powcrs oI
qucstionabIc rcmcdicsstinkwccd suppIcmcnts or goat horn cx-
tract. Maybc thc maids got a simiIar mcntaI boost Irom thcir ncw
knowIcdgc.
ut noticc what pIaccbo-chcct situations havc in common:
Jhcy appIy to conditions that arc scII-rcportcd. ou takc a pain
piII, and thc doctor asks you ahcrward, "How much pain do you
IccI now: ou takc an antidcprcssant, and six wccks Iatcr, thc
thcrapist asks, "How do you IccI: So it`s undcrstandabIc (though
stiII IundamcntaIIy wcird) that thc paticnts who gct pIaccbos,
rathcr than ^dviI or Irozac, might rcport IccIing a bit bcttcr.
ut this isn't onc oI thosc situations. Mo onc was asking thcsc
2B M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
maids how thcy IcIt or whcthcr thcy pcrccivcd thcmscIvcs to bc
hcaIthicr. Jhc maids simpIy stcppcd onto a scaIc, and thc scaIc rc-
portcd a Iowcr wcight. ScaIcs arcn't subjcct to pIaccbo chccts.
CK, but iI you'vc suddcnIy discovcrcd that you'rc a good cx-
crciscr, might not that triggcr somc kind oI mind-body cIIcct:
CouIdn't it kick your mctaboIism into ovcrdrivc or somcthing: It's
not impossibIc, wc supposc, but Ict's bc honcst: II thc powcr oI
thinking couId indccd makc you skinnicr, that would bc a scicn-
tibc rcvcIation on par with coId msion (as wcII as a biIIion-doIIar
scII-hcIp bookJh:nk 1uur:cg Jh:n) .
Vhat's much morc IikcIy is that wc'rc sccing a rchcction oI
thc car wash study. Jhc maids wcrc givcn a stamp card with two
stamps on it. In othcr words, thcy wcrc astonishcd to discovcr
that, contrary to thcir own scII-asscssmcnt, thcy wcrc cxcrc::cr:.
Jhcy wcrc 20 pcrccnt oI thc way to thc dcstination, not 0 pcr-
ccnt. ^nd that was a trcmcndousIy motivating rcaIizttion. Jm no!
u :o!bJm un crc::cr
Jhink about how you'd IccI in thcir shocs. Vhat iI a scicntist
camc to you and said that, unbcknownst to you, your whitc-coIIar
job is an acrobic wondcrIand: Vith cvcry cIick oI thc mousc, you
burn 8 caIorics| Lvcry timc you chcck Iantasy-bascbaII stats, you
run a miIc| VouIdn't you IccI a rush oI satisIaction: ook hou
_ood Jm do:n_
^nd hcrc's thc main thingit aImost ccrtainIy wouId changc
thc way you bchavc Irom that momcnt Iorward. Cncc you rcaI-
izcd that cxcrcisc couId comc Irom IittIc things, maybc you'd bc
on thc Iookout Ior ways to gct a smidgcn morc activc.
SimiIarIy, thc maids, gctting a joIt oI cnthusiasm Irom thc
good ncws, might havc startcd scrubbing thc showcrs a IittIc
morc cncrgcticaIIy than prcviousIy. Maybc thcy startcd making
muItipIc trips back to thcir carts as thcy changcd Incns, just to
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! J
add a bit morc waIking. Maybc thcy took thc stairs to Iunch
rathcr than thc cIcvator. ^nd thcy cxcrtcd that cxtra cIIort bc-
causc somconc put two stamps on thcir cxcrcisc cards. SuddcnIy,
thcy Iound thcmscIvcs cIoscr to thc goaI Iinc than thcy cvcr
imagincd.
Jhat scnsc oI progrcss is criticaI, bccausc thc LIcphant in us
is casiIy dcmoraIizcd. It's casiIy spookcd, casiIy dcraiIcd, and Ior
that rcason, it nccds rcassurancc, cvcn Ior thc vcry hrst stcp oI
thc journcy.
II you'rc lcading a changc cIIort, you bcttcr start Iooking Ior
thosc hrst two stamps to put on your tcam's cards. Rathcr than
Iocusing soIcIy on what's ncw and diIIcrcnt about thc changc to
comc, makc an chort to rcmind pcopIc what's aIrcady bccn con-
qucrcd. "Jcam, I know thc rcporting structurc Iooks dihcrcnt,
but rcmcmbcr that wc aIrcady had somc practicc working in
thcsc groups on thc RayCom account. "Honcy, Iosing Iorty
pounds isn't going to bc casy, but you'vc aIrcady givcn up soda,
and I bct that aIonc wiII knock oII bvc pounds bcIorc thc cnd oI
thc ycar.
^ busincss cIichc commands us to "raisc thc bar. ut that's
cxactIy thc wrong instinct iI you want to motivatc a rcIuctant LIc-
phant. ou nccd to Iowcr thc bar. Iicturc taking a high-jump bar
and Iowcring it so Iar that it can bc stcppcd ovcr.
II you want a rcIuctant LIcphant to gct moving, you nccd to
:hr:nk !hc chun_c.
4.
II you'rc Iikc us, you Iovc a cIcan housc but drcad housccIcaning.
^nd your drcad mounts, bccausc with cach hour, cach day, that
passcs bctwccn cpisodcs oI cIcaning, thc piIcs oI papcr in thc oI-
! J0 M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
hcc grow taIIcr, thc Ioads oI Iaundry piIc up, and thc dust on thc
sidcboards accumuIatcs. A thc probIcm gcts worsc. so docs thc
drcad, which dctcrs housccIcaning, which Icads to a dirticr housc,
which . . . Vicious cycIc, anyonc:
ut what is it, cxactIy, that wc drcad: Jhink about it: Oocs
picking up an undcrshirt oh thc hoor and tossing it in thc ham-
pcr inspirc drcud: Mopc. Mor docs rinsing out a gIass and putting
it in thc dishwashcr, or putting a singIc IoIdcr in thc bIing cabi-
nct, or spraying gIass cIcancr on thc bathroom mirror. So why
docs drcad cmcrgc Irom a combination oI individuaI actions that
sccm prctty drcad-Ircc: IartIy it's bccausc wc Icar that, in ordcr to
"cIcan housc propcrIy, our work must (by dcbnition) cnd with
a housc that's cIcan. And whcn wc cnvision our way to that cnd
statc, picturing aII that wc wiII havc to conqucr to gct thcrc-thc
cIoscts and dishcs and carpcts and toiIcts and hoors-wc simpIy
can't bcar opcning that door. It IccIs Iikc too much.
ct wc don't drcad saving Ior rctircmcnt on thc grounds that
wc'vc got to accompIish it in onc mongo-dcposit. Vc undcrstand
that rctircmcnt savings accumuIatc onc IittIc bit at a timc. y thc
samc Iogic, wouIdn't it bc casicr just to makc thc housc ckuncr
rathcr than ccun: Can wc Ircc ourscIvcs Irom drcad by scaIing
down thc mission:
Jhat's thc insight bchind a cIcvcr scII-hcIp tcchniquc caIIcd
thc "5-Minutc Room Rcscuc," proposcd by MarIa CiIIcy, a homc-
organizing guru who caIIs hcrscII thc IIy Lady (think oI zooming
through your housccIcaning with wings) . Hcrc's what you do:
Gct a kitchcn timcr and sct it Ior 5 minutcs. Jhcn go to thc worst
room in your houscthc onc you'd ncvcr Ict a guest sccand,
as thc timcr ticks down, start cIcaring a path, and whcn thc timcr
buzzcs, you can stop with a cIcar conscicncc. Oocsn't sound so
bad, docs it:
Jhis is an LIcphant trick. Jhc LIcphant hatcs doing things
b h f B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! J!
with no immcdiatc payoh. (II you'vc cvcr sccn somconc strain to
puII a muIc in a dircction it didn't want to go, you'vc got thc right
mcntaI imagc.) Jo gct thc LIcphant oh its duh you nccd to rc-
assurc it that thc task won't bc so bad. 1cck, :!: ju:! 3 m:nu!c:.
1cu hud cun :! hc
Vhat good is a 5-minutc scssion oI cIcaning: Mot much. It
gcts you moving, though, and that's thc hardcst part. Starting an
unpIcasant task is aIways worsc than continuing it. So oncc you
start cIcaning housc, chanccs arc you won't stop at 5 minutcs.
ou'II bc surpriscd at how Iast things turn around. ou'II start to
takc pridc in your accompIishmcntsstarting with thc cIcan
sink, thcn thc cIcan bathroom, thcn thc cIcan downstairs arca
and that pridc and conbdcncc wiII buiId on itscII. ^ virtuous cir-
cIc. ut you couIdn't havc cnjoycd thc virtuous circIc without
brst shrinking thc changc.
b.
Stcvcn Iarrar, a storc owncr on cay, and his wiIc ^manda, a
pharmacist, had gottcn thcmscIvcs into a hnanciaI pickIc. "It aII
startcd ahcr wc graduatcd, Ioadcd with $60,000 in studcnt-Ioan
dcbt, wc did what was normaI. Vc bought a housc, two ncw cars,
and took on an additionaI $55,000 in crcdit card dcbt. Vc just
didn't bothcrwc wcrcn't trying to kccp up with anyonc or buy
a Iot oI misccIIancous stuII ovcr timcwc just IaiIcd to carc.
LvcntuaIIy, panic sct in. Jhc Iarrars rcaIizcd thcy wcrc onc acci-
dcnt or onc job Ioss away Irom bankruptcy. Jhcy kncw thcy
nccdcd hcIp, so thcy turncd to thc work oI pcrsonaI bnancc guru
Oavc Rmscy.
Ramscy, in his youth, had a transIormativc cxpcricncc. ^t agc
26, hc and his wiIc owncd rcaI cstatc that was worth ovcr $4 miI-
Iion, but thcn, abruptIy, thcir wcaIth unravcIcd. In his book Jhc
! d 1 VP1 1 L F P N 1
lu onQ ukcoucr Ramscy says, "Vc wcnt through hnanciaI
hcII and Iost cvcrything ovcr a thrcc-ycar pcriod oI timc. Vc wcrc
sucd, IorccIoscd on, and bnaIIy, with a brand-ncw baby and a
toddIcr, wc wcrc bankrupt. curcd docsn't bcgin to covcr it.
Cru:hcd comcs cIosc, but wc hcId on to cach othcr and dccidcd
wc nccdcd a changc.
Ramscy cmcrgcd Irom this hnanciaI ncar-dcath cxpcricncc
with a dctcrmination to hcIp othcrs avoid thc mistakcs hc had
madc. In his books and on his radio show, hc providcs bnanciaI
advicc to individuaIs and IamiIics who arc struggIing, and most
ohcn, thcir numbcr-onc probIcm is too much dcbt.
Cnc oI Ramscy's bcst-known and most controvcrsiaI dcbt-
hghting tcchniqucs is thc "Ocbt SnowbaII. Vhcn thc Iarrars
Iound thcmscIvcs with ovcr $ I 00,000 in dcbt (not incIuding
thcir mortgagc) , thcy startcd working on thc Ocbt SnowbaII.
Jhc hrst stcp was to Iist aII thcir dcbtscvcrything Irom crcdit
cards to ovcrduc cIcctric biIIs to studcnt Ioansand thcn arrangc
thcm in ordcr Irom smaIIcst to Iargcst. Mcxt, thcir instructions
wcrc to makc onIy thc minimum paymcnts on cvcry dcbt, with
onc cxccption. ^Itcr thc minimum paymcnts wcrc madc, cvcry
avaiIabIc doIIar wouId bc put toward thc hrst dcbt on thc Iist. c-
causc thc brst dcbt was thc smaIIcst onc, it couId bc paid oh rcI-
ativcIy quickIy, and thc Iarrars couId cross it oh thc Iist and thcn
dircct cvcry avaiIabIc doIIar to paying oh thc sccond dcbt, thcn
thc third, thcn thc Iourth. A thcy crosscd oh cach dcbt, thcy
wcrc abIc to cIiminatc a minimum paymcnt, which gavc thcm
morc cash to attack thc ncxt dcbt. Jhat's why thc stratcgy is
caIIcd 3 Ocbt SnowbaII. Vith cach dcbt that is conqucrcd, thc
"snowbaII oI moncy appIicd to thc ncxt dcbt grows and roIIs a
IittIc Iastcr.
Moticc what's missing hcrc. any mcntion oI intcrcst ratcs. II
thc Iarrars' smaIIcst dcbt was a past-duc utiIity biII, with no in-
h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! JJ
tcrcst chargcs whatsocvcr, Ramscy stiII adviscd thcm to pay it oh
bcIorc tackIing any oI thcir crcdit card biIIs, which might havc in-
tcrcst ratcs oI 20 pcrccnt or abovc.
Jhis advicc makcs thc avcragc bnanciaI adviscr cringc. Acr
aII, simpIc math tcIIs us that wc'rc hnancia!Iy bcttcr-oh iI wc pay
down high-intcrcst dcbt hrst. ut Ramscy knows cxactIy what
hc's doing.
cing a ccrtibcd ncrd, I aIways uscd to start with mak-
ing thc math work. I havc Icarncd that thc math docs
nccd to work, but somctimcs motivation is morc im-
portant than math. Jhis is onc oI thosc timcs . . . . Iacc
it, iI you go on a dict and Iosc wcight thc hrst wcck, you
wiII stay on that dict. II you go on a dict and gain wcight
or go six wccks with no visibIc progrcss, you wiII quit.
Vhcn training saIcspcopIc, I try to gct thcm a saIc or
two quick|y bccausc that brcs thcm up. Vhcn you start
thc Ocbt SnowbaII and in thc brst Icw days pay oh a
coupIc oIIittIc dcbts, trust mc, it Iights your brc. I don't
carc iI you havc a mastcr's dcgrcc in psychoIogy, you
nccd quick wins to gct brcd up. And gctting hrcd up is
supcr-important.
Most bnanciaI adviscrs rccommcnd that thcir cIicnts pay
down high-ntcrcst dcbt brst in ordcr to optimizc thc impact oI
thcir moncy. ut Ramscy's not trying to soIvc an optimization
probIcm, hc's trying to soIvc an LIcphant probIcm. Jhc rcason
pcopIc gct thcmscIvcs into hnanciaI troubIc, hc knows, is that
thcy Iosc controI. Jhcy bcgin to IccI powcrIcss in thc Iacc oI a
mountain ol dcbt. And you can't combat powcrIcssncss with
math. ou combat it by proving to pcopIc that thcy can win. II
you pay $I 85 toward a $20,000 dcbt on a high-intcrcst crcdit
T J4 % J VP J L J H L L L L F H P N J
Catd, yOutC st! _On_ tO CC hOQCCss. Dut yOu COmQCtCy Qay
OU a Id3 OVCtduC ut!ty b, yOu Can CtOss t OU yO t st. YOuVC
WOn a VCtOty OVCt dCbt.
hamsCy s usn_ thC samC sttatC_y as thC !y !dy Wth hCt
3-AnutC hOOm hCsCuC- QCOQC atC aCn_ a dauntn_ tasK,
and thCt nstnCt s tO aVOd t, yOuVC _Ot tO btCaK dOWn thC tasK.
ohrnK thC Chan_C. AaKC thC Chan_C sma CnOu_h that thCy Cant
hCQ but sCOtC a VCtOty. LnCC QCOQC CCan a sn_C rOOm, Or Qay
OU a sn_C dCbt, thCt dtCad starts tO dssQatC, and thCt QtO_tCss
bC_ns tO snOWba!.
CLl Nl C
h0w L&n Y0u LuI Ihe budgeI WIh0uI
Lfe&Ing & F0lIt&l MeSS
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b.
LnC Way tO shtnK Chan_C, thCn, s tO mIt thC nVCstmCnt yOutC
asKn_ Ot-Ony 3 mInutCs O hOusCCCann_, Ony OnC sma
dCbt. ]OthCt Way tO shtInK Chan_C Is tO thnK O :mu u:m-
mICstOnCs that atC Wthn tCaCh. |Lut dad, !tCd !Cath, WhO
WOtKCd OVCt thtty yCats Ot DA, WOud tC hs tCams that WhCn
`mCstOnCs sCCmCd tOO dIstant, thCy shOud OOK Ot `nCh QCb-
bCs. CC OnC, ad.)
oay that yOutC ttyIn_ tO mOtIVatC yOut tCCna_Ct tO dO sOmC
hOusCCCann_. YOu m_ht CmbtaCC thC 3-AInutC hOOm hCsCuC tO
OVCtCOmC hs nta tCsstanCC. Dut What yOu asO Qut a bt O
sttatC_IC thOu_ht ntO WhCh tOOm hC statts WIth: YOu m_ht asK
hIm tO statt hIs WOtK n tbC tny _uCst bathtOOm, bCCausC yOutC
COnhdCnt that aHCt 3 mnutCs O WOtK, hCB haVC t _Camn_. hC
OVCta _OaCann_ thC WhOC hOusC-s tOO dstant tO bC mO-
tVatn_, but yOu Can Cn_nCCt a sma WIn n thC htst 3 mInutCs,
t mI_ht buy yOu CnOu_h Cnthusasm tO QutsuC thC nct mCstOnC.
|hCn a_aIn, WCtC tKn_ tCCna_Cts, sO dOnt COut t.)
yOuVC CVCt aCCd a tCay On_ dtIVC, nO dOubt yOu usCd ths
tCChnQuC On yOutsC! AaybC yOu thOu_ht abOut yOut ]OutnCy
OnC tOWn at a tmC, Ot an hOut at a tmC, Ot maybC yOu QtOmsCd
yOutsC a COUCC stOQ aHCt thC nCXt 3 mICs. ts a |Ot CasICt tO
thInK `3 mCs tO COUCC than tO thnK `d. 3 mOtC bOuts O st-
tn_ hCtC unt m at !tandmas.
YOu Cant COunt On thCsC mICstOnCs tO OCCut natuIay. O mO-
tVatC Chan_C, yOuVC _Ot tO Qan Ot thCm.
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! J1
Vc`vc bccn taIking about smaII wins at an individuaI IcvcI~
using thcm to motivatc a road-trip drivcr or a tccnagc housc-
cIcancr. ut thc samc conccpt gocs Ior Iargc organizations. Ior
cxampIc, a man namcd Stcvcn KcIman had to bgurc out a way to
crcatc smaII wins in thc IcdcraI govcrnmcnt.
KcIman, a proIcssor oI pubIic managcmcnt at Harvard \ni-
vcrsity`s Kcnncdy SchooI oI Govcrnmcnt, got a caII Irom thc
CIinton administration in I 5, asking him to Icad thc CIbcc
oI IcdcraI Irocurcmcnt IoIicy (CIII). Athc hcad oICII[ hc
wouId bc rcsponsibIc Ior rcIorming thc govcrnmcnt's procurc-
mcnt chorts. Irocurcmcnt is thc proccss by which pcopIc buy
things, and thc govcrnmcnt docs a Iot oI procuring. n 2005, it
spcnt $520 biIIion on purchascs oI discrctionary goods and scr-
viccs, a bgurc that incIudcs cvcrything Irom papcr cIips to hcIi-
coptcrs Ior thc MationaI Iark Scrvicc. Vith that kind oI moncy
at stakc, you can`t havc pcopIc running down to cII HcIicoptcr
and pIopping down a crcdit card Ior a ncw hcIicoptcr. (Cn thc
othcr hand, think oI thc airIinc miIcs.)
KcIman was rcIuctant to hcad up CII[ knowing thcrc was
a prctty good chancc that dcspitc his bcst chorts nothing wouId
changc, but in thc cnd hc acccptcd thc job. Hc kncw cxactIy what
nc was gctting into, bccausc thrcc ycars carIicr, hc`d writtcn a book
about procurcmcnt rcIorm.
Jhcrc wcrc Iots oI probIcms with procurcmcnt. Cvcr thc
ycars, thc govcrnmcnt had cstabIishcd many protocoIs and pro-
tcctions to prcvcnt abuscs oI various kinds. Jhcrc wcrc good in-
tcntions bchind thcsc protcctions, but as thcy buiIt up, Iaycr
upon Iaycr, thcy bcgan to causc morc harm than thc abuscs
thcy`d bccn dcsigncd to prcvcnt. Ior instancc, whcn making
purchasc dccisions, procurcmcnt omciaIs couId not usc cvidcncc
oI vcndors` "past pcrIormancc. Aan cxampIc, Ict`s say thc gov-
! JU 1 VP 1 1 L F P N 1
crnmcnt gavc thc company CodcLords a contract to dcvcIop
soItwarc, and thc product CodcLords dcIivcrcd was absurdIy
bchind schcduIc and incxcusabIy poor in pcrIormancc. Jhc gov-
crnmcnt wouId bc barrcd Irom using that pcrIormancc data
whcn cvaIuating CodcLords Ior a dihcrcnt job| (Imaginc iI you
had to scIcct a hairdrcsscr without rcgard to thc way hc cut your
hair in thc past.)
Somctimcs, too, thc shccr quantity oI ruIcs was smothcring
common scnsc. In onc Iamous cxampIc, thc OcIcnsc Ocpart-
mcnt sought a suppIicr oI chocoIatc-chip cookics Ior thc troops
and pubIishcd a 20-pagc sct oI "miIspccs, dctaiIcd spccihcations
that dictatcd, among othcr things, ingrcdicnts, cookic sizc, and
baking proccss. Jhcsc rcquircmcnts Icd to outragcousIy high
cookic priccs bccausc companics that actua|Iy undcrstood how to
producc Iots oI cookics cmcicntIysay, KccbIcr or Mabisco~
wouId ncvcr bid on thc job bccausc somc part oI thc miIspccs in-
cvitabIy conhictcd with thcir standard way oI doing things.
McanwhiIc, thc contract did not cvcn stipuIatc that thc cookics
tastc good.
Phcad oI CII[ KcIman wouId Icad procurcmcnt rcIorm,
but hc didn't havc much structuraI powcr. Hc had a stah oI about
twcnty pcopIc, nonc oI whom purchascd anything signibcant.
Jhc actuaI purchasing dccisions wcrc sprcad across dozcns oI
Iargc IcdcraI agcncics. KcIman wouId havc to rcIorm procurc-
mcnt by rcIorming thc hchuu:cr oI purchasing agcnts scattcrcd
across thc govcrnmcnt.
II cvcr thcrc was an undcrdog story, this is it. Jo put thc gov-
crnmcnt's $520 biIIion in discrctionary purchascs in pcrspcctivc,
that's about thc samc amount oI moncy it wouId takc to purchasc
cvcrything that's produccd in a ycar by thc cntirc computcr hard-
warc industryaII thc OcII Iaptops, IM mainIramcs, Scagatc
drivcs, and othcrs. ^nd thcn you'd stiII havc cnough moncy Ich
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 I JJ
ovcr to buy cvcry car and cvcry car part produccd by thc auto-
mobiIc industry.
Jhousands oI pcopIc in thc govcrnmcnt arc invoIvcd in pro-
curcmcnt, and thcir dcsirc to pIcasc iII CIinton, thc ncw prcsi-
dcnt in I 5, is tcmpcrcd by thc knowIcdgc that CIinton wiII bc
gonc in Iour ycars (or, worst casc, cight). Into this vast, sprawIing
sand trap oI incrtia waIks onc guy namcd Stcvcn. Hc's a proIcssor,
no Icss. Hc wrotc a good book about thc sand trap. Mow hc's on
thc hook to hx it, yct hc docsn't controI any oI it (cxccpt Ior twcnty
grains oI sand on thc castcrn pcriphcry) . ou might as wcII hirc a
computcr-savvy rcportcr namcd IhiI to ovcrhauI thc computcr
industry.
KcIman kncw hc'd havc to makc somc progrcss quickIy or cIsc
hc'd bc dismisscd. "II an cxampIc oI succcssIuI changc couId
somchow bc achicvcd quickIy, it might bc possibIc to usc that to
sct othcr changcs in motion, hc wrotc Iatcr. Hc sought a victory
that wouId bc Iast, achicvabIc, and visibIca smaII win that
wouId work lor aII oI his constitucnts, whcthcr thc OcIcnsc Oc-
partmcnt or thc HcaIth and Human Scrviccs Ocpartmcnt. II hc
couId gct thcr LIcphants moving with an casy missionthc gov-
crnmcnt cquvaIcnt oI thc 5-Minutc Room Rcscuchc thought
hc wouId bc abIc to kccp thcm moving.
Cnc day, a convcrsation with a govcrnmcnt cmpIoycc sparkcd
an idca. Jhc cmpIoycc toId KcIman that whcn shc nccdcd sim-
pIc, incxpcnsivc itcms, such as a Icw computcr disks, thc pro-
curcmcnt ruIcs madc it impossibIc Ior hcr to waIk to thc
computcr supcrstorc across thc strcct and buy thcm. Shc Iound
this Iimitation was inmriating.
KcIman spottcd an opportunity. Hc wcnt to thc scnior pro-
curcmcnt cxccutivcs and issucd a chaIIcngc. Juun! jou !o muhk
jour u_cnQ: u:c oq_oucmmcn! crcd:! curd oucr !hc ncx! jcur (Mo-
ticc thc prccision oI thc chaIIcngc, Ia thc I miIk campaign. y
! 4U 1 VP 1 1 L F P N 1
bcing spccibc about thc bchavioraI changc, KcIman was dirccting
his constitucnts' Ridcrs.) In his vision, anytimc cmpIoyccs nccdcd
somcthing smaIIcomputcr disks or a rcpIaccmcnt hard drivc
or a carton oI omcc papcrthcy shouId bc abIc to march across
thc strcct, armcd with thcir crcdit cards, and purchasc what thcy
nccdcd on thc spot. KcIman askcd thc agcncics to makc a IormaI
"IIcdgc to cmbracc thc idca. Jhc agcncics wcrc supportivc, so
KcIman pushcd Iurthcr. Cvcr thc ncxt ycar, hc organizcd Iour
morc pIcdgcs.
Jhc sccond pIcdgc was a biggic: KcIman askcd thc agcncics to
brcak with thc tradition oI ignoring past pcrIormancc. Hc kncw
this wouId bc a tough scII, so hc dccidcd to push Ior it pubIicIy
onIy whcn hc was surc hc had at Icast cight agcncics onboard. Hc
hit thc phoncs, and his cmpIoyccs and adviscrs raIIicd thc pcopIc
in thcir nctworks. LvcntuaIIy, his tcam had cight agcncics signcd
up, but hc wasn't bnishcd. "cr wc got to ninc agcncics, partic-
ipation startcd snowbaIIing, and soon wc couId say to thc hoId-
outs, `AImost cvcryonc but you is participating.' '' (Jhis outcomc
Iorcshadows a point that wc makc in Chaptcr I 0 about bchavior
bcing contagious. KcIman managcd to addrcss aII thrcc parts oI
thc Iramcworkdirccting thc Ridcr, motivating thc LIcphant,
and shaping thc Iath.)
In thc cnd, twcnty dihcrcnt agcncics agrccd to takc thc "Iast-
IcrIormancc IIcdgc.' Jo cnsurc that thc pIcdgc wouId bc takcn
scriousIy, KcIman proddcd thc agcncics to idcnti[ bhy-cight up-
coming contracts in which thcy wouId cxpIicitIy considcr past
pcrIormancc.
Vith thc pIcdgcs, KcIman turncd an unspcakabIc IcvcI oIbu-
rcaucratic incrtia into dcmonstrabIc Iorward momcntum. Iivc
ycars Iatcr, in an intcrnaI survcy, 70 pcrccnt oI IrontIinc cmpIoy-
ccs said that thcy wcrc proponcnts oI procurcmcnt rcIorm. Jhc
rookings Institution, a wcII-rcspcctcd think tank, pubIishcd a
b h f B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! 4!
study in I 8 that gradcd thc succcss oI various "rcinvcnting gov-
crnmcnt initiativcs attcmptcd ovcr thc prcvious cight ycars. KcI-
man's procurcmcnt rcIorm was thc onIy initiativc that carncd an
`.'' ^ singIc guy had managcd to comc in and cataIyzc a big
changc in thc IcdcraI govcrnmcnt.
7.
Vhcn you cnginccr carIy succcsscs, what you'rc rcaIIy doing is
cnginccring hopc. Hopc is prccious to a changc chort. It's LIc-
phant mcI.
Cncc pcopIc arc on thc path and making progrcss, it's im-
portant to makc thcir advanccs visibIc. Vith somc kinds oI
changc, such as wcight Ioss, progrcss is casy to mcasurcpcopIc
can stcp on a scaIc. \nIortunatcIy, thcrc's no oh-thc-shcII scaIc Ior
"ncw-product innovation or "rcduccd carbon impact. Vhcrc
do you bnd a yardstick that can mcasurc thc kind oI changcs
you'rc Icading:
SoIutions-Iocuscd thcrapists, whom wc mcntioncd in Chap-
tcr 2 in thc Ridcr scction, crcatc thcir own yardsticks. RccaII that
thcy ask thcir paticnts thc MiracIc Qucstion: "maginc that in
thc middIc oI thc night, whiIc you arc sIccping, a miracIc hap-
pcns, and aII thc troubIcs you brought hcrc arc rcsoIvcd. Vhcn
you wakc up in thc morning, how wiII you know:
Jhcsc thcrapists know that thc miracIc can sccm distant to
thcir paticnts and that thcy nccd to kccp thcir paticnts motivatcd
and hopcmI cn routc to thc dcstination. Jo do so, thcy'vc dcviscd
a way oI quanti[ing progrcss toward thc miracIc. Jhcy crcatc a
m:rucc :cuc ranging Irom to I 0, whcrc I 0 is thc miracIc. In
Iact, in thc vcry hrst scssion thcy ohcn ask thcir paticnts whcrc
thcy'd scorc thcmscIvcs. Iaticnts ohcn rcport back that thcy'rc at
2 or 5, which prompts an cnthusiastic rcsponsc Irom thc thcra-
! 4 1 VP 1 1 N L F N P N 1
pists. Wu urc urcudj 20]crccn! oq!hc uuj !hcrc Sound Ia-
mi|iar: Jhc thcrapists arc putting two stamps on thcir paticnts'
car-wash cards.
Athc scssions continuc, thc thcrapists continue to track pa-
ticnts' sc|I-rcportcd progrcss. Jhc thcrapists arc traincd to cc|-
cbratc cvcry incrcmcnta| victoryto rcact with dcIight whcn a
paticnt rcports advancing Irom 5 to 4. Jhis rcsponsc is countcr-
intuitivc Ior most oI us. How many sa|cs managcrs dancc a jig
upon hcaring that thcir rcps arc 40 pcrccnt oI thc way to a
quota: ut this cncouragcmcnt is critica|, bccausc it's sc|I-
rcinIorcing. cn you'vc cc|cbratcd moving Irom I to 2, and
thcn Irom 2 to 5, you gain conhdcncc that you can makc thc
ncxt advancc.
Jhc othcr advantagc oI sca|ing thc mirac|c is that it dcmysti-
hcs thc journcy. Lct's say you'rc working with your junior-high-
agc son who is painIu||y shy. Maybc thc mirac|c lor your son
wou|d bc thc abi|ity to ask a gir| to thc schoo|'s homccoming
dancc. Jhis Icat is prcscnt|y unthinkab|c to your son, but you
and hc havc bccn ab|c to ta|k about his shyncsshc acknow|-
cdgcs it and dis|ikcs itand by virtuc oI that convcrsation, hc
may a|rcady bc at 2 on thc sca|c.
P SIJ thcrapist wou|d ask your son, "Vhat wou|d it takc
to gct you to 5: Lct's not ta|k about how wc can po|c-vau|t up to
thc mirac|cwc'rc not thcrc yct. Lct's ta|k about 5. `
Maybc Ior your son, rcaching 5 wou|d invo|vc somcthing sim-
p|c |ikc asking a groccry storc cmp|oycc whcrc thc toothpastc ais|c
is. II hc did that, hc'd provc that hc cou|d intcract succcssIu||y
with a tota| strangcr, and in doing so, hc'd gct to scc himsc|I mov-
ing toward thc mirac|c. Jhc va|uc oI thc mirac|c sca|c is that it Io-
cuscs attcntion on sma|| mi|cstoncs that arc attainablc and visib|c
rathcr than on thc cvcntua| dcstination, which may sccm vcry rc-
b h f l B k I h 0 L h B g 0 ! 4J
motc. It's Iikc cIimbing a taII Iaddcr and Iocusing on thc ncx! stcp
rathcr than gawking up at thc top. Jhcrc may bc many morc stcps
to go, but you can takc comIort that you'rc making rcaI progrcss
in thc right dircction.
Moticc, oncc again, how oItcn LIcphant appcaIs and Ridcr
appcaIs can ovcrIap. In this casc, your son's Ridcr is gctting vcry
cIcar dircction7sk !hc ccrk uhou! !hc !oo!h]u:!c-at thc samc
timc as his LIcphant is gctting IittIc boosts oI hopcuhc J
mnt hurc !o hc :o :hj jrcrcr.
y using thc miracIc scaIc, you aIways havc a cIcar idca oI
whcrc you'rc going ncxt, and you havc a cIcar scnsc oI what thc
ncxt smaII victory wiII bc. ou'rc moving Iorward, and, cvcn bct-
tcr, you'rc gctting morc conbdcnt in your uh:hq to kccp moving
Iorward.
U.
MIL coach iII IarccIIs, who won two Supcr owIs 3 coach oI
thc Mcw ork Giants, supports thc notion that "cvcn smaII suc-
ccsscs can bc cxtrcmcIy powcrIuI in hcIping pcopIc bcIicvc in
thcmscIvcs. n an articIc pubIishcd in 1urrurd Du::nc:: cr:cu,
bc continucd.
In training camps, thcrcIorc, wc don't Iocus on thc uIti-
matc goaIgctting to thc Supcr owI. Vc cstabIish a
cIcar sct oI goaIs that arc u:!h:n :mmcd:u!c rcuch: wc'rc
going to bc a smart tcam, wc'rc going to bc a wcII-
conditioncd tcam, wc'rc going to bc a tcam that pIays
hard, wc'rc going to bc a tcam that has pridc, wc'rc going
to bc a tcam that wants to win coIIcctivcIy, wc'rc going
to bc a tcam that docsn't criticizc onc anothcr.
! 44 1 VP 1 1 L F P N 1
Vhcn wc start acting in ways that IuIhII thcsc goaIs,
I makc surc cvcrybody knows it. I acccntuatc thc posi-
tivc at cvcry possibIc opportunity, and at thc samc timc
I cmphasizc thc ncxt goaI that wc nccd to IuIhI|. II wc
havc a particuIarIy good practicc, thcn I caII thc tcam
togcthcr and say, "Vc got somcthing donc today, wc cx-
ccutcd wcII. I'm vcry pIcascd with your work. ut hcrc's
what I want to do tomorrow: I want to scc hawlcss spc-
ciaI tcams work. II you accompIish that, wc wiII bc rcady
Ior thc gamc on Sunday.
Vhcn jou :c! :mul/ u:::lc _ouB, und ]co]lc uchcuc
!hcm, !hg :!ur! !o _c! :! :n!o !hc:r hcud !hu! !hg tun :uc-
cccd Jhcy brcak thc habit oIIosing and bcgin to gct into
thc habit oI winning. jcmphasis addcd]
Iormcr \CL^ coach ]ohn Voodcn, onc oI thc grcatcst coI-
Icgc bkctbaII coachcs oI aII timc, oncc said, "hcn you improvc
a IittIc cach day, cvcntuaIIy big things occur . . . . Oon't Iook Ior
thc quick, big improvcmcnt. Scck thc smaII improvcmcnt onc
day at a timc. Jhat's thc onIy way it happcnsand whcn it hap-
pcns, it Iasts.
Coachcs arc mastcrs oI shrinking thc changc. y pushing thcir
tcams to attain a scqucncc oI "smaII, visibIc goaIs, thcy buiId
momcntum. IsychoIogist KarI Vcick, in a papcr caIIcd "SmaII
Vins: Rcdchning thc ScaIc oI SociaI IrobIcms, said, "^ smaII
win rcduccs importancc (`this is no big dcaI') , rcduccs dcmands
(`that's aII that nccds to bc donc' ), and raiscs pcrccivcd skiII IcvcIs
(`I can do at Icast that' ). ^II thrcc oI thcsc Iactors wiII tcnd to
makc changc casicr and morc scII-sustaining.
Lct's not gct too rosy-cycd hcrc, though. ^ny important
changc is not going to IccI Iikc a stcady, incvitabIc march toward
victory. It won't simpIy bc an unbrokcn string o| smaII wins.
b h f B k I h 0 L h B g 0 \4b
(Oon`t Iorgct thcrc arc Iots oI coachcs who rctircd having ncvcr
won a championship.) Morc typicaIIy, you takc onc stcp Iorward
and I .5 stcps back and 2.7 stcps Iorward and thcn 6 stcps to thc
sidc, and at that momcnt, a ncw CLC wiII comc in and dccIarc
a ncw dcstination.
Mo onc c.m _urun!cc a smaII win. Lots oI things arc out oI
our controI. ut thc goaI is to bc wisc about thc things that urc
undcr our controI. ^nd onc thing wc can controI is how wc
dcbnc thc uItimatc victory and thc smaII victorics that Icad up
to it.
ou want to scIcct smaII wins that havc two traits. ( I ) Jhcy'rc
mcaningmI. (2) Jhcy'rc "within immcdiatc rcach," as iII IarccIIs
said. And iI you can't achicvc both traits, choosc thc Iattcr| (Jhc
5-Minutc Room Rcscuc wasn't vcry mcaningIuI by itscIl but it
madc grcat changc possibIc.)
Oavid AIIcn, author oI cl!:n_ Jh:n_: Lonc, thc quintcsscn-
tiaI pcrsonaI productivity book, cchocs thc importancc oI sctting
goaIs that arc within rcach. Hc says that most pcopIc makc a mn-
damcntaI mistakc whcn thcy crcatc thcir to-do Iists. Jhcy dash oh
Iots oI itcms. "coIIcct cxpcnscs, " "dcaI with HcIcn, " "work on
sIidcshow," "tircs," and so on. In AIIcn`s judgmcnt, thcsc pcopIc
arc sabotaging thc IikcIihood oI action by bcing too murky. Hc
says it`s criticaI to ask yourscII "Vhat's thc ncxt action:" Hcrc`s
AIIcn.
IcopIc in my scminars ohcn havc things on thcir Iists
Iikc "Gct a tunc-up Ior thc car. " Is "Gct a tunc-up" a
ncxt action: Mot unIcss you`rc waIking out with wrcnch
in hand, drcsscd or grcasc.
"So what`s thc ncxt action:" said AIIcn]
`\h, I nccd to takc thc car to thc garagc. h, ycah,
I nccd to bnd out it thc gatagc can takc it. I gucss I nccd
! 4b 1 VP1 1 L F P N 1
to caII thc garagc and makc thc appointmcnt." jsaid a
scminar participant]
"Oo you havc thc numbcr:"
"Oarn, no . . . I don't havc thc numbcr |or thc
garagc. rcd rccommcndcd that garagc to mc, and I
don't havc thc numbcr. I kncw somcthing was missing
in thc cquation."
^nd that's oItcn what happcns with so many things
Ior so many pcopIc. Vc gIancc at thc projcct, and somc
part oI us thinks, "I don`t quitc havc aII thc pi::ccs bc-
twccn hcrc and thcrc. " Vc know somcthing is missing,
but wc'rc not surc what it is cxactIy, so wc quit.
Vhcn a task IccIs too big, thc LIcphant wiII rcsist. It is no ac-
cidcnt that ^IcohoIics ^nonymous chaIIcngcs rccovcring aIco-
hoIics to gct through "onc day at a timc." A is shrinking thc
changc. Jo an aIcohoIic, going a IiIctimc wtthout anothcr drink
sounds impossibIc. ut going 24 hours sounds doabIc.
Hcrc is thc way ^I-^non cxpIains thc "onc day at a timc"
mantra: "In most cascs, wc cannot anticipatc cvcry possibIc turn
oI cvcnts, and no mattcr how diIigcntIy wc arc prcparcd, wc arc
cvcntuaIIy caught oh guard. McanwhiIc, wc'vc cxpcndcd so much
timc and cncrgy trying to prcdict mturc cvcnts, soothc Iuturc
hurts, and prcvcnt mturc conscqucnccs that wc havc misscd out
on today's opportunitics. ^nd thc magnitudc oI thc task wc havc
sct Ior ourscIvcs has Ich us draincd, ovcrwhcImcd, and dis-
traught."
9.
SmaII targcts Icad to smaII victorics, and smaII victorics can ohcn
triggcr a positivc spiraI oI bchavior. Marriagc thcrapist MichcIc
h f B k I h 0 L h B g 0 !47
Vcincr-Oavis wrotc about hcr cIicnts IauIa and Gcorgc, who'd
bccn marricd Ior cight ycars but had bccn bghting consistcntIy Ior
thc prcvious two. Vcincr-Oavis had bccn counscIing thc coupIc
Ior a whiIc, :d thcy`d madc somc progrcss but nothing dramatic.
Jhcn camc thc brcakthrougha kiss.
Cnc morning, Gcorgc kisscd IauIa. Jhc kiss surpriscd hcr,
caught hcr oh guard a IittIc, and madc hcr happy. cing happy
promptcd hcr do a IittIc thing shc hadn't donc in a whiIc. Shc
brcwcd a pot oI cohcc. "Vc uscd to drink cohcc togcthcr ohcn,
but IatcIy thc tradition has IaIIcn by thc waysidc, shc toId thc
thcrapist.
Gcorgc smcIIcd thc cohcc and camc down Ior a cup. Hc and
IauIa had a pIcasant convcrsation. oth oI thcm said thc morn-
ing madc thcm IccI morc "rcIaxcd and Iighthcartcd. IauIa rc-
portcd that hcr coworkcrs noticcd thc dihcrcncc in hcr attitudc
that day. Lvcn Gcorgc and IauIa's kids sccmcd ahcctcd by thc
haIo oI good IccIingsthcy wcrc morc rcIaxcd that cvcning, Icss
argumcntativc. Gcorgc's kiss Iaunchcd a positivc spiraI.
Vhy did such a IittIc thing mattcr so much: ccausc it gcn-
cratcd hopc that changc was possibIc.
It's a thcmc wc'vc sccn again and againbig changcs comc
Irom a succcssion oI smaII changcs. It's CK iI thc brst changcs
sccm aImost triviaI. Jhc chaIIcngc is to gct thc LIcphant moving,
cvcn iI thc movcmcnt is sIow at brst. So don't ask thc indcbtcd
coupIc to pay down thcir high-intcrcst crcdit card biII, ask
thcm to wipc out thcir utiIity biII. Oon't ask govcrnmcnt cm-
pIoyccs to cmbracc a ncw rcgimc oI procurcmcnt, ask thcm to
doubIc thcir spcnding on govcrnmcnt crcdit cards. Oon't ask a
coupIc to stop bghting, ask thc husband to givc his wiIc a simpIc
good-morning kiss.
Jhc LIcphant has no troubIc conqucring thcsc micro-
miIcstoncs, and 3 it docs, somcthing cIsc happcns. Vith cach
I 4b M U T V T L T h L L L L P h N T
stcp, thc Ecphant lccs css scarcd and css rcuctant, bccausc
things arc working. Vith cach stcp, thc Ecphant starts /e/ingthc
changc. ^ ]ourncy that startcd with drcad is cvoving, slowy,
toward a lccing ol conhdcncc and pridc. And at thc samc timc
thc changc is shrinking, thc Elcphant is grouing.
7
I0W T0uI E0 E
!.
Jhc St. !uca !arrot cxsts onlyonthc Carbbcan slandolSt.
!uca. Itsgorgcous,wthavvdturquoscbluclacc,lmcgrccn
wngs, and a strkng rcd shcld on ts chcst. In I 9//, onlyonc
hundrcd St. !uca !arrotswcrc lch on thc sland.Jhc popula-
con had bccn dccmatcd by habtat dcstructon, huntcrs, and
pcoplcwho trappcd thcm to usc as pcts. Jhc St. !uca !arrot
sccmcddoomcd, nthcwordsoloncbologst,thcspcccs"could
notcscapc oblvon by thcycar2000.`
Lntcranunlkclysavor.collcgcstudcnt!aulButlcr. InI 9//,
Butlcr was hnshng hs last ycar ol studcs at orth-Last !on-
don!olytcchnc.Butlcr'spassonwasconscrvaton,andhc'dprc-
vouslyspcnthvcwcckscomplctngahcldrcscarchcxpcdtonn
St. !uca,whcrc hc'd studcd thc prot and submttcd rccom-
mcndatons |orprcscrvngthcspcccs.
|ustbclorcgraduaton-"wth uncmploymcntstarngmc n
I b0 M U T l V T t T h t t L t F h N T
thc Iacc,"saidutcrhc rcccivcdacttcrIromthchcad oISt.
Lucia's Iorcstrydcpartmcnt.Jo utcr`sastonishmcnt,hcwasoI-
Icrcd ajob. Imprcsscdwithutcr'srccommcndations,thchcad
oI Iorcstry askcd iI utlcr was intcrcstcd in rcturning Ior six
months as thc dcpartmcnt's conscrvation adviscr. Jhc ]ob paid
$2OOamonth,andudcrcoudstayinagovcrnmcnt"rcsthut."
udcrcouldbarclybclicvchisuck.Hcwas2I ycarsold,andthc
govcrnmcnt oIabcautim Caribbcan isand was asking Iorhis
hcpinsavingancndangcrcdspccics.
utcr's rccommcndations to thc govcrnmcnt had bccn
straightIorward: ( I ) ccIup thcpunishmcntIor capturing or
kilingthcparrot, Iromatriviah nctoancnormous hncpusa
] aitcrm. (2)LstablishwithinancxistingIorcstryrcscrvcapar-
rot sanctuary" thatwoudprotcctthc parrot's habitat. (3) Raisc
moncy Iorthc opcration oIthc rcscrvc byiccnsing "rain-Iorcst
tours,"whichwoudohcr tourists thcchancc to sccthc rcscrvc
anditsstarattraction.
A quick timc-out. Noticc that thcsc rccommcndations
changingaws,cnIorcingncwpcnalticsarccxactythcsortsoI
things thatwc shyawayIrominthis book, bccausc most olus
don`thavcthosctoos inourkit. uthcrc'sthcthing. utlcrdidn`t
havc thosc toos,cithcr.AndncithcrdidthcIorcstryscrvicc.For
utlcr`srccommcndationstobcputintopracticc, thcisand`saws
woudnccd to changc, which mcant, in turn, that thc pubic
woudhavc togctbchindthc initiativc. So utcr, Ircsh outoI
cocgc,workingwiththcIorcstrydcpartmcnt,andarmcdwitha
budgctinthchundrcdsoIdoars,hadtohgurcoutHwaytoray
thcpcopcoISt.LuciabchindaparrotthatmostoIthcmtookIor
grantcd(andsomcoIthcmatc).
Jhcrcwas noccar cconomic casc Ior saving tHc parrot. It
wasn't thcinchpinoIan ccosystcm, andthcsadtruthwasthat
most St. ucians probaby woudn`t noticc iIit disappcarcd
l 0 W Y0 u l F 6 0 g l 6 l b 1
compctcy. utcrkncwhc couldn'tmakcananayticalcascIor
protcctingthcbird.Hc'dhavctomakcancmotionalcasc.
Incsscncc,utlcr'sgoawastoconvinccSt.Luciansthatthq
uerethekindo/eohuhorotectedtheiroun. In pubiccvcnts,
utcrstrcsscd, Jhisparrotisours.Nobodyhasthisbutus.Vc
nccd to chcrish itandookahcr it." Hcdid cvcrythinginhis
powcrtomakcthcpubicmorcIamiiarwiththcbird.Hchostcd
St.LuciaIarrotpuppctshows,distributcdJ-shirts,ca]ocdaoca
band to rccord songs about thc bird, convinccd oca hotcs to
printupbumpcrstickcrs,rccruitcdvoluntccrstodrcssupinpar-
rotcostumcsandvisitocaschoos,andaskcdocaministcrsto
citcrccvant iblcvcrscsIorinstancc,vcrscsthatinstructcdbc-
icvcrstobcgoodstcwardsoIthcthingsthatwcrcinthcirtrust) .
Hccvcntakcdatclccom company into printing up St. Lucia
Iarrotcalingcards.Cnonccard, thcparrotwas displaycdncxt
to thcbald caglc,whichwas likc putting ScmaHayckncxtto
OickChcncy. Itwasccarwho had thc bcttcr-ookingnational
bird.
Jhc St. Lucians bcgantocmbracc thcirparrot, as thoughit
hadaIways bccnapartoIthcir nationalidcntity. Ios commis-
sioncdbyutIcrshowcdadramaticriscinpublicsupportIorthc
bird. JhcwavcoIpublic support madc it possibc to pass into
awthc rccommcndations that utcrandthc Iorcstry dcpart-
mcnt,hcadcdupbyGabricCharcs,hadproposcd.
As thcycarspasscd, thc spccics camc backIromthc brink.
Atastcount,thcrcwcrcbctwccn sixhundrcdandscvcnhun-
drcdparrots-an astonishing incrcasc Ior a spccics that had
bccnwrittcnoII. Ioachingstoppcdcompctcy. "NoSt.Lucian
hasbccncaughtshootingaparrotIorhhccnycars,"saidutlcr
in2OO8.
n I 88,thcgovcrnmcntgavcutcrmlcitizcnshipandatcr
awardcdhimthcSt.LuciaMcdaoIMcrit, oncoIthc country's
I b2 M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
highcst honors. Hc had shown St. Lucians what it mcant to
takcpridc in thciridcntity, and in thc proccss, hc'd bccomc a
St. LucianhimscI.
.
CthcrpcopIcnoticcdwhatutIcraccompishcd. lnthcmid-
I8Os,aboardmcmbcrIromRarc,aconscrvationorganization,
askcdutIcriIhcwoudcomctoSt.Vinccntanddowhathchad
doncinSt.Lucia. lntrigucd,utIcr]oincdRarc,workingaIong-
sidc St. Vinccnt's Iorcstry division and its chicIIorcst omccr.
Vithin aycar, thc isIand passcd Iaws to protcct its own nativc
parrot.
utcrandthcothcrcadcrsoIRrcrcaizcdthcyhadcrackcd
onc oIthcmostprcssingprobIcmsoIconscrvation. lt`svcrydiI-
hculttoprotcctthcprcciousarcasoIthcworldwithoutthcsup-
portoIthcrcsidcntsoIthoscarcas,butRarchadprovcditcoud
inspircthoscrcsidcntstocarcaboutthcircnvironmcnt. So Rarc
conscrvationists rcsoIvcd tolaunch simiIarprojccts, which thcy
bcgantocalI"Iridccampaigns,"alaround thcword. y2OO,
Rarchadsucccssmlyaunchcd I2O Iridccampaigns in 5OdiI-
IcrcntcountricsIromIanamatoIndoncsia. (FuldiscIosurc. ln-
spircdbythiswork,OanHcathjoincdRarc'sboardoItrustccsin
2OO.)IridccampaignsIocuscdonanimasrangingIomthcIog-
gcrhcadturtctothcMapoconwrassc,abriliantbIuchshwhosc
habitatiscoralrccIs.
Vc'vcsccnthatoncwaytomotivatcaswitchistoshrinkthc
changc,whichmakcs pcopcIcc "big" rcativc to thcchaIlcngc.
ut hcrc wc'rc sccing somcthing diIIcrcnt. Iau Butcr didn't
shrinkthcchangc. lnstcad,hcgrcwthcpcopc. HcmadcthcSt.
LuciansswcIwithpridcovcrthcirparrotaspccics thatcxists
nowhcrc clsc. Hc inspircd thcm to IccImorc dctcrmincd, morc
f 0 W Y0 u l P 0 0 g 0 I bJ
rcady, morcmotivatcd.Andwhcnyou buildpcopcupinthis
way, thcyd:vcopthcstrcngthtoact.
3.
Rarc`s succcssinmotivatingpcopc inhhycountrics suggcsts
thatsomcthingunivcrsaisatworkhcrc. Conhrmation oIthat
comcsIromthcrcscarchoI|amcsMarch, aproIcssoroIpoiti-
calscicnccatStanIordLnivcrsity. Marchsaysthatwhcnpcopc
makcchoices,thcytcndtorcyononcoItwobasicmodcsoI
dccisionmaking.thcconsequencesmodcorthcidentimodc.
Jhcconscqucnccsmodc isIamiiartostudcntsoIcconomics.
tassumcsthatwhcnwchavcadccisiontomakc,wcwcighthc
costs and bcnchts oIour options and makc thc choicc that
maximizcs oursatisIaction. lt`s arationa, anayticalapproach.
Jhis is thc approach that Iaul udcr kncwwoud Iaiwith
St. Lucians,bccauscthcrcsimpywasn`ta strongcost/bcncht
cascIorthcparrot.
lnthcidcntitymodcoIdccisionmaking,wccsscntiayask
ourscvcsthrccqucstionswhcnwchavcadccisiontomakc: who
amwhatkindo/sitvationothis?whatuouHsomeone/ikeme
dinthosituanonNoticcwhat'smissing:anycalculationoIcosts
and bcnchts.Jhc idcntitymodc cxpains thcway most pcopc
votc,whichcontradictsournotionoIthc"scI-intcrcstcdvotcr. "
t hclps to shcd ight onwhyan auto mcchanic inCkahoma
woudvotcagainstaOcmocratwho'dgivchimhcathinsurancc,
andwhya Siicon Vacymilionaircwouldvotc against a Rc-
publicanwho`dcuthcrtcs.
Gcncray,whcnwcuscthcwordidentigwc`rctakingabout
an immutabc trait oIsomc kindsuch a racia, cthic, or
rcgiona idcntity. ut that's arclativcynarrowuscoIthc tcrm.
Vc`rcnot]ut bomwithanidcntity,wcatidcntiticsthroughout
J 54 M U T VA T L T h L L L L P h A N T
our ivcs. Vc aspirc to bc good mothcrs or Iathcrs, dcvout
CathoIicsorMuslims, patriotic citizcns, andsoon.
CrconsidcraproIcssionaidcntity, suchasbcingd "scicntist."
Ccary, you`rc notbornascicntist. lt`sanidcntityyouscckout
andoncthatothcrs,such asyourproIcssors andmcntors, con-
sciousycultivatcinyou.Ayoudcvclopandgrowinthat idcn-
tity, itbccomcsanincrcasingIyimportantpartoIyoursclI-imagc
andtriggcrs thckind oIdccision makingthatMarch dcscribcs.
Forinstancc,imagincthatasascicnccproIcssortcachingchcm-
istry,youhadaIucrativcopportunityto consultonthctoxicity
studyoIancwdrugIorabigpharmaccuticaI company. Froma
conscqucnccspointoIvicw,thcdccisiontoacccptthc]obwouId
bca no-braincrthc workmight payIarmorc thanyour uni-
vcrsitysalary. utIromanidcntitypointoIvicw,thcdccisionto
acccpt thc ]obwouId sccm css clcar-cut. You`d wondcr what
strings wcrc attachcd, what subtccompromiscsyou`dhavc to
makctopcascthccicnt.You`dwondcr,"Vhatwouldascicntist
ikcmcdointhissituation:"
ccausc idcntitics arc ccntra to thc way pcopc makc
dccisions, any changc cIIort that vioatcs somconc's idcntity
is ikcy doomcd to Iaiurc. (Jhat's why it`s socumsywhcn
pcopc instinctivcIy rcach Ior "inccntivcs" to changc othcr
pcopc`s bchavior. ) So thc qucstion is this. How can you
makc yourchangc a mattcroIidcntityrathcr than amattcroI
conscqucnccs:
4.
Lovcacc HospitaISystcms inAlbuqucrquc, NcwMcxico,was
conccrncdaboutthcrapidturnovcramongitsnurscs. tsturnovcr
ratcwasn`tanyworsc thanthcnationaavcragc (bctwccn I 8 and
5O pcrccntpcr ycar), but thatwas sma comIort.Vhcn nurscs
f 0 W Y 0 u f P 0 0 g 0 I bb
ch,rcpacingthcmcostaotolmoncy, moralcsuhcrcd,andpa-
ticntcarcwasputatriskduringthctransitionpcriod.
Kathlccn Oavis, arcgistcrcdnurscandviccprcsidcntoIhos-
pita opcrations, dccidcd to tryanunconvcntiona approach to
analyzingthcturnovcrprobcm. Shc hircdSusanVood, acon-
sutant who spcciaizcd inApprcciativc Inquiry, a proccss Ior
changingorganizationsbystudyingwhat`sworkingrathcrthan
what'snot(thisisanothcrcxampcoIthcbright-spotsIocusthat
wcdiscusscdinChaptcr2).
Vood andOavis dccidcd not to invcstigatc why so many
nurscswcrccaving. !nstcad, thcybcgan to cxplorcwhyothcr
nurscswcrc:taing. Inahospitawiththrcchundrcdnurscs,thc
tcamintcrvicwcd morcthanonchundrcd.Voodaskcdnurscs
whatmadcthcir]obssatis|ing.Shcrccacd,"Jhcscnurscswcrc
bcatcndownandovcrworkcd, butas soonaswcstartcdthcmin
aconvcrsationaboutwhatthcywcrcgoodat,thctoncchangcd. "
OavisandVoodIoundthatthcnurscswhostaycdatthchos-
pitawcrchcrccyoya to thc prolcssion oInursing. In othcr
words, thcirsatisIactionwasanidcntitythingthc nobiityol
thcnursingproIcssiongavcmcaningtothcirwork.Cnccthchos-
pita administrators rcaizcd this, thcykncw thcy`d havc to do
morctohcpthcnurscscutivatcthciridcntity. Forinstancc,thcy
bcgantohndwaytorccognizcpcopcIorcxtraordinarynursing
pcrlormancc.Jhcydcvcopcd ancworicntation program that
strcsscdthcinhcrcntyadmirabcnaturcoInursingwork.Jhcy
crcatcdmcntorshipprogramstohcpnurscsimprovcthcirknow-
cdgcandskils.
Jhchrsthint that somcthinghad changcdwascvidcnt on
thcannua cmpoycc satisIaction survcy. Nursing satisIaction
scorcs incrcascd markcdyin multipc catcgorics, particuarly
"communication"athoscintcrvicwsandconvcrsationsabout
idcntityhadanimpact.utthcimpactwcntbcyondthcsurvcy.
I bb M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
LVct thc lO!!OWn_ycar, tutnOVct dcCtcascd by pUQctCcnt. Pnd
thcn thc suCCcss madc an uncXQcCtcd !caQ. Ln tc_Ona! sutVcys,
LaVs and NOOd stattcd sccn_ mQtOVcd tatn_s On atient
satsaCtOnWth OVc!aCc OsQta!.
ts CttCa! tO tcaZcthatthcscdcnttystOtcs arcntustsQc-
Ca! CascstuatOns,COnbncdtOsCcntstsOtnutscsOt bt. LuCans.
dcntty s _On_ tO Q!ay a tO!c nncat!ycVcryChan_c stuatOn.
Vcn yOurs. Nhcn yOu thnk abOut thc QcOQc WhOsc bchaVOt
nccdstOChan_c, askyOutsc!lWhcthctthcyWOu!d a_rccWth ths
statcmcnt: ` asQtc tO bc thc knd OlQctsOn WhO WOu!d makc
ths Chan_c. lthctansWcr s ycs, thatsan cnOrmOus aCtOt n
yOurlaVOt. lthctansWctsnO, thcnyOu!!haVctOWOtkhatdtO
shOWthcm that thcyshOu!d asQrc tO adHcrcnt sc!-ma_c. Pnd
thatscXaCt!yWhatau!Dut!ctddn bt. uCa. cCOnVnCcdthc
s!ands CtZcns tOthnk, `hs sOutbtd-WcWant tO bc _OOd
bt. uCans,WcdbcttctQtOtcCt t.
O sccWhatths mcans na busncssCOntcXt, COnsdctahtm
that inoentedan dcnttythatsubscQucnt!ybcCamcthccn_ncOl
ts suCCcss. hc htm s Dras!ata-ts a \b$ /U ml!On manu-
laCtutn_htm n DtaZ!thatQtOduCcsVarOusknds Olstcc! Cans.
AyOud ma_nc, thc Can manuaCtutn_ ndustty s tc!atVc!y
matutc-nOtmuCh_tOWth, nOt muCh cXCtcmcnt. Dut Dras!ata
dchcs thcstctcOtyQcOlabOrn_, stuCk-n-tsWaysmanulaCturct.
n laCt, t has Onc Olthc bcst rcQutatOns lOt nnOvatOn Oany
COmQanyn atn PmctCa.
OW dOcs a manulaCtutct OlCans bcCOmc KnOWn as an n-
nOVatOt: Dtas!atas lOundctsWctcnsQtcdby thcQh!OsOQhyOl
)aQancsc Cat manuaCtutcts !kc Onda andOyOta, WhCh cm-
QOWcrcd thct ltOnt!nc cmQ!Oyccs tO takc OWncrshQ Othct
WOtk. OtnstanCc,atOyOta, anycmQ!OyccWhOsQOttcdadccCt
COud stOQ thc asscmb!y !nc (ths WOuld haVc bccn unthnkab!c
n LctrOt atthc tmc) .OyOtaand Onda a!sO aCtVc!ysO!Ctcd
t 0 W Y0 u f P 0 0 g 0 ! b/
idcasIorinnovationIromthcircmpoyccs.lnI 87,thcIoundcrs
oIrasiataaunchcdancmpoycc-innovationprogrammodclcd
onthc|apancscIorcrunncrs.
A ncwidcntitywas thc corcoIthc program. Empoyccs oI
rasiatabccamcknownas"invcntors,'andwhcnncwcmployccs
]oincdthchrm, thwcrcaskcdtosignan"innovationcontract."
Jhis wasn't simpyIcc-goodanguagc.Jop managcmcntcha-
cngcdcmpIoyccstobconthcookoutIorpotcntiainnovations
idcas Ior how to crcatc bcttcr products, improvc production
proccsscs,andsqucczccostsoutoIthcsystcm. Iroccdurcsdcvcl-
opcdwithinthcIactorymadcitcasyIorinvcntorstosubmitthcir
idcas. Jhc programsuccccdcd bcyond anyrcasonablc cxpccta-
tions. In2OO8,cmpoyccssubmittcd J54, 846idcasanavcragc
oII45.2idcas pcrinvcntor'Jhis hgurcputsrasilataon parwith
thc|apancsctrcndscttcrsthathadinspircdthcprogram.
ManyoIthcsuggcstionscdtothcdcvcopmcntoIncwprod-
ucts.Forinstancc,inatc2OO8,rasiatacamcupwithancwap-
proach IorstccI cans dcsgncdto carrydangcrous orhammabIc
Iiquids.Jo mcctLnitcdNationsstandards,suchcans mustbc
abctowithstandadropIrom I . 2mctcrs(roughy4Icct) .Jradi-
tionaly,mostmanuIacturcrshadrcachcdthisstandardbythick-
cning thc mctal Iaycrs, which uscd up morc raw matcria and
rcquircd ncwproductionproccsscs.And thcrcinIorccddcsigns
wcrcn't IooprooIthc mctascamswcrcpronctospitiIacan
andcdonan cdgc.
rasiat`s invcntors suggcstcda ncwdcsign, inspircd bycar
bumpcrsthatcoapsconimpact.JhcirncwstcccandcIormcd
sightIyonimpact,rcducingstrcssonthccriticascam.Jhcncw
dcsign rcsistcdimpactbcttcrwhicasorcducingthcamountoI
stccinthccan.
Jhc invcntors havc Icd rasilata through cmcrgcncics. ln
2OOI , ascvcrc cncrgycrisis-thc"backoutsyndromc"Iorccd
I bb M U 1 l V 1 t 1 h t t L t P h N 1
thcgovcrnmcnt oIrazitorationcncrgy. usincsscsrcccivcda
strictquotaoIccctricity.Jhcinvcntorswcnttoworkdrcaming
uppowcr-savingidcashundrcdsoIthcm.Vithin Icwwccks,
rasilatascncrgyconsumptionwasrcduccdby55pcrccnt,Ialing
bcowthccompany`squotaandaowingthccompanytorcscits
cxtracncrgy.
Anothcruncxpcctcd idcawas]ointysuggcstcd bytwo cm-
poyccs:E/iminateour o/s;th

+enotnecessaanmore.Jhcidca
was acccptcd, but thc companyIound ancwpacc Iorthc cm-
poyccs. rasiata has ano-dismissa poicyand aso distributcs
I 5 pcrccnt oIits nctprohts to cmpoyccs. It's no surprisc that
rasiata consistcnty appcars on "bcst paccs to work" ists in
razi.
!ct`srcmcmbcr somcthing. Jhis "invcntor" idcntity,which
hasIuccdbusincsssucccssandcmpoyccsatisIaction,wasmadc
up. MoncoIrasiata's cmpoyccs wcrc born "invcntors."Jhc
idcntitywasintroduccdtothcm, andthcyikcdthcsoundoIit.
Itsccmcdto bcamantcworthwcaring. cinganinvcntorhas
bccomcasourccoIpridcandstrcngth.
3.
IIcultivatinganidcntitysounds daunting, takc hcart. P cassic
studyinpsychoogyshowsthatyoucanstartwithsmastcps. n
thc I60s,twopsychoogistsIromStanIordLnivcrs ty,}onathan
FrccdmanandScottFrascr,askcdarcscarchcrtogodoor-to-door
inanupscacncighborhoodinPaoAIto,CaiIornia.Vhcnhomc
owncrsanswcrcdthcdoor, thc rcscarchcrannounccdhimscIas
a vountccr Ior "Citizcns IorSaIc Oriving" and askcdwhcthcr
thcy woud aow a biboard rcading "Orivc CarcIuly" to bc
instalcd on thcir lawns. Jhcy wcrc shown a photo oI thc
bilboard on thc awn oIa diIIcrcnt housc, and it was a rca
f 0 W Y0 0 f F 0 0 g 0 I bJ
cycsorc-crudcyconstructcdandso cnormous thatitobscurcd
mucholthclrontolthc housc.Jhc homcowncrswcrcassurcd
thatthcsignwoudmakc"justasmaholcinyourawn. "
Iodoubtlthsvountccrknockcdonyourdoor,you`dhavc
acolorml rcsponsc.^nd, indccd, 83 pcrccntolthchomcowncrs
passcd onthc "opportunity. But hcrc's thc twist. ln a dihcrcnt
ncighborhood,thcrcscarchcrsuscdasimplctcchniqucthatmorc
thanquadruplcdthc numbcrolycsscs!
Jhctcchniqucwasrcmarkabysubtc.Jwowcckscaricr, thc
samchomcowncrshadbccnapproachcdbyavountccrcaiming
to rcprcscnt a dihcrcnt drivcr-salcty organization. Jhcywcrc
askcd to put a tiny "Bc a Salc Lrivcr" sign-lcss than halthc
sizcolapostcard-inthcwindowolthcircarorhomc.Jhcvo-
untccrsaidthcsignwasintcndcdtomakccitizcnsmorcawarcol
thc nccd to drivc carcmy. Jhis sccmcd such a trivia! commit-
mcntthatamostaolthchomcowncrssaidycs.Jhcirittc-ycs
sccmcd to pavc thcwaylor thc big-ycs. Vhcn thc rcscarchcrs
camcbacktwowccksatcrandaskcdthchomcowncrstoinsta
thc cycsorc bilboard, 76 pcrccnt acccptcd it. Irccdman and
Irascrcacdthisstratcgya"lootinthcdoortcchniquc.^cccpt-
ingthctinydrivcr-salctysigngrcatlyincrcascdthcikcihoodthat
thchomcowncrswoudacccptthcgiganticdrivcr-salctysign.
Jhcnthcrcsuts gotcvcn strangcr. Vountccrsapproachcd a
thirdgroupolhomcowncrswithadihcrcntrcqucst.Rathcrthan
bcingprcscntcdwith thc tinysign about drivingsalcty, homc
owncrsinthcthirdgroupwcrcaskcdtosignapctitionto"Kccp
Cailorniabeautim.Hardtoopposcthat,soagaina!mostcvcry-
onccompicd. Jhcn twowccksatcr,thoscpctition-signcrswcrc
approachcdabouthostingthccycsorcbiboard,andhalolthcm
saidycs!Jhat'sthreetimesthcacccptanccratcolthchomcown-
crswhohadn'tsigncdthcpctition.
Jhisrcsutconmscdcvcn IrccdmanandIrascr.Jhcyhadn`t
1 bU M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
cxpcctcd thc "Kccp CaiIornia bcautim" pctition to bca "Ioot
in thc door" Ior a commitmcnt to drivcr`s saIcty.hc two do-
mains wcrc compctcy unrcatcd. AItcr somc rchcction, thcy
spcculatcdthatthcpctitionsigningmighthavcsparkcdashihin
thc homc owncrs` own scnsc oIidcntity. Frccdman and Frascr
wrotc,"Cnccjthchomcowncr|hasagrccdtothcrcqucst,hisat-
titudcmaychangc,hcmaybccomc,inhisowncycs,thckind oI
pcrsonwho docs this sortoIthing,whoagrccsto rcqucsts madc
bystrangcrs,who takcs action on things hcbcicvcs in, whoco-
opcratcswithgoodcauscs. "
Inascnsc,signingthcpctitionbccamccvidcnccto thchomc
owncrsthatthcywcrcconccrncdcitizcns,"andthissubt|cshih
inidcntitylcdtoashihinthcirbchavior.Jwowccksatcr,whcn
thcywcrcapproachcdwiththcoptiontoputabiboardonthcir
awns,thcysubconsciousyaskcdthcmscvcs]amcsMarch`sthrcc
idcntityqucstions: whoam1whatkindosituationothis?what
uouHsomeone/ikemedointhissituation?IIyou considcryour-
scItobca"htinwiththcncighborspcrson,"you'dcnythcrc-
qucst. Il you considcr yourscI to bc an "immacuatc awn
pcrson,"you might assaut thcrcscarchcr. ut iIyou`rcancwy
hatchcd "conccncdcitizcn,"you'hndithonorabcto hostthc
sign.
6.
Now, ct`sbcccar:JhcFrccdman-FrascrstudyiskindoIscazy.
Vc'|try to scparatcthcslcazypartIromthc scicnccpart.
Jhcslcazypartisthcdcccption.Jhchomcowncrsarcbcing
trickcdintodoingsomcthingstupid. Nonc oIthc othcrcxam-
pcs wc`vc providcd oIbuiding idcntity hingcs on this kind oI
dcccption. Is itdcccptivc to pcrsuadc pcopc to ray bchind a
nationa bird: Jo cutivatc proIcssiona pridc in nurscs! Jo
f 0 W Y0 B f F 0 0 g 0 ! 6!
cnCOuta_ccmQ!OyccstOaCtkcnVcntOts:Ll COutsc nOt.OOnc
at Dtas!ata WOu!d haVc bccn Cstutbcd tO hcat thc LL say,
`Nctc ttyn_ tO_ctyOu tO thnkand aCt mOtc Ikc an `nVcntOt
bcCausc that W! makc Out COmQany mOtc COmQcttVc and n-
nOVatIVc. hcyatd-sI_nstudysdIHctcnt: Omc OWnctsWOu!d
ndccd haVc bccn Ollcndcd ltccdman and tasct had COmc
C!can and sud, `Nctc askn_ yOu tO s_n thIs QcttOn sO that,
tWOWccksttOm nOW, Wc Can duQcyOu IntO Quttn_ a_antb!!-
bOatdOnyOut!aWn.
caVn_ asdc thc s!caZc laCtOt, tDc sCcnCc Olthc b!bOatd
studysays sOmcthn_Qtcttytcmatkab!c. tshOWs us that QcOQ!c
atctcCcQtVc tO dcVcOQn_ncW dcnttcs, thatdcnttcs `_tOW
ltOm sma!! bc_nnn_s. LnCc yOu statt sccn_yOutsc!las a `COn-
CcmcdCtZcn,yOu!!WanttOkccQaCtn_!kcOnc.hatsttcmcn-
dOus!y_OOd ncWslOtsOmcOnc !cadn_ aChan_c cHOtt. tmcans,
lOtcXamQ!c, thatIlyOuCan shOWQcOQ!cWhythccnVtOnmcnts
WOtthCatn_abOut,tWOnttakcycats lOtthcmtOthnkOlthcm-
sc!Vcs as `cnVItOnmcnta!sts.ttOOkOn!yalcWdayslOtthchOmc
OWncts tO thnkOlthcmsc!VcsaS`COnCctncdCtZcns.
7.
hctcsaQIDbcm,thOu_h.PncWIdcnttyCantakctOOtQuCK!y,
but IVIn_uQ tO It Is aw!!yhatd. Ot nstanCc, tQtObab!ytOOk
aWh!cbclOtc Dtas!atas cmQ!Oyccs Wctc any_OOd at InVcntn_.
Pthtst,thcyQtObab!ysttu__!cd tOCOmcuQWthansu__cstIOns
lOtthcCOmQany, andthcymI_hthaVclct!kcmQOstOtsCa!n_
thcmscVcs ` InVcntOts.
Nc Can cmQathZc.Pt dHctcnttmcs nOutVcs, bOthOl us
(LhQandLan)Wctcut_cdbyOuts_nhCantOthctstOtakc sa!sa-
danCn_!cssOns.hIs Was nOt Out htst ChOICc OlWcckcnd aCtIVI-
tcs,butWca_tccdtO _VctashOt. hc lantasyWasan atttaCtVc
! 62 M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
oncwccoudpicturcourscvcswithourpartncrs,moIpassion
and artistic dair, drawing cnvious ganccs Irom passcrsby. No
qucstion.Jhis "danccr idcntity hadappca.
!tdidnottakc us longto rcaIizchowdccplymisguidcdour
Iantasicswcrc.Atooquicky, wcdiscovcrcdthatsalsaisasadis-
tic styc oIdancingcrcatcd Ior thc purposc oImaking middc-
agcd mcn Iccl ridicuous. Salsa rcquircs an arrayoI scnsual hip
movcmcntsthatwcIoundstructurayimpausibIc.Vc managcd
topcrIormthisbcautimIdanccwithathcscductivcIorccoIA
Gorcgivingalapdancc.
Vcdidnotcontinucwithoursalsacssons.
Hcrc`sthcthing.V!cnyouhghttomakcyourswtch,cspc-
cialyoncthatinvovcsancwidcntity,youandyouraudicnccarc
goingtohavc SasaMomcnts. (Oon'tworry, wc'rc not goingto
adoptthatasabuzzphrasc.)Anyncwqucst, cvcnoncthatisu-
timatcIysucccssml,is going toinvovcIaiIurc.Youcan`tlcarnto
salsa-danccwithoutIaiing.Youcan't carn to bcan invcntor, or
anursc,orascicntist,withoutIaiing.MorLyoucarnu trans-
Iormthc way products arc dcvcopcd in your hrm, orchangc
minds about urban povcrty, or rcstorc oving communication
withyourspousc,withoutIaiing.AndthcEcphantrcaly,rcaIy
hatcs toIaiI.
Jhis prcscnts a diIhcuty Ior you whcn you arc trying to
changcorwhcnyou'rctryingtolcadchangc.Youknowthatyou
oryouraudicnccwi, andyouknowthatthcIaiurcwiItrig-
gcrthc"dight"instinct,]ust thctwooIusdcdoursasacssons.
Howdoyoukccp thc EcphantmotivatcdwhcnitIaccs along,
trcachcrousroad:
Jhcanswcrmaysoundstrangc.Younccdtocrcatcthcec-
tationoIIaiurcnotthcIaurcoIthcmissionitscII,but Iaiurc
cnroutc.Jhisnotiontakcsusinto aIascinatingarcaoIrcscarch
thatisikcytochangcthcwayyouvicwthcword.
f 0 W Y0 0 f F 0 0 g 0 1 bJ
8.
Rcad thc Ioowing Iour scntcnccs, and writc down whcthcr you
agrcc or disagrcc with cach oI thcm.
I . You arc a ccrtain kind oI pcrson, and thcrc is not much that
can bc donc to rcaly changc that.
2. Mo mattcr what kind oI pcrson you arc, you can always
changc substantiay.
J. You con do things dicrcnty, but thc important parts oI who
you arc can't rcaly bc changcd.
4. You can always changc basic thngs about thc knd oI pcr-
son you arc.
II you agrccd with itcms and 5, you`rc somconc who has a
"hxcd mindsct." And iI you agrccd with itcms 2and 4, you tcnd
to havc a "growth mindsct. " (II you agrccd with both I and 2,
you`rc conIuscd.) ^wc` scc, which mindsct you havc can hcp
dctcrminc how casy it wiI bc Ior you to handlc lalurc, and how
doggcd you` bc in pursuing changc. It might cvcn dctcrminc
how succcssIu you arc in your carccr.
Pcopc who havc a hxcd mindsct bcicvc that thcir abiitics
arc basicaIy static. Maybc you bcicvc you`rc a prctty good pub-
ic spcmcr, an avcragc managcr, and a wondcrml orgnizcr. Vith
a hxcd mindsct, you bcicvc that you may gct a ittc bit bcttcr or
worsc at thosc skis, but basicaly your abiitics rchcct thc way
you`rc wircd. Your bchavior, thcn, is a good rcprcscntation oI your
natura abiity, ]ust as thc swirIcd-and-snihcd hrst tastc oI winc is
a good rcprcscntation oI thc bottlc you'vc bought.
II you arc somconc with a nxcd mindsct, you tcnd to avoid
chacngcs, bccausc iI you Iai, you Icar that othcrs wi scc your
Iaiurc as an indication oI your truc abiity and scc you as a oscr
(]ust as a bad hrst tastc oI winc cads you to rcjcct thc bottc). You
!64 M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
lcc! thtcatcncd by nc_atIVc lccdbaCk, bcCausc tt sccms as tlthc
CtttICs atc saytn_ thcytc bcttct than yOu, QOstttOntn_ thcmsc!Vcs
at a !cVc! Olnatuta! abtltty ht_hct than yOuts. AOu Ity nOt tO bc
sccncXctttn_tOO muChcHOtt. (cOQ!cWhO atc tca!y_OOd dOnt
nccd tO tty that hatd, tt_ht) htnk abOut tcnnts Q!ayct )Ohn
NCntOc as a yOun_ stat-hc had _tcatnatutal ta|cnt but Was
nOtkccn On tt_OtOus QtaCttCc Ot sc!l-tmQtOVcmcnt.
n COnttast, QcOQ!c WhO haVc a _tOWth mtndsct bc!tcVc that
abtltttcsatc!tkcmusCcs-thcyCanbcbuI!t uQWtthQtaCttCc.hat
ts, WtthCOnCcttcdchOtt,yOuCanmakcyOutscllbctIctatWtttIn_
Otmana_tn_Ottstcntn_tOyOutsQOusc.Nttha_tOWth mtndsct,
yOu tcnd tO aCCcQt mOtc Cha!cn_cs dcsQttc thc tt!k Ollat!utc.
(Pctal!, Whcn yOu ttyand latl tO !tmOtcWct_hIat thc _ym,
yOu dOntWOtty that cVctybOdyWt!lmOCkyOu as a bOtn Wcak-
!tn_.) AOu scck Out `sttctCh asst_nmcnts at WOtK. Pnd yOutc
mOtc tnC|tncd tO aCCcQt CttttCtsm, bcCausc u!ttmatt!y tt makcs
yOubcttct.AOumaynOt bcas _OOdasOthctstt_htnOW, butyOutc
thtnKtn_!On_-tctm, In atOttOtsc-Vctsus-hatc kInd OlWay.hInk
t_ctNOOds, WhO WOn ct_ht maOt ChamQtOnshtQs lastct than
anyOnc tnhIstOtyand thendeciddhissuingneededanooerhaul
tXcd Vctsus _tOWth: NhICh atc yOur hts tsnt Onc OlthOsc
LOsmO ctsOnaltty[utZZcstnWhtChthctcatcnOWrOn_ansWcts
(`Ptc yOu a LabtadOt tcttIcVct Ot a QOOdlc:). LatO! LWcCk, a
QtOlcssOtOQsyChO!O_yat btanlOtd \ntVctstty, has sQcnthctCa-
tcctstudytn_ thcsc tWO mtndscts-shcts thc sOutCc Olthc tctms.
Pnd hcttcscatChtcsu!tsatc C!cat. lyOuWant tO tcaCh yOut lu!!
QOtcntta!, yOu nccd a _tOWth mtndsct.
LWcCkhasstudtcdhOWthcsctWO mtndsctstnhucnCcthcQct-
lOtmanCcOlLymQtC ath!ctcs andVIttuOsO mustCtansandcVcty-
day busIncssQcOQlc. n hct must-tcad bOOk Mindset: TheNeu
Pscho/og o/Success, shc makcs an aIttt_ht Casc that a _tOWth
mtndsctWt!lmakcyOumOtcsuCCcssml atalmOstanythIn_.hats
f 0 W Y0 U f F 0 0 g 0 l bb
bcCauscQcOQ!cWttha_tOWthmtndsct-thOscWhOsttctChthcm-
sc!Vcs,takcttsks,aCCcQtccdbaCk, andtakctbcOn_-tctmVtcW-
Cant hc!Q but QtO_tcss tn thctt tVcs and Catccts.
LnCc yOu bcCOmc aWatc Othcsc COnCcQts, yOu statt tO sQOt
thchXcd mtndsctcVctyWhctc. LOOkat thcWayWc QtatscOutCbt-
dtcn. `AOutc sO smatt `AOu atc sO _OOd at baskctba!!l bats
mc OtthchXcdmtndsct.A _tOWth mtndsctCOmQ!ImcntQtascs
@rttathctthannatuta!sktl: ``mQtOudOhOWhatdyOuWOtkcd
On that QtOcCtl ` COu!d tc! yOu tstcncd tO yOut COaChs COm-
mcnts-yOu tca!!yhadyOutc!bOWundctthOscumQshOtstOday.
Lutsa!sa-danCtn_cXQcttcnCcWasaC!asstCcXamQ!cOa hXcd
mtndsct atutc.PctttyIn_an unamt!tatmOVcmcnt OtaWbt!c,
Wc COnCludcd, dchnIttVcly, that Wc Wctc ctttblc oalsa LanCcts
andWctcbO|nthatWay. PndWc QuttbcCausc!ctttn_OthctQcOQ!c
scc thatnatuta! !aCkOabtlttymadc us unCOmOttabc. oOmcOnc
Wttha_tOWth mIndsctncVctWOuldhaVcumQcdtO thtsCOnC!u-
stOn. n aCt, thcyncVctWOu!dhaVccXQcCtcd tO b any _OOd at
salsacat!yOn.hc mtndsct WOud makc al! thcdIhctcnCc.
htCh, OCOutsc, QtOmQts an ObVtOus QucsttOn: LanQcOQ!c
WtthahXcd mtndsct!catn tO adOQta_tOWthmtndsct
V.
n2OO7,LWcCkandtwOCO!ca_ucs, t!ttZcsntcWstOotanOtd
and Ltsa DlaCkwc!! OLO!umbta, dcCtdcd tO tun an cXQcttmcnt
On untOt-ht_h-sChOO studcnts. tbcy ttancd thc studcnts On
thc_tOWth Intndsct, WOu!d thckds_ctbcttctatmath
)untOt ht_h ts, as yOuknOW, a tOu_h ttanstttOn ttmc Otktds.
NOstQcOQ!c haVc dcCtdcdymIXcd mcmOttcs OunIOt ht_h, and
4OQctCcntOQcOQ!caCtua!ytankadOcsCcnCcas thc uorstttmctn
thctt!tVcs. (tcsumab!ythcOtbct6OQctCcntdtdnthaVcaCnc.)]ust
as Qubcttybc_tns tO ktCk tn, studcnts mOVc tO ncW sChOO!s Wttb
! oo M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
hatdcrWOtk and a ncW CtOQ OtcaChcts WhO dOnt _tVc thcm thc
Watm ndVdua! attcntOn thcy _Ot uscd tO n ccmcntaty sChOOl.
]unOth_hsatutnn_QOntOthcdmndsctk|ds: LWcCkOund
thatnc!cmcntatysChOO!, hcd-mndsctstudcntsdOabOutasWc!l
as _tOWth-mndsctstudcnts butnunOth_h suHct an mmcd-
atcdrOQ n_tadcs andthcnCOntnuctOs!dcnthcncXtcWycats.
hc studcnts n LWcCks study Otcn Camc uQ Wth hXcd-
mndsct cXQ!anatOns Ot thct dcC!nc: ` am thc stuQdcst. `
suCkn math. OtCchOWthcytc ta!kn_abOutthc|tab!tcsas
Qctmancnt ttats, as thcy Wctc sayn_, `Ny cycs atc btOWn.
(Lthct studcnts tcndcd tO Q!aCc thc b!amc c!scWhctc, sayn_
thn_s !kc ` ddnt dO Wc! bcCausc thc tcaChct s On CtaCk Ot
`Nymath tcaChct s a at ma!c sut.)
LWcCk and hct CO!!ca_ucs sct uQ a study Ot scVcnth-_tadc
math studcnts n a sChOO Whcrc 7 QctCcnt Ostudcnts Wctc
c!|_bc Ot thc cdcra tcc unCh QtO_tam-cXaCtly thc knd O
!OWsOCOcCOnOmICcnVtOnmcHtnWhChstudcntsutcattskOt
stattn_ a Qattctn O aCadcmC a!utc. hc COnttO! _tOuQ Was
tau_ht _cnctC study sk!!s, and thc cXQctmcnta| _tOuQ Was
tau_ht thc_rOWth mndsct.
hc _tOWth-mndsct studcntsWctc tau_ht that thc btan s
!kc a musCc that Can bc dcVclOQcd Wth cXctCsc-that Wth
WOtk, thcy COuld _ct smattct. Tcr a!!, LWcCk tO!d thcm, `nO-
bOdy!au_hs at babcs andsays hOW dumb thcyatc DcCausc thcy
Cant ta!k.
LasstOOm mcntOrs askcd thc studcnts tO thnk abOut sk!ls
thcy atcady had !catncd-hcmcmbct Whcn yOu btst stcQQcd
OntO a skatcbOatd OrQ!aycd Guitar1rr6.-and tO tcCal! hOW
QraCtCchadbccnthckcytOmastctn_thOscskI!!s. btudcntsWctc
tcmndcd that `Vctythn_s hatd bcOtc tscasy, und that thcy
shOu!d ncVct _Vc uQ bcCausc thcy ddnt mastcr sOmcthn_
mmcdatc!y. ntOta!,thcstudCntsnthc_rOWth-mndsct_tOuQ
f 0 W Y 0 B f F 0 0 g 0 ! b7
tcCcIVcdtWO hOutsOl`btaInts!tkc amusC!c ttaInIn_OVct ct_ht
Wccks.Pnd :hc tcsu!tsr PstOntshIn_.
btudcnts InthcCOnttO!_tOuQWhOWctctau_ht_cncttCstudy
skt!!s stattcd Out thcIr scVcnth-_tadc ycar WIth math _tadcs at
abOut aL+ !cVc!.LVctthc COurscOlthcycat, thcIt_tadcs s!IQQcd
tO aLandthcntOWatdL.hc `btaInIs!tkcamusCcttatnIn_,
hOWcVct, stOQQcd thIss!Idcand tcVctscdIt.hc studcntsWhO tc-
CcIVcd ttsI_nIhCant!yOutQcrlOtmcdthcItQccts.
bOmc studcnts madc dtamatIC ttanslOtmattOns. nMindet,
LWcCk tcQOttcd, `Lnc day, Wc Wctc InttOduCIn_ thc _tOWth
mIndsct tO d ncW _tOuQ Olstudcnts. P!! at OnCc ]Immy-thc
mOsthatd-COtc, tutncd-OU !OW-chOrtkIdInthc _tOuQ-!OOkcd
uQ WIth tcats In hIs cycs and saId, AOumcan dOnt haVc tO bc
dumb: tOm thatdayOn, hcWOtkcd. cstattcd stayIn_ uQ !atc
tO dO hIs hOmcWOtk, WhtCh hc ncVct uscd tO bOthct WIth at a!.
cstartcdhandIn_InassI_nmcntscat!ysOhcCOu!d_ctlccdbaCk
and tcIsc thcm. hcsc kIds nOW bcIcVc that WOtkIn_ hatd Was
nOt sOmcthIn_ that madc yOu Vu!nctabc, but sOmcthIn_ that
madcyOu smattct.
hc tcaChcts, unaWarc Olthc cXQcttmcnta! COndtttOns thctt
studcntsWctcassI_ncdtO,WctcaskcdtOIdcntI]thcstudcntsWhO
thcythOu_hthadcXQcttcnCcdaQOsItIVcChan_cdurIn_thcsQtIn_
tctm. bcVcnty-sIXQctCcntOlthc studcntsthcyIdcntIhcdWctctn
thc `btatn Is !Ikc a musC!c ttaInIn__tOuQ.
hOsc tcsu!tsWctc dtamatICa!y Out OlQtOQOttIOn WIth thc
IntctVcntIOn Itsc!L Nath Is aCumuattVctOQIC, act a!!, and thc
studcnts tn thIs cXQcrImcnt Wctc a!rcadya thItd Olthc Way IntO
thc sQrIn_ tctm. WO hOuts OlInsttuCtIOn, In thc unIOt-hI_h
sandstOtm OlhOtmOncs and QOQu!atIty and AOuubc, shOu!d
haVc had a!! thc ttanslOtmattVc chcCt Olan act-sChOO! !cCtutc
On thc OOd ytamId. nstcad, twO hOuts OlttaIntn_ In hOW tO
thInk abOut Intc!!t_cnCc madc studcnts dcmOnsttab!y bcttct at
1 bo M U T V T L T h L L L L P h N T
math.Owcckprovcdthatthcgrowthmindsctcanbctaughtand
thatitcanchangclivcs.
1 U.
!nthc busincssword,wcimpicityrccctthc growth mindsct.
usincsspcopcthinkintcrmsoItwostagcs:Youpan,andthcn
youcxccutc.Jhcrc'sno"carningstagc"or"practiccstagc" inthc
middc. From thc busincss pcrspcctivc, practicc ooks likcpoor
cccution.Rcsultsarcthcthing. Wdontcarehou adit,mtget
itdone!
utto crcatc andsustainchangc,you`vcgot toact morc ikc
acoachandcssikcascorckccpcr.You`vcgottocmbraccagrowth
mindsct and insti it in your tcam. Vhy is that so critic

I! c-
causc,asHarvard usincssSchoolproIcssorRosabcthMoss Kan-
tcrobscrvcsinstudyingargcorganizations,"Lvcrythingcanook
ikcaIaiurcinthcmiddc."Psimiarscntimcntiscxprcsscdby
marriagc thcrapistMichclcVcincr-Oavis, who says that "rca
changc,thckindthatsticks, isohcnthrccstcpsIorardandtwo
stcpsback."
IIIaiurc isancccssarypartoIchangc, thcnthcwaypcopc
undcrstand Iailurc is critica.Jhc lcadcrs at lOC, thcword`s
prccmincntproductdcsignhrm,havcdcsigncdproductsandcx-
pcricnccsrangingIromthchrstAppcmousctoancwRcdCross
blooddonation proccdurc.Jhcyundcrstandthcnccdtoprcparc
thcircmpoyccs-and,morcimportant,thcircicnts-IorIaiurc.
`imrown,thcCLCoIlOLC,saysthatcvcrydcsignproccss
gocs through "Ioggy pcriods. " Cnc oIOLC`s dcsigncrs cvcn
skctchcd out a "pro]cctmood chart" that prcdicts howpcopc
wiIcclatdihcrcntphascsoIapro]cct.It`saL-shapcdcurvcwith
apcakoIpositivc cmotion, labccd"hopc,"atthcbcginning,and
asccond pcakoIpositivccmotion, abccd "conhdcncc," at thc
f 0 W Y 0 B f F 0 0 g 0 ! bD
cnd. n bcwccn thctwOQcaks s a nc_atVc cmOtOna!Va!!cy!a-
bc!cd`tnst_ht.
DtOWn says thatdcs_n Is `tatc!y a _raCcm!!caQltOmhc_ht
tO hc_ht. `Nhcn atcam cmbatks OnancWQrOcCt, tcam mcm-
bcrs atc h!!cd Wtth hOQc and OQttmsm. A thcy start tO CO!cCt
data and ObctVc tca! QcOQ!c sttu__n_Wtth cXsttn_ QtOduCts,
thcyhndthatncWdcassQtn_lOtthcUOtt!css!y. hcnCOmcsthc
dImCu!t tasK Ol
_
tc_tattn_ a!! thOsc ltcsh dcas IntO a COhcrcnt
ncWdcs_n. Ptths `tnst_ht sta_c, ts casytO _ct dcQtcsscd, bc-
Causc tnst_htdOcsnta!Ways stttKc mmcdtatc!y.
hc QtOcCtOhcn lccs !Kca lat!utcnthcmdd!c. Dutlthc
tcamQctstststhtOu_hthsVa!!cyOlan_standdOubt, tcVcntua!y
cmcr_cs Wth a _rOWn_ scnsc Ol mOmcntum. cam mcmbcts
bc_tn tO tcst Out thctr ncW dcs_ns, and thcy tca!zc thc m-
QrOVcmcnts thcyVc madc,andthcyKccQtwcakn_ thcdcs_ntO
makctbcttct.PndthcyCOmc tOrcatZc, uevecrackedthisro/-
h.hatsWhcn thctcamtcaChcsthc QcakOlCOnhdcnCc.
OtCcWhattcam!cadcts at LL\atcdOn_WththcQcaks-
and-Va!!cy vsua!: hcy atc CtcatIn_ thc cXQcCtattOn Olla!utc.
hcyarctc!!n_tcam mcmbcts nOt tO ttustthatntta hush Ol
_OOdlcc!n_atthcbc_Innn_OlthcQtOcCt,bcCauscWhatCOmcs
ncXt s hatdshtQ and tO! and ltusttattOn.Yct, sttan_c!ycnOu_h,
Whcn thdc!VctthIs Watntn_, tCOmcsaCtOssas otimistic.
hats thc QatadOXOlthc _tOWth mIndsct.P!thOu_h tsccms
tOdtaWattcntOn tO la!utc, and tnlaCtcnCOuta_cs ustOseekout
i/ure,tsunha__n_yOQtmsttC. wuidstrugh, ueuid i/,
ueui///eknockeddun-/utthroughout,ueI/get/ettezandue'd
succeedin theend
hc_tO\vh mndsct,thcn,sabuUcra_atnst dclcatsm. t tc-
ltamcs la!urcas a natuta! Qatt Olthc Chan_c QtOCcss. Pnd thats
CtttCa, bcCausc QcOQ!cWt!!QcrscVcrc On!ylthcyQctCctVcla!!n_
dOWn as haningtathctthanasi/ing.
I /0 M U T l V T L T h L L L L F h N T
Jhs csson was carncd thc hard way by scvcral hosptas that
wcrc trying to cmbracc a ncw knd ol hcart surgcry cacd "mn-
ima|ly invasvc cardac surgcry" (MICS). ^my Edmondson, a
prolcssor at Harvard usncss Schoo, studcd thc way that sixtccn
hosptals mpcmcntcd MlCS.
Jraditiona opcn-hcart surgcry is vcry invasvc. ^ paticnt`s
brcastbonc s spt opcn, hs or hcr bood s crcuatcd through a
hcart-ung bypass machnc, and thc hcart is stoppcd. MICS s
much lcss invasvc bccausc t alows thc hcart to bc hxcd without
thc chcst bcng opcncd. Surgcons sncak up to thc hcart through
a sma, 3-inch ncison bctwccn two ribs. Mcanwhc, a tiny
cathctcr wth a dchatcd baloon s thrcadcd through thc gron,
guidcd nto thc aorta, and thcn inhatcd, blockng blood how
lrom thc insidc. Jhc sugcon procccds to opcratc using thc sma|,
crampcd horzonta spacc bctwccn thc rbs.
Jhat crampcd opcratng spacc changcs ccrythng about thc
surgcry. Vth opcn-hcart surgcry, thc surgcon b|ocks oh thc aorta
wth cxtcrna camps, |kc puttng a Chp Cp on a rca|y prc-
cous bag olOortos. Mo input s nccdcd lrom thc surgca| tcam.
Vith MICS, thc baoon gzmo must act as an ntcrna clamp, n-
hatng to block thc how ol bood. Jhc surgcon can`t scc it or lcc
t yct has to inhatc t n cxact|y thc right p|acc at cxactly thc rght
prcssurc. Jo accomp|ish ths, thc surgcon must rcy hcav|y on
thc ancsthcsoogist to montor thc path ol thc baoon as it movcs
toward thc hcart. Cncc thc baoon is hnal|y in p|acc and inhatcd,
thc work stl sn`t donc. Jhc baoon`s positon has to bc moni-
torcd contnuousy to makc surc bood sn`t howng past it. A
onc nursc sad, "Vhcn l rcad thc tranng manua, J couldn't bc-
cvc it. It was sodhcrcnt lrom standard cascs. "
Jhc proccdurc rcquircs prccarious mancuvcrs, n a llc-or-
dcath situaton, by a tcam mostly blndcd. Kind oI |kc andng
a ]ct on an arcrah carricr at nght. (Mot that wc know what cthcr
f 0 W Y0 0 f F 0 0 g 0 l 1 1
ol thcsc things lccs ikc. Vc ]ust picturc both bcing substantiay
morc dangcrous than writing a nonhction book.) ut thcrc`s a
big payoh lor thcsc prccarious mancuvcrs. a ot css suhcring lor
thc paticnts. MICS hcart paticnts go homc lrom thc hospital in
lour days instcad ol cight, and thcy rccovcr mly in thrcc wccks
instcad ol two months.
Jhc promisc olMlCS, thcn, s that it ohcrs big bcnchts to thc
paticnts ol tcams that adopt it, but ony il thc surgcry tcams arc
wiing to cndurc thc initia carning pcriod. Lots ol ncw tcch-
noogics rcqurc this tradc-ou Think ol architccts who stoppcd
crcating drawings by hand and startcd using computcr-aidcd dc-
sign or distributors who carncd to usc PO^s in thc bcld to track
thcir shipmcnts and dcivcrics. Pain now lor a payoh atcr.
Edmondson studicd sixtccn hospitaIs as thcy adoptcd thc ncw
MICS tcchnology. Shc lound that somc hospitals succcssluy
carncd and cmbraccd thc ncw tcchniquc, but sccra lailcd and
rctrcatcd back to opcn-hcart surgcry. Vhat shc carncd about thc
succcssmI and unsucccsslu tcams s powcrluI tcstmony to thc
powcr ol thc growth mindsct.
! ! .
Jhc most ct!cctivc tcams tcndcd to adopt what Edmondson
cacd a "carning lramc." Mcmbcrs ol thcsc tcams picturcd
MICS as somcthing that woud bc dimcut at brst but would gct
casicr ovcr timc il thcy wcrc opcn to changing how thcy bchavcd
and communicatcd.
^t Mountain Mcdica| Ccntcr, Or. M adoptcd a carning
lramc. Hc oIcn worc a hcad camcra, which aowcd thc tcam to
scc what was going on, and hc cncouragcd qucstions about what
hc was doing and why. Hc aso madc surc his tcam practiccd
diigcnty. !c dcibcratcy schcducd thc hrst six MICS cascs in
! 7 M U T V T L T h L L L L P h N T
the same week, so team members cou|d practice repeatedly, with
no chance oF orgetting what they were learning in the lag times
between cases. He also ensured that the same team would be to-
gether on the hrst hheen cases. Aer that, he added new mem-
bers one at a time, so each new person couId Iearn without
introducing much risk to the procedure. Mountain Medical Cen-
ter had great success using MICS, and this success can be attrib-
uted to the growth mindset. Dr. M put the Focus on practice, he
acted as a coach, and he set up the routines to allow the maxi-
mum chances to learn and improve.
ther hospitals abandoned their adoption ol MICS. At
Decorum Hospital, the chie cardiac surgeon, Dr. D, was moti-
vated to adopt MICS For competitive reasons. "Ve`d like every-
one to know we can do it. It`s a marketing thing. Patients want
to know we can do it. " His team members talked about adopting
the procedure to "keep up with the |oneses" (the other large hos-
pitals in the area) . MICS, then, was seen almost like a desirable
new toy to be acquired~especially since a|l the cool kids had
one.
Dr. O ended up implementing the procedure in a unique
way: He continued to split the breastbone oF his patients, albeit
with a smaller incision. ne o his nurses remarked, "Dr. D is a
creature o habit." And the old habits eventually won out. The use
o the new procedure gradually dwindled, and eventually it was
abandoned.
Across the hospitals she studied, Edmondson ound that the
teams who ailed made the mistake o trying to "get it right on the
hrst try" and were motivated by the chance to "perorm, to shine,
or to execute perectly. " ut o course no one "shines" on the hrst
ew tries~this mindset set the teams up or ailure. y contrast,
the successml teams ocused on learning. They didn't assume that
f 0 W Y 0 0 f F 0 0 g 0 ! 7J
mastcry wouId comc quickIy, and thcy anticipatcd that thcy'd
Iacc cha|Icngcs. In thc cnd, thcy wcrc thc oncs who wcrc morc
|ikcly to gct it right.
Failing s oItcn thc bcst way to lcarn, and bccausc oI that,
car|y Iai|urc is a kind oI ncccssary invcstmcnt. A Iamous story
about IM makcs that point wc||. In thc I 60s, cxccutivc at
IM madc a dccision that cndcd up |osing thc company $! 0 mil-
|ion (about $70 mi||ion in 200 do||ars) . Jhc CEC oI!M, Jom
Vatson, summoncd thc ohcnding cxccutivc to his omcc at cor-
poratc hcadquartcrs. Jhc ] ourna|ist IauI . Carro|l dcscribcd
what happcncd ncxt.
^ thc exccutivc cowcrcd, Vatson askcd, "Oo you know
why I'vc askcd you hcrc:"
Jhe man rcp|icd, "I assumc I'm hcrc so you can hrc
mc."
Watson lookcd surpriscd.
"Firc you:" hc askcd. "CI coursc not. I just spcnt
$I0 million cducating you. "
! Z.
In I 5, Mo||y Howard, a |ongtimc spccia| cducation tcachcr in
LouisvilIc, Ccorgia, watchcd as thc ncw |chcrson County High
Schoo| bui|ding was bcing buiIt.
"Evcry day I`d drivc by thc bui|ding, and I`d wondcr, `Vho's
gonna run that schoo|:' And it kcpt tugging at mc, `Vhy don't
ouapp|y:` " Howard said.
Shc appIicd and got thc ]ob, but with thc promotion camc a
vcry tough cha||cngc. Eighty pcrccnt oI thc schooI's studcnts |ivcd
in povcrty. CnIy I 5 pcrccnt oI studcnts in thc prcvious high
I /4 M U T l V T L T h L L L L P h N T
school had continucd on to colIcgc. "Jhc kids you'd cxpcct to bc
succcssml wcrc succcssIul," said Howard. "ut what about thc
othcr 85 pcrccnt:"
Many tcachcrs had a ncarly dcIcatist attitudc. "Jhcrc was this
bclicI that somc childrcn canand somc childrcn cant.Jhat wc'rc
hcrc Ior thc oncs that can gct it, and wc'vc got to acccpt that wc`rc
going to losc somc. I kncw I`d havc to challcngc that," said
Howard.
Howard actcd quickly. Iirst, shc had to scll a ncw idcntity.
Howard bclicvcd that cvcry studcnt could aspirc to go to colcgc,
so shc abolishcd thc school`s two-track systcm that had scparatcd
"collcgc-bound" studcnts Irom "vocational" studcnts. In hcr
school, cvcryonc woud sharc thc collcgc-bound idcntity.
Shc bccIcd up asscssmcnts and tutorial programs. Shc
matchcd studcnts with tcachcrs who'd bc thcir "on-campus ad-
viscrs" through a|l Iour ycars. Pcrhaps hcr most distinctivc changc,
though, was to thc grading systcm. Lndcr hcr ncw systcm thc
only gradcs oIIcrcd at |chcrson County High School wcrc. A, ,
C, and MY.
Mot Yct.
In Howard's vicw, thc studcnts at |chcrson had acccptcd a
"culturc oI Iailurc. " In a hxcd-mindsct way, thcy actcd as though
thcy wcrc Iailurcs to thc bonc. Studcnts oItcn didn't do thcir
homcwork, or thcy turncd in shoddy work. Gctting a Oor an I
was an casy way out in a way. Jhcy might gct a poor gradc, but
at lcast thcy would bc donc.
In thc ncw systcm, thc studcnts couldn`t stop until thcy'd
clcarcd thc bar. "Vc dchnc up Iront to thc kids what`s an A, ,
and C," said Howard. "II thcy do substandard work, thc tcachcr
will say, `Mot Yct. ` . . . Jhat givcs thcm thc mindsct. M teacher
thinksIcando /ener. It changcs thcir cxpcctations. '
Jhc school was rcborn. Studcnts and tcachcrs bccamc morc
f 0 W Y0 0 f F 0 0 g 0 ! 75
cngagcd, thc schoo|'s graduation ratc incrcascd dramatica||y, and
studcnt tcst scorcs wcnt up so much that rcmcdia| courscs wcrc
c|iminatcd. In 2008, thc Mationa| Association ol Sccondary
Schoo| Principa|s dcc|arcd Howard thc L. S. Principa| ol thc Ycar,
out ol 48,000 candidatcs.
Howard translormcd hcr studcnts. Shc cu|tivatcd a ncw idcn-
tity in thcm. Iou're adcodege-/oundstudnts.Jhcn shc hippcd
|chcrson lrom a hxcd-mindsct schoo| to a growth-mindsct
schoo|. Shc bc|icvcd that cvcry studcnt was capab|c ol doing ac-
ccptablc work, that no studcnt was doomcd to lailurc. Jhcrc`s no
"ncvcr" at |chcrson anymorc, only a "Mot Yct."
I 3.
In timcs ol changc, wc nccd to rcmind oursc|vcs and othcrs, again
and again, ol ccrtain basic truths. Cur brains and our abi|itics arc
|ikc musc|cs. Jhcy L bc strcngthcncd with practicc. Vc`rc not
born skatcboardcrs or sccntists or nurscs, wc must |carn how to
skatcboard, do scicncc, or carc lor sick pcop|c. And our inspira-
tion to changc oursclvcs comcs lrom our dcsirc to |ivc up to thosc
idcntitics.
In thc story ol Mo||y Howard, wc scc that amazing things can
happcn whcn you combinc thc aspiraton ol a ncw idcntity with
thc pcrsistcncc ol thc growth mindsct. Jhat`s how you grow your
pcop|c.
Cvcr thc past lcw chaptcrs, wc`vc sccn that thc ccntra|
cha||cngc ol changc is kccping thc E|cphant moving lorward.
Vcrcas thc Ridcr nccds dircction, thc E|cphant nccds motiva-
tion. And wc'vc sccn that motivation comcs lrom lcc|ing~
know|cdgc isn`t cnough to motivatc changc. ut motivation a|so
comcs lrom conhdcncc. Jhc E|cphant has to bc|icvc that it`s ca-
a//e ol conqucring thc changc. And thcrc arc two routcs to
l 1b m 1 VP 1 L 1 H L L L L F H P N 1
buiding pcoplc`s conhdcncc so that thcy lcc "big" rcativc to
thcir chalcngc. You can shrink thc changc or grow your pcoplc
(or, prclcraby, both).
Cur picturc ol changc is stiII incompctc, though. bccausc it`s
ccar that in somc situations cvcn a rcuctant Lcphant and a con-
mscd Ridcr wi managc to changc thcir bchavior. For instancc,
considcr thc lact that cvcn a ost, angry drivcr who is hopccssly
atc lor an appointmcnt wi stop dutimy lor a rcd |ight.
Jhat`s why, to makc changcs stick, wc`vc got to think about
shaping thc Path.
S H AP
T h
PAT H
b
1WEk IhE bDVI0D0EDI
!.
hcn somc guy cuts you ohntramc, youprobablythnk, n-
stnctvcly. Wdl d jcrk. (Lrpcrhapsyournncrvoccsmorcvul-
gar.) hatyou almost ccrtanlydont thnk toyoursclls, c:h,
ucndr uhdl: urcn_ lhdl hc :: :n :uch d hurQ.
rs nothard to sccwhy wc dontdnkdat-tsccmskndol
navc, as lwcrc makng an cxcusc lor a bad pcrson. But thnk
aboutyourownbchavor.Jhnkolatmcwhcnyouwcrcdrv-
ngsocrazlythatodcrswouldhavc bccnj usthcdtocurscyou.
asyourcr.tpdrvngondatdayamanlcstatonolyourtruc
charactcr(.c.,you'rcajcrktodccorc):Lrwastsparkcdbythc
stuatonyouwcrcn:
Indcvcryhrststoryn Chaptcr I-aboutmovcgocrswho
atcmorcpopcornwhcngvcnbggcrbuckcts-wcsawhowcasy
t can bc to jump to conclusons about pcoplc. Ilwc hadn't
knownaboutdcchcctolbuckctszc,twouldhavcbccncasyto
l oU b H P F L 1 H L F P 1 H
conc|udc that thc big-buckct pcop|c wcrc Popcom-Corging G|ut-
tons. ut ol coursc thc surprising part ol thc study is that, whcn
you givc pcop|c a giant buckct, thcy /ecomePopcorn-Gorging
G|uttons. And whcn somconc bchind thc whccl ol a car is twcnty
minutcs |atc lor a cruca| appointmcnt, that pcrson /ecomesa tcr-
rib|c drivcr. Vhat |ooks |ikc a pcrson prob|cm is oncn a situa-
tion prob|cm.
Jhc samc phcnomcnon ho|ds truc in thc busincss wor|d.
Edwards Ocming, thc chicl instigator ol thc Jota| Qua|ity Man-
agcmcnt movcmcnt that rcvo|utionizcd manulacturing, to|d a
story about a company that uscd a varicty ol hammablc products
in its production proccss. Lnsurprisingly, hrcs lrcqucntly brokc
out in its p|ants. ut thc prcsidcnt ol thc company didn't think
hc had a situation prob|cm, hc thought hc had a pcrson prob-
|cm. Hc scnt a |cttcr to cvcry onc ol thc company`s ! 0,500 cm-
ployccs, /eadinguiththemtoset /uer/res. Ahcm. (Vhat |ooks
|ikc a pyromania prob|cm s oltcn a hammab|c chcmica|
prob|cm.)
Vc arc lrcqucnt|y b|ind to thc powcr ol situations. ln a la-
mous artic|c, Stanlord psycho|ogist Lcc Ross survcd dozcns ol
studics in psycho|ogy and notcd that pcop|c havc a systcmatic
tcndcncy to ignorc thc situationa| lorccs that shapc othcr pco-
plc`s bchavior. Hc cal|cd this dccp-rootcd tcndcncy thc "Funda-
mcnta| Attribution Lrror." Jhc crror |ics in our inc|ination to
attributc pcop|c`s bchavior to theua tharerather than to the
simationth

arein.
Jhc FundamcntaI Attribution Error comp|icates human rc-
|ationships. Marriagc thcrapist Michclc Vcincr-Oavis said, "Most
pcop|c attributc thcir marital problcms to somc dccp|y cngraincd
pcrsona|ity charactcristics ol thcir spousc. " A wilc might say, "My
husband is a stubbom pcrson. " ut Vcincr-Oavis might rcspond.
"You`vc got to admit that your husband isn`t a/uasstubborn. Hc
Twe a k I h e b n v r o a m e a I ! 8I
doesn't resist when his coworkers suggest a new client approach
at work. And he doesn't drag his Feet when you propose new ways
to handle the Family's hnances. The stubbornness emerges mainly
when you suggest a new approach with the kids at homeand
when you do that, he is stubborn almost every time. It's the sit-
uation, not an immutable stubbornness built into his character,
that produces the behavior. " (This doesn't excuse his stubborn-
ness, oF course, but it should provide hope For a solution, since
situations should be easier to tweak than people`s core character.)
The Fundamental Attribution Error is the reason why we love
Jshows like !heDogwhisereror Sueannin which seem-
ingly irredeemable dogs and kids are tamed by outsiders who come
in with a new system oF discipline. At the beginning oF the
episodes, we're presented with a dog that bites everything in sight,
or a child who won't obey the simplest oF commands, and we sim-
ply ct avoid jumping to conclusions about their character. That
dog is vicious. That boy is a terror. And when they're reFormed, in
the course oF a short intervention, it blows our minds.
IF we could cure ourselves oF the Fundamental Attribution
Error, these shows would seem obvious to the point oF absurdity.
(It would be like watching a show whose premise was that iF you
take scalding-hot liquids~dangerous and slippery~and stick
them in the Ieezer For a long time, they renounce their hery For-
mer selves and tutoice')
ow you can see why the third element oF our Framework,
the Path, is so critical. IF you want people to change, you can pro-
vide clear direction (Rider) or boost their motivation and deter-
mination (E|ephant) . Alternatively, you can simply make the
journey easier. Create a steep downhill slope and give them a
push. Remove some Friction From the trail. Scatter around lots
oF signs to te|l them they're getting close.
In short, you can shape the Path.
l o b H P F L J H L F P 1 H
.
o scc how a smoothcr Iath can changc bchavior, considcr somc
rcscarch that studicd why colcgc studcnts did (or didn't) donatc
lood to a canncd-lood drivc lor charity. Jhc rcscarchcrs kncw
somc studcnts woud bc morc charitablc and gcncrous than
othcrs and woud bc morc incincd to donatc lood. Jhc
rcscarchcrs wondcrcd: Canuea/tethesituationsothateksgiie,
too
irst, to distnguish "saints lrom "jcrks, " thcy poIlcd aI thc
studcnts in a particuar dorm, asking thcm to asscss which ol thcir
dorm-matcs (out ol roughy onc hundrcd) wcrc mst/ikegand
hast/iketo makc a donation. Cncc thcy compi|cd thosc rank-
ings, thcy had a prctty good idca ol which studcnts wcrc charita-
bc or uncharitabc typcs.
Jhcn thcy a|tcrcd thc Iath. Somc studcnts rcccivcd a basic
cttcr announcing thc launch ol a lood drivc thc loowing wcck
and asking thcm to bring canncd lood to a booth on Jrcssidcr
Ilaza (a wcl-known spot on campus) . Cthcr studcnts rcccivcd a
morc dctaicd cttcr, which incIudcd a map to thc prccisc spot, a
rcqucst lor a can ol bcans, and suggcstion that th think about
a timc whcn thcy'd ordinari|y bc ncar Jrcssidcr I|aza so thcy
wouldn`t havc to go out ol thcir way to gct thcrc.
Jhc two cttcrs wcrc randomly scnt to thc saints and thc ]crks.
A wcck latcr, ahcr thc lood drivc was ovcr, thc rcscarchcrs had a
prccisc ist ol who had givcn lood and who hadn't.
Studcnts who rcccivcd thc basic cttcr wcrc not vcry gcncr-
ous. Cnly 8 pcrccnt ol thc saints donatcd and not a singc onc ol
thc ]crks. So lar, thc jcrks wcrc living up to thcir rcputation (but
thc saints wcrcn't cxacty outpcrlorming) .
Jhcn camc thc shock. Studcnts who rcccivcd thc morc dc-
taicd lcttcr wcrc substantialy morc charitabc. 42pcrccnt ol thc
saints donatcd, and so did 25pcrccnt ol thc ]crks! Jhis is an
Twe a k I h e L n v f 0 n m e n I t1
inspiringrcsult.Jhcscrcscarchcrsgot25 pcrccntoIthcuorstin-
diiidua/inthedormtodonatcsimpybysmoothingthcIatha
bit. (ottominc.IIyou`rchungryandnccdacanoIIood,you'rc
thrcctimcsbcttcr-ohrcyingonajcrkwithamapthanonabud-
dingyoungsaintwithoutonc.)
Vhat`smorc,thcIathwasn'tchangcdinanydramaticway
thccttcrustgavcmodcratcymorcconcrctcinstructions.!maginc
whatwoudhavchappcncdwith amorcaggrcssivc intcrvcntion.
VhatiIvountccrshadgoncdoor-to-doorcolcctingthccanncd
Iood:
Vhatookslikcapcopcproblcm isohcn asituation prob-
cm.Andnomattcrwhatyourrolc is, you`vc gotsomccontro
ovcrthcsituation.
3.
oday,asyougothroughyourday, noticchowmanytimcspco-
p|chavctwcakcdthccnvironmcnttoshapcyourbchavior.JraI-
hccnginccrswantcdyoutodrivcinaprcdictab|c,ordcryway, so
thcypaintcdanc markcrs on thc roads andinstalcdstopights
and road signs. Groccry storc managcrswantcd you to spcnd
morctimcin thcirstorc,sothcy positioncdthcmi|kcoocrsa
thcwayatthcback.Yourboss`sbosswantcdto cncouragcmorc
coa0orationamongcmpoyccs,soshcapprovcdan `opcndoor
pan" ayoutwithnocubiclcsordividcrs.Jhcbankwas tircdoI
yourcavingyourAJMcardinthcmachinc,sonowthcmachinc
IorccsyoutorcmovcitbcIorcyoucancaimyourcash.
Jwcakingthccnvironmcntis about makingthc rightbchav-
iorsaitt|cbitcasicrandthcwrongbchaviorsaittc bithardcr.It's
thatsimpc.Asaninspiration,thinkaboutAmazon's ! -Cickor-
dcring.Vithonc-tcnththcchortoIdiaingaphoncnumbcr,you
can buyancwbookor OVO. Jakaboutinstantgratihcation.
! 84 b H P F L J H L F P J H
Amazon's site designers have simply made a desired behavior-
you spending money on their site~a little bit easier. 1hey've low-
ered the bar to a purchase as Far as humanly possible (at least until
they launch " I -link rdering"). y doing this, they've generated
untold millions oF dollars in incremental revenue.
The opportunities are endless For simple, I -Click-style tweaks.
A Few years ago, a consultant named Peter regman was asked to
help a management consulting hrm with an administrative prob-
lem. Lmployees weren't submitting their time shects on time,
which slowed the hrm's billing because charges to clients were
based on hours worked. Traditionally, the consultants had sub-
mitted their time sheets on paper, and they'd done so pretty reli-
ably. Then the hrm developed an online time-sheet tool.
Consultants weren't using it. The executives held education cIasses
to explain the new tool, but people kept on submitting their time
sheets on paper.
Irustrated, the executives tried using hat power, announcing
that the new online tool was mandatory. That worked For about
halF oF the employees, " said regman. "The rest simply ignored
it." The executives were ready to escalate the battlc. They pre-
pared a memo saying that people wouldn't get their paychecks
unless they used the online tool. (Side note. ln our experience,
people who are trying to change things ohen reach instinctively
For carrots and sticks. ut this strategy indicates a pretty crude
view oF human behavior~that people act only in response to
bribes and punishments. And it quickly becomes absurd. Are you
going to break out the no paycheck" stick For every change you
want to make in your workplace`)
regman put the brakes on. Vait," he said. "Do we know u
people aren't doing the online time sheet`" The executives assumed
that the consultants were Iuddites or simply obstinate~classic
T we a k I h e L n v r o n m e n I ! bb
|abc|s inspircd by thc Iundamcnta| ^ttribution Error. rcgman
pcrsuadcd thc cxccutivcs to do a bit morc invcstigation.
Jhc cmp|oyccs who turncd in papcr timc shccts wcrc askcd
why thcy wcrcn't using thc on|inc tool. Iapcr was casicr, mcy said.
Skcptica|, thc intcrvicwcrs askcd il thcy could obscrvc thc cm-
p|oyccs whi|c thcy hl|cd out thc onlinc timc shcct. Jhc rcsu|ts
wcrc tc||ing.
Lots ol cmployccs startcd grousing as soon as thcy cncoun-
tcrcd thc "w.zard" that was bui|t into thc on|inc too|. Ironica||y,
thc wizard was intcndcd to hc|p pcopIc h|| out thc lorm. Jhink
ol thc annoying papcr c|ip guy in Microson Cmcc who wants to
hclp you writc a |cttcr. Mow imaginc that you havc no choicc but
to acccpt his "hclp. " Vhcn thc cxccutivcs ki||cd thc wizard, a|-
|owing pcoplc to skip dircct|y to thc lorm itsclI comp|iancc ratcs
rosc immcdiatcly, and wthin a lcw wccks cvcryonc was using thc
on|inc tool.
"Icop|c wcrcn't bcing dchant," said rcgman. Jhcy wcrc ] ust
procccding on thc casicst Iath.
Vhat`s sad|y typica| about this story is that thc cxccutivcs
didn't initia||y |ook lor a Iath so|ution. Instcad, thcy wantcd to
spook thc E|cphant by thrcatcning to withho|d a paychcck. rcg-
man says thcy wcrc mcnta||y stuck. " `Vc||, ! a|rcady askedthcm
to do it. I taughtthemhow to do it. I to/dthem thcy had to do
it. ! don`t know what c|sc to do!' " ^t that point, thc cxccutivcs
lc|t thcy`d tricd cvcry too| in thcir toolbox, so thcy ] umpcd to
punishmcnts.
"Vc`rc taught to locus on inccntivcs by our busincss back-
ground," says rcgman. "Cr cvcn our parcnts. `Oo this or you
won`t gct your a||owancc'` " ut cxccutivcsand parcnts-hcn
havc morc too|s than thcy think thcy havc. Il you changc thc
path, you`|| changc thc bchavior.
! 8b 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
L L M L
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WHAT'5 THE 5WlTCH AND WHAT'5 HOLDl NG lT 8ACK? | M|||8|
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HOW DO WE mAKE THE 5WlTCH?
/ECI IOE KOE/. NP. 6 I6605 K00W W08I |5 6k6CI6 0 I060.
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! 8b 5 H F L T H L F T H
LL M L
LB0 0d 0I Ff00l0m Id000I5 I0 L0m0 I0
LlB55 00 1m01
bl TUTlM Ba|t M|l l ar, an American h|story teacher at |incoln high School in
Po|tland, 0regon, is !rust|ated by a !ew o! h|s students, ||ke Robby and Kent, who
!requent|y arr|ve late and then s|t | n the back o! the room, talking to each other
and laughing and d|srupt|ng the c|ass. M|l |ar has tr|ed gett|ng tough w|th them~
be|ng str|ct and even send|ng them to the pr|ncipa| a !ew times. Wothing seems
to work. What can he do to get these students under contro|! [Ba|t Mil|ar and the
s|tuation are real, but the kids' names are d|sgu|sed.]
WHT'b THb bWlTCH M WHT'b HLl M l T BCKT |! Mi|lar
tr|es to get Robby and Kent to act ||ke model students, he'|l be doomed to !ai|.
Let's !ocus on the cr|t|ca| move. Mi|lar wants Robby and Kent to be | n the|r seats
be!ore the c|ass sta|ts. |! he manages to succeed w|th that (no smal| !eat), he can
keep snowba||ing the change.
What's hold|ng back the sw|tch! Let's !ace it, this p|obably isn't a Rider p|ob
lem. Robby and Kent know exact|y when they're supposed to be |n their seats, so
we won't even th|nk about the Rider. |t's an E|ephant problem. Te kids aren't en
thused about show|ng u on t|me, espec|a||y |! do|ng so means less t|me hang
|ng out w|th the|r !r|ends in the ha|lways. Te Path m|ght a|so p|ay a role: Are
there aspects o! the env||onment or culture that make |t eas|er !or the kids to get
away with the|r tardiness!
HW Wb NKb THb bWTCHT
ll0Cl lO0 hl00l. N. Te teens know what |s expected o! them.
NOllvdl0 lO0 Ll0OdDl. 1 . 0 I0e 66g. Maybe the k|ds see M|l|ar
as an abstract authority !|gure rather than as a human be|ng. |mag|ne a oneon
one conversat|on with each kid | n which Mi|lar says, | !eel stressed out because
1W 6 k I h 6 L B V f 0 B m 6 B I I d1
|'m expected to cove| so much mate|ia| in so |itt|e t|me. And that's how |'m
udged. And | know you don't th|nk it's a b|g dea| when you'|e a !ew mi nutes |ate,
but it makes my chances o! do|ng a good ob ha|de| and ha|de|. Can you do me
a !avo| and ust get he|e a second o| two ea||y! 0epending on the kids' empa
thy |eve|, this might wo|k. 0|, mo|e ||ke|y, !ai| utte||y.
J08P l0P r8l0. 1 . 1W6k I6 6BVf0Bm6BI. Lock the doo| when the be||
|ings so |atecome|s a|e stuck |n the ha| |way. . bu0 0IS. Sta|t having a da||y
qu|z with one o| two qu|ck questions at the beginning o! eveq c|ass. |! Robby and
Kent a|en`t p|esent to take the quiz, they'|| !ai|. J.K I6 6f0. Post a c|ass
"ont|me" |eco|d on the wa||. Maybe when Robby and Kent see that they'|e the
on|y students vio|ating the socia| no|m Io be on time, they'|| change the|| ways.
4. bu0 0IS. Set a po||cy that the |ast student in h|s o| he| seaI eve|y day
wi|| be asked to answe| the !i|st question. >. K I6 6f0. ||nd a way to |et
Robby and Kent know that the 0l00I 5lU000D dis|ike what they'|e do|ng (as they
a|most ce|ta|n|y do). 0!ten t|oub|emakets have the i| |usion that thei| de!|ant be
havio| makes them !o|k he|oes. They can be de!|ated quick|y by !|ank pee| !eed
back. b.1W6k I6 6BVf0Bm6BI. 0o what Ba|t M|||a| actua||y d|d. he bought
a used couch and put it |ight at the !|ont o! the c|ass|oom. lt was |mmed|ate|y
obvious that this couch was the coo| p|ace to sitstudents cou|d s|ouch and
|e|ax |nstead o! s|tt|ng at a do|ky desk. Sudden|y Robby and Kent staded gett|ng
|o c|ass 08r/yeve|y day so they cou|d get a good seat. 00y w0I0 90U0l00O0g
l0 5ll 8l l00 m0l 0 l00 C855I000. 6en|us.
4.
BcckyRchardsworkcdat Kascr South S Francsco !osptal,
whcrcnurscsadmnstcraboutcghthundrcdmcdcatonsaday.
"Ncdcaton admnstraton swhathappcns bctwccn thc tmc
a doctor prcscrbcs a ccrtan mcdcaton (such as ! 00 mg ol
buprolcn) and thc patcnt rcccvcs t. urscs takc thc doctor's
l oo b H P F L 1 H L F P 1 H
chickcn-scratch prcscription, transcribc it so it's cgibc, thcn lax
thc ordcr to thc pharmacy. Vhcn thc mcdication arrivcs lrom
thc pharmacy, thcy dcivcr it n thc right dosagc by thc right
mcthod (IV drip, in]cction, oralIy) to thc right paticnt at thc right
timc.
Murscs havc an imprcssivc accuracy rccord. Cn avcragc, thcy
commit approximatcy ! crror pcr I ,000 mcdications adminis-
tcrcd. Sti, givcn thc hugc vo|umc ol mcdications dcivcrcd at
Kaiscr South, that crror ratc cd to about 250crrors annuay, and
a singc crror can bc harmlu or cvcn dcadly. For instancc, il a pa-
ticnt rcccivcs too much hcparin, a bood thinncr, thc patcnt`s
bood wi no ongcr clot and thc paticnt could hcmorrhagc. !l a
paticnt gcts too ittlc hcparin, thc paticnt coud dcvclop a bood
clot that coud lcad to a strokc.
Richards, who was dircctor ol adut cinica scrviccs at Kaiscr
South, and hcr nursing stan wantcd to drivc down mcdication cr-
rors. Richards bclicvcd that most crrors happcncd whcn nurscs
wcrc distractcd. It was casy to bccomc distractcd, bccausc in most
traditiona hospitals, thc mcdIcation administration arcas arc
right in thc middc ol thc nursing units, which tcnd to bc thc
noisicst paccs on thc hoor. From mcmory, Richards quotcd Jcss
Papc, a prolcssor at thc Lnivcrsty ol Jcxas who has studicd mcd-
ication crrors, saying, "Joday wc admirepcopc lor mutitasking,
wc cccbratc pcopc who can accomplish many things at oncc.
ut whcn you`rc giving out mcdications it is thc /.uttimc you
should bc mutitasking."
Put yourscll in Richards's shocs lor a momcnt. Your goal is
clcar. Changc your nurscs' bchavior so thcy can locus bcttcr, so
thcy'rc css ikcy to gct distractcd. How can you accomplish that:
First, you nccd to idcnti[ thc corc probcm.
Jhc nurscs undcrstand what's cxpcctcd ol thcm-~thc critica
movcs arc ccarso this isn't a Ridcr probcm. Mor do thc nurscs
Twe a k I h e L n v f o n m e n I ! 8D
havc any cmotona| rcsistancc to bcttcr locus. In lact, t annoys
thcm whcn thcy'rc dstractcd by othcrs, which mcans that, n ths
casc, wc havc thc |uxury ol a supportivc E|cphant. hc prob|cm,
t sccms, s thc dstractons thcmsclvcs. Mo onc thnks twicc bc-
lorc ca||ing out to a nursc who's wa|kng thc ha||s dc|vcrng mcd-
icaton. Vorsc, nurscs lcc| an obIgaton to rcspond whcn othcrs
dstract thcm. Mo onc wants to tc|l a surgcon, "Sorry, bub, can't
hc|p rght now. I`m dca|ng wth mcdcaton.'` Yct that`s cxactly
what nccds to happcn l crrors arc to bc rcduccd.
Vhat Rchards nccdcd to do was makc othcr pcop|c awarc
that thcy wcrc ntcrruptng thc nurscs. Shc nccdcd to makc thc
bad bchavor vsb|c. Idcal|y, whcn thc nurscs wcrc admnstcr-
ng mcdcaton, thcy wou|d work nsdc a soundprool bubb|c,
|kc thc "Conc ol S|cncc" lrom CetSmart. Vth that so|uton
bcng archtcctura||y inlcasiblc, Rchards camc up wth thc dca
ol usng a vsua| symbo|, somcthng that cou|d bc worn by nurscs,
that would sgnal to othcr pcop|c, !, dont/othermerightnou.
I'masingoutmedication.
Acr consdcrng armbands and aprons, Rchards sctt|cd on
vcsts and dccidcd to ca|l thcm "mcdcaton vcsts." Vhcrc do you
buy a mcdcaton vcst: Richards had to makc do wth what shc
cou|d hnd. "Jhc hrst vcst wc ordcrcd was oh thc ntcrnct. It was
rcal|y chccsy. Chcap p|astc. Brightorangc. c carclu| what you
ordcr oh thc ntcrnct."
Latcr, wth vcsts n hand, Richards unvc|cd thc dca to hcr
stah. whenou'readministeringmedication,ou'dutonamed-
icationoest. Its/rightenough thateo/ecanseeit{om dounthe
ha//Zndado/M) inc/udingthedctors, uidknouthatuhensome-
oneuuearinoneo/theseoests, ueshouH/eaoethat ersona/one.
Shc sclcctcd two unts at Kascr South lor a sx-month plot
study ol thc mcdcaton vcsts, and n |u|y 2006it bcgan.
Rchards quck|y cncountcrcd a prob|cm. hc nurscs hatcd
I JO 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
thc vcsts. So did thc doctors. Murscs thought thc vcst was dc-
mcaning, and thcy coudn't hnd it whcn thcy nccdcd it," said
Richards. "Jhcy didn't ikc thc coor. Jhcy`d ask, ` How do you
ccan it:` ^nd physicians hatcd not bcing abc to tak to thcir
nurscs whcn thcy passcd thcm in thc ha."
Jhc nurscs' writtcn lccdback was scathing: "Ch, so you want
to draw attentionto thc Iact wc can makc a mistakc. " "You want
pcopc to think havc a duncc cap on, that !'m so stupid can`t
think on my Icct." "Givc mc a hard hat and a conc and I can go
work Ior Ca trans thc statc highway dcpartmcnt| . "
"Jhcy wcrc prctty bruta," said Richards. Jhc rcccption was
so univcrsaly poor that Richards was rcady to writ:: on thc idca
and try somcthing csc.
Jhcn thc data camc back.
Ouring thc six-month tria pcriod, crrors droppcd 47 pcrccnt
Irom thc six months prior to thc study. "It took our brcath away,"
said Richards.
Cnc

thc data wcrc in, thc hatrcd Iadcd. Imprcsscd by thc rc-
suts, thc cntirc hospita adoptcd thc mcdication vcsts, cxccpt Ior
onc unit that insistcd thcy wcrcn't nccdcd. Errors droppcd by 20
pcrccnt in thc hrst month ol thc hospitawidc adoption, cxccpt in
onc unit, which actuay saw an incrcasc in crrors. (Gucss which
onc.)
You know you'vc got a smart solution whcn cvcryonc hatcs it
and it sti works~and in Iact works so wcl that pcopc`s hatc
turns to cnthusiasm. cck Richards had Iound a vay to changc
thc Path.
3.
Jhc airinc industry has ong uscd a consistcnt practicc. ccausc
most aircrah accidcnts happcn during takcohs and andings~thc
Tw e a k I h e b a V t 0 n m e n I ! J1
most hectic and coordination-intensive parts oF any bight~the
industry adopted the "sterile cockpit" rule. Anytime a plane is
below IO,OOOFeet~whether on the way up or the way down
no conversation is permitted in the cockpit, except what's dIrecrly
relevant For Hying. At I I ,OOOFeet, members oF the cockpit crew
can talk about Football, their kids, or the loarhsome passengers.
ut not at , 5OOFeet.
ne IT group adopted the "sterile cockpit" concept to advance
an important sohware project. The group had embraced a sub-
stantial goal~to reduce new-product development time From
three years to nine months. In previous projects with tight dead-
lines, the work environment had become increasingly stressFul.
Vhen workcrs Fell behind schedule, rhey tended to interrupt their
colleagues For quick help, and their managers would wander by
regularly and ask to be "statused" on the project. A a result, the
sohware engineers were interrupted more and more, and work-
weeks expanded to sixty and seventy hours as people starred show-
ing up on weekends, hoping to get some work done without
interruption.
The leaders oF the IT group decided to try an experiment.
They established "quiet hours" on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
mornings bclore noon. The goal was to give coders a sterile cock-
pit, allowing them to concentrate on complex bits oF coding with-
out being derailed by periodic interruptions. Even the socially
insensitive responded well to this change in the Path. ne engi-
neer, previously among the worst interrupters, said, "I always used
to worry about my own quiet time and how to get more oF it,
but this experiment made me rhink about how I'm impacting
others. "
In the end, the group managed to meet its stringent nine-
month development goal. The division vice president attributed
this accomplishment to the sterile cockpit quiet hours. "I do not
! D2 b H F L 1 H L F P 1 H
think wc could'vc madc thc dcad|inc without it," hc said. "his
is a ncw bcnchmark."
In thcsc disparatc cnvironmcntsairplanc cockpits and hos-
pita|s and IJ work groupsthc right bchaviors did not cvo|vc
natura||y. Murscs wcrcn't "natura||y" givcn cnough spacc to work
without distraction, and programmcrs wcrcn't "natura|ly" |ch
a|onc to locus on coding. Instcad, |cadcrs had to rcshapc thc Path
conscious|y. Vith somc simplc twcaks to thc cnvironmcnt, sud-
dcn|y thc right bchaviors cmcrgcd. It wasn't thc pcop|c who
changcd, it was thc situation. Vhat |ooks |ikc a pcoplc prob|cm
is ohcn a situation prob|cm.
6.
Vc'vc sccn |ots oI cnvironmcnt twcaking in organizations-
oIhccs and air|incs and hospita|sbut, makc no mistakc, wc can
turn thcsc too|s on oursc|vcs, too. Many pcop|c havc discovcrcd
that, whcn it comcs to changing thcir own bchavior, cnviron-
mcnta| twcaks bcat scll-contro| cvcry timc.
For instancc, rian Vansink, thc author oI thc popcorn-
buckct study dcscribcd in Chaptcr I , has a dcvotcd Io||owing oI
dictcrs who swcar by his primc dircctivc. Shrink yout dinncrwarc.
Lsc smal|cr p|atcs, bowls, and cups.
Vansink knows that il wc usc big p|atcs, wc Icc| ob|igatcd to
covcr thcm with looda ha|l-lul| platc lcc|s moral|y wrong
somchow. And bccausc wc`rc wircd to hnish what's on our platc,
that's a big prob|cm. ig p|atcs big portions " ovcrcating. Jo
achicvc cating control, according to Vansink, you must start with
p|atc contro|. Storc your dinncr platcs in a box in your closct,
and start cating dinncr cvcry night oh your salad platcs. \sc sma||
wincg|asscs, not hugc gob|cts. Mcvcr, cvcrcat snack lood dircct|y
out ol thc bag or box, instcad, pour a rcasonab|c portion onto a
. Tw e a k I h e b n v l r o n m e n I ! DJ
sma!aQQctzctQ!atc.hcscVctysmQ!ccnVtOnmcnta!tWcaKs-
sWaQQn_Out thcQ!atcs and bOWs and _asscs nyOut Cabnct
haVc hugecllcCts On catn_bchaVOt.
Nc a!!Q!aythcsc _amcs Wth OutscVcs, ttyn_ tO nud_c Out-
sc!VcstO dO Ihc t_ht thn_. Nc knOW a _uyWhO tc!_Ous!yays
Out hs O__n_ C!Othcs and shOcs bclOtc hc _Ocs tO sccQ. hat
Way, WhcnhcWakcsuQ, tsustatnybt cascttO_ct _On_.Pn-
Othct ltcnd ncVct _Ocs tO bcd WthOut scttn_ thc COHccQOt tO
autO-btcWat Wakc-uQ tmc. hc atOma Olltcsh-btcWcd COHcc
hc!Qs tO h_ht thc OVcts!ccQn_ ut_c. Pnd thctcs a WOman WhO
aCtua!yltcczcs hctCtcdtCatd n a b!OCkOlCc, sOthatWhcnshc
lcc!s thc ut_c tO sQcnd, shc lOtCcs hctsc!ltO haVc a COOn_-OH
jOt, tathct, aWatmn_-uQ) QctOd.
bcl-manQu!atOn WOtks. Pmanda uCkct uscd thcsc samc
cnVtOnmcn!-tWcakn_ QtnCQ!cs tO mQtOVc hct mana_cmcnt
sty!c at WOtk. uCkct Was thcCOunttymana_ct lOtkcn`ct-
nam. bhc ttaVc!cdltcQucnt!ytOVst laCtOtcs nOutyn_tc_Ons,
andWh!c shcWasOut Olthc OmCc,WOtkQcd uQ.Nhcnshctc-
tutncd hOmc, shc Was Oltcn OVctWhc!mcd. ` had mOtc Q!atcs
sQnnn_than lc!t COudhandc, shc sad. tWastcmQtn_tO
shuthctOmccdOOtandQOWthtOu_hthc aCCumu!atcdWOtk,but
shc KncW tWasmQOttanttOstayaCCcssb!c tO hcttcam. nlaCt,
shccstabshcdanOQcn-dOOtQO!Cy, a!OWn_thcndVdua!sWhO
tcQOttcdtO hct dtcCtytO scchctatany tmc shcWas ntOWn.
ncmOnthsntOthcOb,uCkctsOCtcdlccdbaCkltOmhct
tcammcmbcts abOuthctQctlOtmanCcasamana_ct. bhcWasas-
tOnshcdWhcnthcyCOmQ!ancdthatshcddntsccmtOhaVctmc
tO ta!k u thcm. `bOmc Olthcm Wctc OHcndcd that Whcn thcy
Wa!kcdntO my OmCc, WOu!dOhcn COntnuc tO!OOkatmyCOm-
QutctsCtccnundtyQcWhcthcyWctcta!kn_.hsOlCOutsc_aVc
thcm thcsttOn_s_na! thatWhat Was dOn_Was mOtcmQOttant
tO mc thanthcyWctc,uCkct sad.
! J4 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
Shc kncw thcy wcrc right. lt was a bad habit. And shc aso
kncw that thc ayout ol hcr olhcc was cncouraging thc habit.
Vhcn pcopc camc to scc hcr, thcy sat in chairs across lrom hcr
dcsk. Vhcn shc laccd thcm, shc stil had thc computcr monitor
in hcr hcd ol vicw. So it was casy~too casy~b:r Juckcr to
gancc back and lorth lrom thcir laccs to thc scrccn.
Juckcr simply rcarrangcd hcr omcc. Shc movcd thc dcsk so it
no ongcr scparatcd hcr lrom hcr gucsts, and shc addcd a mcct-
ing arca with two sma couchcs and a tablc. Mow, whcn shc was
lacing thc pcopc who camc to scc hcr, thc computcr was com-
pctcy out ol sight. Mo morc tcmptation.
"|ust by rcarrangng thc mrniturc, l was abc to conncct much
bcttcr with pcopc who camc to scc mc," shc said. Six months
atcr, shc soicitcd morc lccdback and was pcascd that hcr com-
municaton scorcs had soarcd.
ll you'd sccn Juckcr`s initial pcrlormancc apprasas, you
might havc concludcd that, dcspitc hcr statcd opcn-door poicy,
shc was onc ol thosc inscnsitivc managcrs who ncvcr istcn to
thcir subordinatcs. And you woud havc bccn committing thc
Fundamcnta Attribution Error. Simpy by rcarranging thc mr-
niturc in hcr omcc, Juckcr madc hcrscl into a dihc:cnt "knd ol
pcrson. " Jhat`s thc powcr ol shaping thc Iath.
7.
Jhcrc is somcthing satis[ng about outsmarting ourscvcs. ,y
now, you rcalizc what "outsmarting ourscvcs" mcansthat our
Ridcrs arc outsmarting our Elcphants.) Juckcr`s solution was ap-
pcaing in its clcgancca sccmngy mcssy managcmcnt prob-
cm sovcd by an ahcrnoon omcc makcovcr. Juckcr shapcd hcr
cnvironmcnt to disahouhcr own bad bchavior.
Jhis is a topic that hits homc lor thc two ol us your co-
Tw e a k I h e b h V f o a m e a I ! D5
authors) . Vhile we were writing this book, we got annoyed by
our tenden to get distracted by e-mail. Ve were aware oF the
irony oF our giving advice to readers about reining in their Ele-
phants while our own Elephants habitually prompted us to check
utlook. So we decided to take some oF our own medicine.
IF you usc Microson utlook, you know that when you get
new e-mail, an alert sound plays through your computer's speak-
ers. That sound is like digital catnip. How can you not check your
mail when you hear it` Vhat iF a rich igerian politician went
down in a plane crash and you had a limited time to capture part
oF his Fortun::
Chip decided to tweak his environment. He rummaged
through the control panel until he Found the place that allowed
him to deletc the e-mail sound at the system level. Later, he no-
ticed that new e-mail also triggered an aert icon on the taskbar
more irresistible bait For the Elephant. He covered it with a Post-it
note blackened with one oF his daughter's Felt-tip markers. ow
it can't torment him. Ignorance is bliss.
Meanwhile, Dan went nuclear. He bought an old laptop,
deleted all its browsers, and, For good measure, deleted its wire-
less network drivers. ow when he needs to Focus, he takes the
"way-back machine" with him to a coee shop or library. There's
no hope oF getting online. He's been liberated by this restriction.
ur struggles with e-mail are a bit pathetic, but the larger
topic is worth considering. Is it possible to design an environ-
ment in which undesired behaviorswhether yours or your col-
leagues'~are made not only harder but imossi/h?A it turns
out, lots oF people actually make their living contemplating how
to wipe out the wrong kinds oF behaviors.
Consider industrial saFety. Many tactories use dangerous ma-
chines that have a bad habit ot lopping od hngers or hands that
are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Suppose you're a Factory
I Do 5 H A P E J H E P AT H
Foreman and one oF your workers loses an index hnger in an in-
dustrial accident. You want to make sure this never happens
again. How might you accomplish that:
You could give your workers` Riders clear direction by means
oF clear signage~kccr nos LLEx ! inL L!L or otN-
GLx. xtsk Or tN]UxY~accompanied by an illustration identi|-
ing the machine`s trouble spot.
You could appeal ro your workers` Elephants, using Fear. Here
we can take inspiration From driver's-education courses in which
teenagers watch hlms Full oF bloody, gruesome car crashes, so
that when they hnish driver`s ed they will avoid driving like
teenagers. In homage to these hlms, you could call together your
workers and show them a video oF the guy who lost his hnger.
Show them what the gory wound looked like. Have him urge
his colleagues to take saFety seriously. "I wish I`d paid more at-
tention," he`d say.
r you could Focus on the Path, in which case you would dis-
regard hearts and minds entirely. In Fact, suppose you stipulated
outright that your workers are hopeless, that they`re irredeemable
daredevils who are determined to waggle their hngers in the ma-
chine`s danger zone For the sheer sport oF it. Could you still Ieep
them From dismembering themselves:
Absolutely. Many Factories have done exactly that. For in-
stance, one machine is designed so that it can be activated only
iF two buttons are pressed at the same time. The buttons are po-
sitioned so that to press both oF them you must place your arms
high and wide (like the "Y in the "YMCA" dance) . The beauty
oF this arrangement is that, iF your hands are pressing those but-
tons, they are (by design) nowhere near the danger zone. And iF
they`re not pressing the buttons, the machine is o Either way,
your hngers win.
PooF~you have made a dangerous behavior impossible.
Tw e a k I h e b n v f o n m e n I ! J7
8.
Vith that cxampc in mind, think about a thc innovations that
havc madc "bad bchavior" impossibc or ncary impossibc. chid-
prool caps on mcdicinc bottcs, cars that won`t shih out ol park
uncss thc brakc pcdaI is prcsscd, anything that's hrcprool Moticc
that thcsc arc product-dcsign innovations crcatcd to prcvcnt in-
jurics. "In]ury prcvcntion" is, in lact, a thriving bcd. Evcry statc
govcrnmcnt has a lcw pcopc on stahusuay hcinousy undcr-
mndcd~whosc ]ob is to think about how to rcducc injurics or
dcaths causcd by smaI chidrcn laIing into swimming poos, thc
cdcry mIing in thcir homcs, car crashcs, and othcr mislortuncs.
Rarcy can such incidcnts bc madc impossibc, but in]urics rc-
suting lrom thcm can bc rcduccd.
ln trying to minimizc thc risk ol bad outcomcs, in]ury-
prcvcntion cxpcrts ohcn turn to thc Haddon Matrix, a simpc
lramcwork that providcs a way to think systcmaticaIy about ac-
cidcnts by highighting thrcc kcy pcriods ol timc. prc-cvcnt,
cvcnt, and post-cvcnt.
Lct's say our goa is to rcducc scrious in] urics lrom car wrccks.
Pre-e:entintcrvcntions woud incudc anything that woud tcnd
to prcvcnt wrccks lrom happcning. instaing bright ighting on
highways, painting ccar anc markcrs on thc roads, popuarizing
antiock brakcs, aunching advcrtising campaigns against drunk
driving.
Vith e:entintcrvcntions, wc acccpt that crashcs wi happcn
and ask ourscvcs how wc can rcducc thc chanccs ol injury. Scat
bcts and air bags arc cassic cvcnt intcrvcntions, but so think
about brcakaway ight pocs and thosc big orangc barrcs that inc
cxit ramps (which arc intcndcd to sohcn coisions).
Vith ost-e:ent intcrvcntions, wc acknowcdgc both that
crashcs wiII occur and that pcopIc wiII bc injurcd. Jhc goa o
post-cvcnt intcrvcntions is to minimizc thc scvcrity ol thc injurics
I D8 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
and optimizc thc hca|th outcomcs. A spccdy, chcctivc cmcrgcncy
mcdica| tcam wil| bc important.
Jhc Haddon Matrix is also usclul lor thinking about mattcrs
that arcn`t so lilc-and-dcath. Lct's say you arc thc J pcrson in a
smal| busincss and onc oI your many dutics is to prcvcnt thc |oss
ol important data that occurs lrcqucnt|y whcn computcrs crash.
Somc !J support pcoplc in ths situation cmbracc not thc Had-
don Matrix but thc " Hcctoring Manilcsto" and bcratc thcir co|-
|cagucs lor not backing up thcir work (al| thc whilc committng
thc Fundamcnta| Attribution Error. M cohea
p
esarereck/essand
/eoh!) .ut il you think n Haddon Matrx tcrms, you bcgin
to scc a morc ho|istic picturc.
Jhink about prc-cvcnt intcrvcntions. Il computcrs don`t
crash, thcn you can't |osc data. So maybc you schcdu|c monthly
computcr chcck-ups, buy cxtra-paddcd |aptop bags lor cvcryonc,
and budgct Ior comp|ctc rcplaccmcnts cvcry thrcc ycars.
Evcnt intcrvcntions wou|d ca|l lor ways ol prcvcnting a crash
lrom |cading to data loss. For nstancc, somc computcrs havc an
cxtra hard drivc whcrc a|| data arc mirrorcd in rca| timc. A crash
wou|d bc |css |ikc|y to takc out both drivcs.
Iost-cvcnt intcrvcntions wou|d acccpt thc rca|ity ol data |oss
but locus on ways to minimizc thc damagc. Jhc most obvious
stratcgy hcrc wou|d bc to crcatc an automatcd night|y nctwork
backup, so that iI a crash happcns and data arc lost, you can rc-
storc thc prcvious night's data. Anothcr post-cvcnt stratcgy wou|d
bc to hnd ways to prcvcnt mission-critical data lrom cvcr cnding
up on a |aptop. For instancc, you might usc an on|inc app|ication
such as Sa|csForcc.com to host customcr contact inlormation, so
that prccious data wou|d ncvcr dcpcnd on thc hca|th ol a |oca|
hard drivc.
Motc that wc'vc managcd to crcatc a robust p|an against data
loss without worrying about what our cmp|oyccs wcrc thinkng or
Tw e a k I h e b a v t 0 n m e a I ! DD
ccln_.Nc ddntmcntOnthctLlcQhantsOtthctbdcts.Nc sm-
QlytWcakcd thccnVtOnmcnttO makcbadbchaVOtmQOssblc.
V.
n I,sOmc bad bchaVOtWas abtuQtymadc mQOssblc at a
COmQanyCalcdbaCksQaCc.PtOncQattCulatmOmcnt,COmQany
cmQlOyccs stOQQcd dOn_ Onc thn_ and stattn_ dOn_anOthct
thn_,and tnatbchaVIOtshhbcCamc thcmOstImQOttantnhcC-
tOn QOnt n thc COmQanys hstOty. ut bclOtc Wc _ct tO that
mOmcnt, abtOlbaCks tOty Is ncCcssaty.
baCksQaCc s a COmQany that hOsts ntctnct stcs lOt Othct
COmQancs. tQtdcstsclOnCustOmct sctVCc, as su__cstcdbyts
slO_an,`anatcalbuQQOtt. bchtms OCusOnCustOmctsctvICc
has Qad OH. LVct thcycats, baCksQaCc has WOn an atmlOad Ol
ttadcaWatds OttssctvCc,andts `cttOmOtct sCOtc-aCOm-
mOnly uscdbcnChmatk OlCustOmctWOtd-O-mOuth-has COn-
sIstcntlybccnthccnvyOlthc InCustty.
Dut baCksQaCc Wasnt aWays sO CustOmct-tIcndly. n I,
baCksQaCc dIdnt thnkmuChabOutCustOmctsctvCc. LOmQany
Oundct Ltabam NcstOn sad that In thc catlydays, baCKsQaCc
hada`dcna OlsctVCc busncss mOdcl. LustOmct-sctvccntct-
aCtOnsWctcVIcWcd as COsts tO bc mInImIZcd-thc mOtc tOad-
blOCks thatCOuldbcctcCtcdtO kccQ thc QhOnc tOmtn_n_, thc
bcttctthcQtOhtsWOuldbc. (OtCcthcunCOmlOttabccChOcsO
thc laddOn NattX: lyOu VcW CustOmct Calls asbad bchaVIOt
tObcQtcVcntcd,yOuWldO allyOuCan tOdctctthcm.bcCalthat
Ot many ycats, PmaZOn.COms QOCy Was nOt tO Qublsh a
CustOmct-sctvCc QhOnc numbct.)
hcn n thc all O I, baCksQaCc tcCcVcd hc Lall. t
stattcd nOtmally cnOu_h. P CustOmct ttcd tO Call Ot suQQOtt.
lcQtcsscd 5 tO _cthclQ, butnstcadhc_OtVOCcmal,WhChn
2OO b H P F L 1 H L F P T H
edect said, "Feel Free to leave a voice mail here, but w: don't check
it very ohen, so you're better-oB sending us an e-mail. " The cus-
tomer grudgingly sent an e-mail message to the suggested ad-
dress. And the team at Rckspace never answered it.
Aher a Few more oF these irritating cycles, the customer was
mrious, d with a bit oFlegwork he managed to track down Cra-
ham Veston at the omce oF a real estate business he owned. Sur-
prised, Veston asked the customer to Forward the e-mails he'd
sent and promised to look into the matter.
Veston reviewed the long chain oF e-mails, which had be-
come increasingly angry as past inquiries were ignored. "Some-
thing hit me about what the customer was asking For," said
Veston. "It was something that we could do very easily that he
couldn't do. So the question in my mind was, why are we not
serving the customer happily`"
Veston knew that his team couldn't sustain a business based
on dodging its customers. "Ve made a 80-degree turn," he said.
Veston hired David ryce to be the head oF customer sup-
port. At his hrst meeting with the team, ryce announced that
Rackspace was going to transForm itselF From a company that
dreaded customer support to a company that was passionate
about support. He posted an aspirational banner on the wall.
KACK5 IACL Cvs ANAT!CAL SU!!OkT. The phrase stuck imme-
diately.
This was just talk, oF course, but there was action to back it
up. Veston started by overhauling the company's business model.
Providing great servicc would cost more, and iF Rackspace oered
both premium service and cutting-edge technological expertise,
it would be Forced to set its prices so high that no one would buy.
So, remarkably, Veston began pushing For the company to be-
come technologically dull. "Ve don't want to be on the bleeding
Tw e a k I h e L n V f o n m e n I U1
cdgc ol tcchno|ogy. Vc bc|icvc in standardization. Vc want a
narrow locus~thcsc arc thc things wc do, and thcsc arc things wc
don`t do. Il you'rc L*Jradc or Amazon, you shou|d host your own
sitc, wc can't hc|p," hc sad. (Moticc that this is c|car dircction lor
thc Ridcr.)
Icrhaps thc most dramatic changc madc by Vcston and rycc
was a|so thc simp|cst. Rackspacc, likc all hosting companics, had
a ca|l-qucuing systcm. ("Your ca|l is important to us. I|casc prcss
I lor rccordcd tips that don`t addrcss your prob|cm. Ircss 5 to
|cavc us a mcssagc wc won't rcturn. Ircss 8 to rcpcat thcsc op-
tions.") Jhc ca|| qucuc is pcrhaps thc most basic too| ol customcr
support.
Vcston thrcw it out.
"Vhcn H customcr ca||s, that mcans thcy nccd our hc|p, and
wc`vc got to answcr thc tc|cphonc," hc said. Vithout thc qucu-
ing systcm, thcrc was no salcty nct. Jhc phonc wou|d kccp ring-
ing until somcbody pickcd it up. Jo Vcston, this was a critica!
symbo| ol thc scrvicc cthic. "Vhcn a customcr has a prob|cm,
wc shouldn`t dca| with it whcn it`s convcnicnt lor us. Vc shou|d
dcal with it whcn it`s convcnicnt lor thc customcr. " Vhcn Vcston
thrcw out thc qucuing systcm, it bccamc imossi//eto dodgc thc
customcr. y 2OO7, thc company was ta|king to an avcragc cus-
tomcr thrcc timcs pcr wcck.
Subscqucnt|y, thc company |aunchcd thc "Straight]ackct
Awards," inc|uding actua| Rackspacc-brandcd straight]ackcts as
trophics, whch wcrc prcscntcd to cmp|oyccs who`d bccn so la-
natical about scrvicc that thcy`d bccomc downright insanc.
(Jhat's an identity appca lor thc L|cphant. Warezea/oo-that:
ubatmakesussecial) Mot coincidcntal|y, in 2OO8, Rackspacc
was onc ol thc companics in 1artunc`s |ist ol cst I|accs to Vork.
Jhc locus on scrvicc paid oh. In 2OOI , Rackspacc was thc
U b H A P b T H b P A T H
hrst intcrnct hosting hrm to turn a proht, and ovcr thc ncxt six
ycars, it a:eraged58 pcrccnt annua growth. y 2OO8,Rackspacc
had passcd ^&J thc highcst-grossing hrm in thc industry.
I O.
Vhat translormcd thc charactcr ol Rackspacc`s customcr-scrvicc
pcopc: Mothing. Jhcy had thc samc corc charactcr bclorc and
altcr thc changc. Jhcy wcrc ]ust pcopc opcrating in a ncw cnvi-
ronmcnt. Jhc od bchavior (ignoring customcrs) had bccomc
hardcr, and thc ncw bchavior (scrving customcrs) had bccomc
castcr.
In this chaptcr, wc`vc sccn that what ooks ikc a "charactcr
probcm" is ohcn corrcctibc whcn you changc thc cnvironmcnt.
Jhc translormations arc stunning. Jakc a bunch ol customcr-
scrvicc slackcrs and rp out thcir cal-qucuing systcm, and thcy
start hcping customcrs. Jakc a boss whosc cmpoyccs say shc
"won't istcn` and rc]iggcr hcr mrniturc, and suddcny thc cm-
poyccs' lrustrations ladc. Jakc thc biggcst ]crks in thc Stanlord
dorms and gvc thcm a pagc ol instructions, and thcy'l donatc
morc lood to thc nccdy than thc saints.
Simpc twcaks ol thc Iath can cad to dramatic changcs in bc-
havior.
9
buI 0 NbII5
!.
Nkc Romano was born n ! 9;0and rascd nNlwaukcc, thc
youngcst ol|our brothcrs. !s dadwas ahandyman who hxcd
plumbngand hcarng hxturcs. s mom had a commcrcal arr
dcgrcc, shc staycd at homc to rasc rhc boys, takng jobs lrom
rmctotmctopaythc blls.
Romano had atcmpcr. In hgh school,whcnhcwas ! 8, hc
got nro a hght and rhrcw a guy rhrough a wndow. ^lrad ol
wharwouldhappcnncourt,hccnlstcdnthcarmy. !chgurcd
hcwasgongtobcdraltcdanyway.Jhc court lcthmgo.
Romanocvcntuallycndcdupbcngassgncdtothc! /3rd^r-
borncBrgadcnVctnam,ancltcandwcll-rcspcctcduntolpara-
rroopcrs.Jhcsoldcrs olrhc ! 73rd hadan opcnsccrct, howcvcr.
rampanr drug usc. Lthcrs ncknamcd thcm jumpngunkcs.
Comngntothcmltary,Romanohadno rc drugcxpcrcncc.
!c trcdrokccp hs noscclcanwth thcjumpngjunkcs.
2O4 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
A lcw months ahcr hc arrivcd in Victnam, a Claymorc land
minc dctonatcd ncar him, and hc was struck in his right hand,
lorcarm, and loot. Hc was takcn to a hospita| in Cam ron ay lor
rccovcry. Jhat yas whcrc hc brst tricd opium.
Hc quickly bccamc hookcd, likc so many othcrs around him.
Evcn whcn hc translcrrcd to othcr hospitals, his supp|y wasn't in-
tcrruptcd. !c most|y smokcd opium-|accd ]oints, but it was a|so
casy to hnd |iquid opium and cvcn opium chcwing gum (not to
mcntion othcr drugs, such as LSO and mari]uana) . !is addic-
tion continucd to tormcnt him throughout his thirtccn-month
tour ol duty.
Romano`s la|| into drug usc was a typica| story during thc
Victnam Var. Jhc Vhitc Housc was so troublcd by rcports oI
drug usc among so|dicrs that it commissioncd a study to invcsti-
gatc thc scopc oI thc problcm. Jhc rcsults wcrc disturbing. clorc
thc war, thc typical so|dicr had on|y casua| cxpcricncc with hard
drugs, and lcss than I pcrccnt had cvcr bccn add.ctcd to nar-
cotics. ut oncc in Victnam, a|most ha|l ol thc so|dicrs tricd nar-
cotics, and 2O pcrccnt bccamc addictcd. Ocmographics did not
prcdict who wou|d bccomc drug uscrs in Victnamracc and
c|ass wcrc irrclcvant.
Jhc drug usc startcd car|y. wcnty pcrccnt ol al| uscrs startcd
in thcir brst wcck in Victnam, 6O pcrccnt within thc brst thrcc
months. Cdd|y, drug usc did not sccm to bc triggcrcd by trauma.
Jhc rcscarchcrs lound no statistica| rc|ationship bctwccn drug
usc and thc dimcu|ty ol so|dicrs' assignmcnts, or thc dangcr thcy
laccd, or thc dcath oI Iricnds. Lnlikc most so|dicrs, Romano
startcd using opium bccausc hc was in]urcd. For most so|dcrs in
Victnam, drugs wcrc simp|y a lact ol liIc, a part ol thc cu|turc.
Govcrnmcnt omcials wcrc tcrribcd by what wou|d hap-
pcn whcn thousands ol drug addicts bcgan to rcturn to
Amcrica. Mi|itary and civi|ian lcadcrs worricd that thc country's
b 0 0 H 8 I $ U>
drug-trcatmcnt programs woud bc hoodcd, strcrchcd Iar bcyond
capacty. Jhc worrcd that vcts mght not bc abc to hod down
jobs, that thcy mght tum to crmc.
Nkc Komano was onc oI thc pcopc mc omcas wcrc wor-
rcd about. hcn hc hnay boardcd hs hght back to thc Lntcd
Statcs n 6,hcadcd homc to Nwaukcc, hc smuggcd back
wth hm a stash of opium-accd joints.
Jhcn hs Ic bcgan to changc. A wcck or two ahcr hs rcturn
homc, hc was drvng wth frcnds in town whcn hc saw a gir
hcd known n gradc schoo. "Stop thc car! hc sad. Hc chascd hcr
down. Shc was working as a countcrgr at a ncarby drugstorc. "I
thought shc was vcry bcautIu, sad Komano.
Jhc two startcd datng. Shc caught on Iary guckIy that Ko-
mano was an addict, and shc put prcssurc on hm to stop. Hc
trcd to gut a Icw tmcs, but cach tmc hc startcd to Icc sck as
wthdrawa pans kckcd n, and thcn hcd bcgn usng agan.
Ncanwhc, hc startcd work-construction and housc painting
and othcr tcmporary jobs-and hc startcd takng art casscs at
thc Lnvcrsty oI isconsn at Nwaukcc. Hc got a job thcrc dc-
signng promotona postcrs Ior bands who paycd at thc studcnt
umon.
Acr a Icw gut-and-rcapsc cyccs, hc bcgan to wcan himscI
oh opum, and wthn about a month hc was ccan. Hc hasn't
touchcd opum sncc. hat wc scc n Nkc Komanos Ic sccms
kc an amost mpossibc changc story. an opium addct who rc-
covcrcd. Nkc Komano was onc oI thc ucky oncs.
2.
Cr was hc: V'htc Housc rcscarchcrs contnucd to nvcstgatc thc
drug probcm among rcturning sodcrs, and a puzzc startcd to
cmcrgc. oowng up with thc troops who rcturncd homc, thc
zOb 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
investigators called them eight to twelve months aner their re-
tun to ask about their ongoing drug use. During the war, U per-
cent oF soldiers had been casual users, and 20 percent had become
seriously addicted, meaning that they used drugs more than once
a week For an extended period oF time and experienced with-
drawal symptoms (chills, cramps, pain) iF they tried to stop. ut
when the lnvestigators conducted the Follow-up, what they Found
blew their minds. nly percent oF the vets were still addicted
to drugs. That was essentially the same rate as existed beFore the
war. The Feared, drug-Fueled social catastrophe had not occurred.
Vhat had happened:
3.
People are incredibly sensitive to the environment and the
culture-to the norms and expectations oF the communities they
are in. Ve all want to wear the right clothes, to say the right
things, to Frequent the right places. ecause we instinctively try
to ht in with our peer group, behavior is contagious, sometimes
in surprising ways.
Imagine that your job was to design an environment that
would extinguish drug addiction. You could take drug-addicted
\. S. soldiers, drop them into this environment, and Feel conn-
dent that the Forces within it would act powermlly to help them
beat their habits. Think oF this environment as an antidrug theme
park, and assume that you can spend as much as you want to
construct it. Vhat would your theme park look likc:
It might look a whole lot like Romano`s neighborhood in
Milwaukee.
You`d want to surround the Former soldiers with people who
love them and care about themand who treat them as the drug-
Free persons they once were. You`d give them interesting work to
u l d H b I $ 2O7
do-pcrhaps dcsgnng postcrs Ior rock bands-so that thcr
minds woud bc dstractcd Irom thc joys oI opum. Youd crcatc
wc-pubczcd sanctions aganst drug usc. Youd kccp thc drug
cconomy undcrground, makng thc formcr sodicrs sncak around
to obtan and usc drugs. You'd makc surc thcr girIrcnds gavc
thcm a hard tmc about thcr drug usc. Youd sct up soca taboos
so that thc sodicrs woud Icc dcrcct, cvcn pathctc, I thcy
kcpt usng. Youd rcmovc thc contagous drug-usng bchavior
from thc cnvironmcnt~no morc addctcd sodcrs around~and
rcpacc t wth contagous drug-Ircc bchavor. ^nd you woud
provdc rch cnvronmcnta cucs-sghts, songs, Iood, cothcs,
and homcs~~that rcmnd thc Iormcr sodcrs oI thcr prcwar,
drug-Ircc dcnttcs.
Jhc Niwaukcc Jhcmc ark. Jhats cxacty why Nkc
Komano bccamc a /rmeraddct. hcn Komano rcocatcd to
Nwaukcc, his cnvronmcnt changcd, and thc ncw cnvronmcnt
changcd hm.
4.
^s thc Komano story shows, onc oI thc subtc ways n whch our
cnvronmcnt acts on us s by rcntorcng (or dctcrrng) our habits.
hcn wc thnk about habts, most oI thc tmc wc'rc thnkng
about bad oncs. bting our hngcrnas, procrastnatng, catng
swccts whcn wcrc anxous, and so on. But oI coursc wc aso havc
pcnty oI good habts. joggng, prayng, brushng our tccth. hy
arc habts so important: Jhcy arc, in csscncc, bchaviora autop-
ot. Jhcy aow ots oI good bchavors to happcn without thc
Kdcr taking chargc. Kcmcmbcr that thc Kdcrs scI-contro s
cxhaustbc, so t's a hugc pus I somc positvc thngs can happcn
"Ircc on autopot.
Jo changc yourscI or othcr pcopc, you`vc got to changc
8 5 h A F L T h L FAT h
habits, and what wc scc with Komano is that his habits shihcd
whcn his cnvironmcnt shihcd. Jhis makcs scnsCur habits arc
csscntiay stitchcd into our cnvironmcnt. Kcscrch bcars this out.
^ccording to onc study oI pcopc making changcs in thcir Ivcs,
5(pcrccnt oI thc succcssh changcs wcrc associatcd with a movc
to a ncw ocation, and ony Ip pcrccnt oI unsucccssh changcs
invovcd a movc.
Nany smokcrs, Ior cxampc, hnd it casicr to guit whcn thcyrc
on vacation, bccausc at homc, cvcry part oI thcir cnvironmcnt is
oadcd with smoking associations. ts ikc trying to guit smoking
insidc a Lamc advcrtiscmcnt~cvcrywhcrc you ook arc rc-
mindcrs oI thc habit. Jhcrcs that drawcr in thc kitchcn whcrc
thc ightcrs arc stashcd, thc cay pot on thc porch thats bccomc
an archivc oI ashcs, thc cvcr-prcscnt sccnt oI smokc in thc car and
thc cosct. hcn a smokcr gocs on vacation, thc cnvironmcnt rc-
ccdcs toward ncutraity. Jhat docsn'r mcan it's casy to guit, but it's
eaier.
t`s unrcaistic, howcvcr, to think that most oI us can shih our
cnvironmcnt so dramaticay. I yourc trying to changc your
tcams habits at work, thcn ycs, rcocating your omcc woud bc a
big hcp. Lood uck scing that idca. hat arc somt morc prac-
ticaI ways to crcatc a habit:
Jhc hrst thing to rcaizc is that cvcn sma cnvironmcnta
twcaks can makc a dihcrcncc~that`s what wc saw in Lhaptcr 8.
Kcmcmbcr how ^manda Juckcr rcarrangcd hcr omcc to makc it
casicr Ior hcr to istcn to hcr cmpoyccs: Jhat was thc hrst stcp in
cstabishing a ncw habit. (Lnvironmcnta twcaks can cvcn /rce
a habit, as wc saw in thc Kackspacc cxamplc. hcn thc ca-
gucuing systcm was thrown out, thc customcr-scrvicc stahcrs
guicky dcvcopcd thc habit oI answcring thc phonc.)
But Iorming a habit isnt a cnvironmcnta~its aso mcnta.
t woud bc vcry dimcut, Ior instancc, to twcak thc cnvironmcnt
u l d H b I $ UU
in a way that woud come/you to carn how to pIay thc piano.
So how do you ay thc mcnta groundwork Ior a ncw habt:
3.
Say that youvc bccn puttng oh going to thc gym. So you rcsovc
to yourscI. Jomorrow morning, right ahcr drop oh ^nna at
schoo, ` hcad straight to thc gym. Lct`s caI this mcntaI pIan an
"action triggcr. Youvc madc thc dccision to cxccutc a ccrtain ac-
ton (workng out) whcn you cncountcr a ccrtain situationa trg-
gcr (thc schooI circc, tomorrow mornng) .
lctcr Lowtzcr, a psychoIogist at cw York \nvcrsity, is thc
pionccr oI work in this arca. Hc and coIcaguc Vcronika Brand-
stattcr Iound that action triggcrs arc quitc chcctivc in motivating
action. n onc study, thcy trackcd coIcgc studcnts who had thc
option to carn cxtra crcdit in a cass by writng a papcr about how
thcy spcnt Christmas Lvc. But thcrc was a catch. Jo carn thc
crcdit, thcy had to submit thc papcr by Occcmbcr 2G. Nost stu-
dcnts had good intcntons oI writng thc papcr, but ony 55pcr-
ccnt oI thcm got around to writing and submittng it. Lthcr
studcnts n thc study wcrc rcquircd to sct action triggcrs-to
notc, in advancc, cxactIy whcn and whcrc thcy ntcndcd to writc
thc rcport (Ior cxampc, '`' writc ths rcport in my dads omcc
on Lhrstmas morning bcIorc cvcryonc gcts up). ^ whopping
75pcrccnt oI thosc studcnts wrotc thc rcport.
Jhat's a prctty astonishing rcsuIt Ior such a smaI mcnta n-
vcstmcnt.
Oocs this mcan that simpy by imagininga tmc and pacc
whcrc you'I do somcthng, you ncrcasc thc IikcIhood that you'II
actuaIy do it: Ycs and no. ^ction triggcrs wont gct you (or any-
onc csc) to do somcthing you truIy don't want to do. Aaction
trggcr ncvcr woud havc convinccd coIcgc studcnts to participatc
! 0 5 H A P E T H E P AT H
in an online calculus camp on Christmas Day. ut, as the extra-
credit study demonsttates, action triggers can have a prolound
power to motivate people to dothethings theknoutheneed
to d.
Peter Collwitzer argues that the value ol action triggers re-
sides in the lact that we are re/oadinga decision. ropping o
Anna at school triggers the next action, going to the gym. There`s
no cycle ol conscious deliberaton. y preloading the decision,
we consetve the Rider`s sell-control.
The concept ol preloading is easier to see with example.
!magine that you are one ol the college students in Collwitzer's
study. !t`s Christmastime, and you're at home. Your parents are
doting on you, and your siblings are having an intetesting con-
versation. The J is on, the Christmas tree is lit up, and your
elderly Chihuahua Fredo is staring at you adoringly. Let`s not lor-
get the lood~turkey and dressing, pecan pie, chocolate trumes-
and GitarHero, and naps, and the calls you're getting lrom old
high school lriends. Distractions are everywhere. So il you walk
into this buet line ol stimuli and you haven`t preloaded a deci-
sion about your extra-credit report~iF you haven't told yoursel
''I'll do this report in my dad's omce on Christmas morning be-
lore ceryone gets up" you are sunk.
That's why action triggers have unexpected value. Collwitzer
says that when people predecide, they "pass the control ol their
behavior on to the envronment." Collwitzer says that action trig-
gers "protect goals lrom tempting distractions, bad habits, or
competing goals."
There are countless ways to use action triggers at work. !l your
salespeople are more motivated to close new business than to cul-
tivate existing relationships, give them a "collee and call" trigger.
Tell them that whenever they pour their hrst cup ol coHee, they
are to place a check-in call to one ol their most important
u l d H b l I $ 2 J \
customcrs. Cr think about your cmpoyccs who wi bc attcnd-
ing an industry conIcrcncc. by thc timc thcy gct back to thc oI-
hcc, thcir c-mai wi bc so backcd up that thcy wont bc in thc
mood to sharc thcir carnings. So givc thcm an action triggcr-
suggcst that during thc hight homc, whcncvcr thc "LK to usc
ccctronics announccmcnt is madc, thcy typc up somc rchcc-
tions for cvcryonc on thc tcam. ^ction triggcrs simpy havc to bc
spccihc cnough and visibc cnough to intcrrupt pcopcs norma
strcam of consciousncss. ^ triggcr to "praisc your cmpoyccs whcn
thcy do somcthing grcat is too vaguc to bc uscfu.
Lowitzcr has shown that action triggcrs arc most usch in
thc most difhcut situations-thc oncs that arc most draining to
thc Kidcrs scf-contro. Lnc study anayzcd pcopcs succcss in
accompishing "casy` goas or "hard goas. ith casy goas, thc
usc of action triggcrs incrcascd succcss ony sighty, from 78 to
84pcrccnt. But with hard goas, action triggcrs amost nghd thc
chancc of succcss-goa compction skyrockctcd from 22 to
62pcrccnt.
Jo scc how action triggcrs can aid pcopc in diIhcut timcs,
considcr a study of paticnts rccovcring from hip- or kncc-rc-
paccmcnt surgcry. Ln avcragc, thc paticnts wcrc 68ycars od,
and thcy had bccn in pain Ior about a ycar and a haf bcforc thc
surgcry. Jhc surgcrics initiay makc things cvcn worsc, thcy takc
such a to on thc body that thc paticnts rcguirc assistancc with
thc basic tasks oI daiy ifc, such as bathing, gctting into bcd,
and cvcn standing up. Jhc road to rccovcry can bc ong and
painfu.
^ paticnts aspircd to gct back on thcir Icct as soon as possi-
bc, of coursc. but paticnts in onc group wcrc askcd to sct action
triggcrs-for instancc, "II you arc going to go Ior a wak this
wcck, pcasc writc down whcn and whcrc you pan to wak.
Jhc rcsuIts oI thc study wcrc dramatic. Ln avcragc, action-
I 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
triggcr paticnts wcrc bathng thcmscvcs wthout asststancc in 5
wccks. Lthcr paticnts took 7wccks. ^ction-triggcr paticnts wcrc
standing up in 5. 5wccks. Jhc othcrs took 7.7 wccks. n just ovcr
I month, thc action-trggcr paticnts wcrc gctting n and out oI a
car on thcir own. Jhc othcrs took 2. ;months.
|owitzcr says that, in csscncc, what action triggcrs do is crc-
atc an "instant habit. abits arc bchaviora autopiot, and thats
cxacty what acton triggcrs arc sctting up. Hcrc`s thc prooI oI thc
nstant habit conccpt. Lnc study showcd that thc singc biggcst
prcdictor oI whcthcr womcn gavc thcmscvcs a monthy brcast
cxamination was iI thcy had a habit oI doing so. hcn anothcr
group oI womcn who ddnt havc such a habit wcrc .ukcd to sct
acton triggcrs, thcy cndcd up doing just as wc as thc womcn
with ongtmc habits. By prcoading a dccision, thcy crcatcd an
nstant habit.
^ction trggcrs arc not IooprooI, oI coursc. Jccns with a sc-
rous smoking habit, Ior cxampc, did not rcap any bcncht Irom
sctting action triggcrs to gut smoking. Jhcir nicotinc-cnhanccd
habt was simpy too strong.
But cvcn though action triggcrs arcn`t pcrIcct, it's hard to
maginc an casicr way to makc an immcdatc changc morc ikcy.
^ rcccnt mcta-study that anayzcd 8, I 55 participants across 85
studics Iound that thc typica pcrson who sct an acton triggcr
did bcttcr than 74pcrccnt oI pcopc on thc samc task who didn't
sct onc.
nstant habits. Jhis is a rarc point oI ntcrscction bctwccn thc
aspiratons oI scI-hcp and thc rcaity oI scicncc. ^nd you can`t
gct much morc practica. Jhc ncxt timc your tcam rcsovcs to act
in a ncw way, chacngc tcam mcmbcrs to takc it Iurthcr. Havc
thcm spcci| whcn and whcrc thcyrc going to put thc pan in
motion. |ct thcm to sct an action trggcr. (Jhcn sct anothcr onc
Ior yoursct)
b u d H 8 0 I S Z J
L L M L
H0W LB0 0d 0I W0fK0f5
I0 05g0CI B N0W B0I F0lC1
blTUTlM Patti Pcppe |s a department manage| i n the 6ene|a| Mctcrs au
tcmct|ve p|ant |n Lc|dstcwn, 0h|c, and she |s st|ugg|ing w|th hcw tc rc|| cut a
new sa!ety pc||cy. her depa|tment, ccmpcsed c! 95O pecp|e, |s |espcnsib|e !cr
we|ding b|g p|eces c! meta| cntc the ske|eta| ca| !rames. The wcrk can be dan
ge|cus. The edges c! the meta| are sha|p when they ccme c!! the presses. |! a
wcrke| puts h|s hand cn an edge and |eans against it, the meta| wi|| s|ice h|s
hand. |c| that |eascn, g|cves and prctect|ve c|cth|ng are essent|a|. A|sc, we|ders
wea| gcgg|es, but they are scmet|mes hu|t when spa|ks !|y intc the|| eyes !|cm
the s|de. Sc the new pc||cy p|escribes gcgg|es w|th prctective s|de sh|e|ds. The c|d
sa!ety pc||cy was ccmp|ex and !|||ed with except|cns!c| |nstance, a wc|ker
d||ving a !crk||!t d|dn't have tc wea| sa!ety equ|pment. Pcppe says, Eveqcne
th|nks they !a|| under the 'th|s dcesn`t app|y tc me' c|ause. She |s dete|mined tc
get eve|ycne tc take the new pc||cy ser|cus|y. (Th|s was a rea| situat|cn.)
WHT'b THt bWlTCH M WHT'b HLl M lT BCBT Pcppe
wants the wc|ke|s tc prctect themse|ves !rcm |ace|at|cns and spa|ks. The|e a|e
th|ee pctent|a| ba||ie|s. |||st, the ccmp| ex|ty c! the c|d pc|icy may have deterred
scme wc|ke|s !|cm embrac|ng it. Remembe| that what |ccks ||ke |es|stance |s
c!ten a |ack c! c|ar|ty. Pcppe needs tc scr|pt the cr|t|ca| mcves. Seccnd, |n any
sa!ety s|tuaticn, a machc v| be c!ten ccmes |ntc p|ay. That's an identity prcb
|em. l! |t seems man||e| tc d|tch the gcgg|es than tc wear them, then the E|ephant
wi|| |es|st. Tird, sccia| p|essu|e |s wc|king dgd0Sl sa!ety, because c! the th|s
dcesn't app|y tc me sent|ment. Pcppe needs tc !||p that sccia| nc|m. A|sc, m|ght
there be ways tc use the env|rcnment tc cue the |ight behav|c|s!
HW Wb NBb THb bWlTCHT
llCCl lOC hl0Cl. 1. bfpI I6 f\8 m0V6S. Pcppe threw cut the c|d
ccmp| |cated pc|icy and bc||ed dcwn the new sa!ety pc||cy tc twc speci!ic be
I 4 5 H F L T H L F T H
hav|crs. (! ) Everycne is requ|red tc wear hard side shie|ds and sa!ety g|asses.
(2) Wc cne can expcse any bare sk|n (nc shcrts cr shc|ts|eeve sh||ts). That`s it.
Then Pcppe !cund a way tc make these tu|es very ccncrete. At an a||hands meet
|ng, she hcsted a sa!ety game shcw. A wcrker was ca||ed cnstage tc be the
ccntestant, he was asked tc assess whether a series c! mcde|s was in ccmp|iance
with the new sa!ety ru|es. Scme c! the mcde|s vic|ated the ccde |n subt|e ways,
such as wearing sa!ety g|asses w|th cne eyepiece m|ss|ng. She |nv|ted aud|ence
members tc he| p the ccntestant, and they shcuted cut answers, thereby re
hearsing and abscrbing the new behav|crs expected c! them. . 0I I0 I6
06SI8I0. Pcppe wcrr|ed abcut rat|cna||zaticn, the excuse that this dcesn't
app|y tc me. Sc she created a B&W gca| tc e|imi nate the wigg|e rccm. l! ycu
were in the p|ant, ycu were requ|red tc !c|lcw the twc ru|es, regard|ess c! what
ycu were dcing. The ru|es app|ied tc eve|ycne at a|| t|mes.
NC/lvd/C /OC LlCOdD/. 1 . f0w 0ul p60p6. Machc men dcn't |ike tc
wear dcrky sa!ety g| asses. Maybe Pcppe ccu|d !|nd g|asses that |cck mcre |ike
Bcnc's and |ess li ke a un|crhighschcc| shcp teacher's. That m|ght make the
change |ess c! an identity threat.
OdC lOC /dlO. 1 . K8 I6 6f0. By requ|r|ng eve|ycne in the p|ant tc
wear the sa!ety gear at a|| times, Pcppe |s !|ipp|ng the sccia| ncrm in !avcr c!
ccmp|iance. When ycu |cck arcund and everycne is wear|ng sa!ety g|asses, ycu
are mcre li ke|y tc wear them ycurse|!. . bU0 80IS. Pcppe added cne !ina|,
inspired tcuch. She pa|nted a |arge b|ue |ine arcund the p|ant and made the new
sa!ety pc|icy e!!ective anywhere ins|de the ||ne. A|sc, at the entry pc|nts, she
pcsted b|ue wccden men whc are wearing the apprcpriate gear. By |nsta|l|ng
the b|ue |ine and the b|ue men, Pcppe was bas|ca||y intrcduc|ng an acticn trig
ger. She was tra|ning the wcrkers tc th|nk, W000 fl055 I0l5 l00, I08I5 0y fU0
I0 UI 00 0y g08I. The acticn trigger he|ped make the behav|cr hab|tua|.
[What happened. As a resu|t c! Pcppe's inncvat|cns, |nuries at the p|ant
drcpped 2! percent !rcm previcus |eve|s (which were a| ready amcng the best c!
manu!acturers dcing s|mi|ar wcrk).|
u l l d H 0 I 5 l >
6.
tabts atc bchaVOta!autOQ!Ot,andthatsWhythcytcsuChaCtIt-
Ca! tOO!lOt !cadcts. Lcadcts WhO Can nst!! habts that tcInlOtCc
thcttcams_Oa!satccsscnta!ymaKn_QtO_tcsslOtltcc.hcyVc
Chan_cdbch8VOtn aWay that dOcsntdtaWdOWn thcbdctstc-
sctVcs Olscl-COnttO.
tabtsWl! lOtm ncVItab!y, Whcthct thcytclOtmcdIntcntIOn-
a!!yOtnOt.AOuVc QtObabyCtcatcdOtsOltcamhabtsunWttn_y.
lyOutstm mcctn_s a!Ways statt OutWth _cna! sma!! ta!k, thcn
yOuVc Ctcatcd ahabIt. AOuVc dcs_ncdyOutmcctn_autOQ!Ot tO
yIc!d alcWmtnutcs OlWatm-uQ sma!! ta!k.hchatd QucstOn lOt
a!cadctIs nOthOWtO lOtmhabtsbutWhChhabtstO cnCOuta_c.
Lcncta!N!am `Lus a_Ons!cdthcO_stCsOQctatOnlOt
thc LulNat undct tcsdcnt LcOt_c t. Dush. a_OnsWas
tcsQOnsb!c !Ot mOVn_ 5 50,000 ttOOQs ha!ay atOund thc
WOt!d, a!On_ WIth a! Ol thct cQuQmcnt. ts tcam madc thc
attan_cmcnts tO sctVc I 22 mI!lIOn mca!s, QumQ I .3 b!!On _a!-
lOnsOlmc!,aDddc!Vct52,000tOnsOlma!. LVcnaNa!-NattcX-
cCutVcWOu!d _ctsQOOkcd thInKtn_ abOut ths.
ccd!css u say, CcatandcmCIcntCOmmunCatOnWa csscn-
ta!. LVcty mOtnn_, Lcncta! a_Onshcd amcctn_thatstattcd
at 8 a.m. and cndcd at 8.50.O _tcat nnOVatIOn thctc, but a-
_OnsmadctwO Can_cstOthctOutInc.tst,hca!OWcdanyOnctO
attcnd |and hc tcQutcdthatat !cast Onc tcQtcscntatVc ltOmcaCh
mnCtIOna!_niuQ bcQtcscnt).hatWay, hc COu!dcnsutcaltccand
OQcncXChan_cOlnlOtmatOnaCtOssthcOt_anZatOn. bcCOnd,hc
tcQutcdcVctyOnctO standudutn_thc WhO!c mcctIn_.
tctcs a_Ons On thc bcnchts Olthcstand-uQ mcctIn_:
aty On, dsCOVctcd that maktn_ QcOQ!c stand uQ
kccQs tbc ba mOVn_ at a Quckct QaCc. cOQc sQcak
thct QcCc and thcn QuICkyyc!d thc bOOt tO thc ncXt
T b 5 H A F E T H E F A T H
pcrson. Cn thc rarc occasion that somconc starts to gct
ong-windcd or wax phosophic, an unmistakab|c kind
of body anguagc bcgins to swccp through thc crowd.
copc shih from foot to foot, hdgct, ook at thcir
watchcs-and prctty guicky, thc convcrsation comcs
back into focus . . . . ! cant rcca thc ast timc had to
crack thc whip. Jhc pccr group has grcat powcr.
agonis was consciousy crcating a habit. nmccting format
hc chosc woud havc guicky bccomc habitua. !t woud havc bccn
ust as casy for him to cnshrinc a two-hour, scatcd babfcst.
hats cxciting hcrc is not thc cxistcncc of thc habit, but rathcr
thc insight that theha/itshouHser:ethemission. Vhcn youvc
got 550,000troops to rcocatc, you nccd focus and clarity and cf-
hcicncy. ^ stand-up mccting won't guarantcc any of that, but it
wi hcp, and it`s frcc -its not any hardcr to crcatc than thc
babfcst woud havc bccn. (Simar stand-up mcctings arc uscd in
^gic programming projccts in Siicon Vacy, which pacc a prc-
mium on guick coaboration.)
How can you crcatc a habit that supports thc changc yourc
trying to makc: Jhcrc arc ony two things to think about. ( I) Jhc
habit nccds to advancc thc mssion, as did agonis's stand-up
mcctings. (2)Jhc habit nccds to bc rcativcy casy to cmbracc. f
its too hard, thcn it crcatcs its own indcpcndcnt changc prob-
cm. or instancc, if yourc trying to cxcrcisc morc and you dccidc
to "crcatc a habit of going to thc gym, yourc rcay ony rcnam-
ing thc corc probcm. t might bc morc productivc to try to start
by buiding an casicr habit, ikc aying out your gym cothcs bc-
forc you go to bcd or asking a fricnd who arcady works out to
pick you up on his way to thc gym.
Lonsidcr a onc-ycar study of dictcrs conductcd at cnn Statc
\nivcrsity. ^ bascinc dict condition cd to wcight oss of
u l l d H b I $ Z /
I7. 8pound: ovcr thc coursc oI thc ycar. Jhats an mprcssvc rc-
sut, but thc drawback oI many dict programs s that oncc thc
program cnds, thc dctcrs od habits start to rccmcrgc and thcr
wcght bcgns to crccp up agan. n ths study, onc warnng
hag was that ony 56 pcrccnt oI thc pcopc n thc bascnc
condtion ratcd thcmscvcs as "vcry Iu or "cxtrcmcy Iul on
thc dct. How sustanabc s a dct that docsnt makc you rcay
Iu:
Lthcr dctcrs n thc samc study wcrc askcd to cat two cups oI
soup cach day, n additon to thcr rcguary schcducd mcas. Jhc
two cups oI soup wcrc bonus Iood. Jhcsc dictcrs ost I 5.4pounds
ovcr thc ycar, and 55 pcrccnt oI thcm ratcd thcmscvcs as "vcry
h or "cxtrcmcy hl. Jhcy ddnt osc gutc as much wcght,
but thcir odds oI Iccng h wcnt up substantay. Lating two
cups oI soup is a cassc supportng habt. t was an casy habt to
mpcmcnt-thc rcscarchcrs wcrc smpy askng thc dctcrs to eat
more. ^nd it hcpcd thc broadcr msson-t hcpcd thc dctcrs
Icc h, whch madc it cascr Ior thcm to contro thcir portons
at mcatmc.
7.
Jhs Iocus on crcating habits was uscd mastcrIuy, n a totay
dhcrcnt contcxt, by ataic Lldcr, an ccmcntary schoo prnc-
pa n Lhattanooga, Jcnncsscc. hcn Ldcr was hrst consdcr-
ng thc job prncpa oI Hardy Lcmcntary Schoo, shc askcd
to scc a copy oI thc schoos rcsuts on statcwdc tcsts. Ait tumcd
out, shc ddn`t gct to scc thc data unt ahcr shcd arcady acccptcd
thc job. Lookng back, shc jokcd that thc schoo board trckcd
hcr nto takng thc job hrst.
hcn Ldcr hnay saw thc scorcs, shc coud not bccvc what
shc was rcadng. Hardy Lcmcntary ddn't just havc ow tcst
2J B b H A P E T H E P A T H
scorcs, t had theluestscorcs n thc statc of Jcnncsscc. Shc won-
dcrcd, "hat havc gottcn myscf nto:
t was a bruta bcgnnng, but thngs got cvcn worsc. Ln thc
hrst day of schoo, shc had to cxpc a studcnt. Lvcry wcck, t
sccmcd, Ldcr cncountcrcd a ncw form of bad bchavor. n thc
cassrooms, studcnts wcrc cussng at thcr tcachcrs. ,Kcmcmbcr,
wcrc takng about 6-to-8-ycar-od kds.) larcnts somctmcs
bargcd nto cassrooms n thc mddc of a csson to tak to thcr
kds. Lnc parcnt was cscortcd out of thc budng n handcuhs
aftcr hc vcrbay abuscd thc cafctcra managcr.
Ldcr's attcmpts to rcstorc dscpnc n thc schoo wcrc mct
wth rcsstancc. "arcnts wcrc comng n and cussng at mc, ho-
crng at mc. Lnc parcnt trcd to run mc ovcr wth a car, shc
sad. Ldcr wasnt facng a tcachng probcm or a carnng prob-
cm. Shc was facng somcthng much morc fundamcnta. Shc
sad, " kncw had to gct contro of thc budng bcforc coud
tcach.
Shc forbadc parcnts from cntcrng thc budng durng schoo
hours wthout pcrmsson from hcr ofh cc. Shc suspcndcd thc
chronc msbchavcrs n thc cassroom. Shc got tc pocc n-
vovcd, whcn ncccssary, to cnforcc thc ncw rucs.
But thosc actons wcrc just a way of cmnatng thc rcay
cgrcgous bchavor. Hcr rca goa was to transform chaos nto
cam. n hcr judgmcnt, thc troubc bcgan thc momcnt studcnts
arrvcd at schoo. f studcnts wcrc rowdy by 8.30 a.m., Ldcr rca-
soncd, thcrc wasnt much hopc for thc rcst of thc day. Shc rc-
sovcd to congucr thc mornng by crcatng a scrcs of consstcnt
routncs that woud scttc thc studcnts and prcparc thcm to Icarn.
Jhc probcms bcgan n thc drvcway whcrc parcnts droppcd
oh thcr kds cach day. Ldcr sad that ohcn "thc mom woud a-
rcady bc ycng at thc chd, and somctmcs thc musc was gong
BLCN-ta-ta-BLLN, and by thc tmc thc kd comcs nto thc
u l d h b I $ 2 I 9
bu

ng, thcyrc arcady upsct or angry. So Ldcr and hcr stah

dd somcthng amazing. Jhcy turncd thcmscvcs nto vacts.
Jhcy rcsovcd to grcct cvcry studcnt bcIorc hc or shc cntcrcd
thc schoo budng. Jhcy waitcd at thc curb outsdc, opcncd car
doors Ior thc kds, smcd and sad good mornng to thc parcnts,
and thcn wakcd cach chd nsdc to thc caIctcra. Jhcr vact scr-
vcc hcpcd smooth thc transton to thc schoo day Irom what Ior
many kds was a raucous homc cnvronmcnt.
Lncc thc kids wcrc gathcrcd nsdc thc caIctcra, Ldcr startcd
cvcry day with a dscpncd group asscmby. "Lontnuty s good
Ior any chd, shc sad. "hat thcsc kds dont gct in thcr vcs
is stabty. Jhcy havc to know that hcrc thcy gct structurc and
ordcr.
^t thc asscmby, Ldcr bcgan wth announccmcnts and a brcI
ca-and-rcsponsc wth thc kds. "crc a schoo oI what: a
tcachcr wouId ca out. Jhc kds woud rcspond by shoutng, "Lx-
cccncc' ^t : ;0, Ldcr taught H bricIcsson n charactcr cduca-
tion, typcay Iocusng on a sngc word, such as erse:erance.
Shcd havc vountccrs spc thc word and dchnc it. ^t 7. ;;, cvcry-
onc stood and sad thc cdgc oI ^cgancc, thcn sang a patrotc
song (Ior nstancc, thc hitncy Houston vcrsion oI "^mcrca` ) .
Somctmcs kids rcad aoud, or Ldcr gavc thcm a guck spcng
or math guz. (Lhcn thc przc was a covctcd "out oI unIorm
pass Ior riday, aIowing thcm to wcar what thcy wantcd.)
^t 8. 00, thc kids stood and siIcnty wakcd to cass wth "trav-
cing arms, mcanng that thc kds' arms wcrc Iodcd bchnd
thcm, rcducng thc ncary rrcsstbc urgc to mcss with thcr
Ircnds. By thc tmc thc kds sat down at thcr dcsks, thcy wcrc
rcady to carn.
Ldcr shows us how ncw habts can ccar thc ath. Shc nhcr-
itcd chaos at Hardy Lcmcntary Schoo, and shc askcd hcrsct
"hch parts oI ths chaos can tamc: hat knd oI mornng
ZZO 5 H A P L T H L P A T H
routinc can I sct up that wi improvc thc chanccs that thc kids
arc rcady to carn:"
Shc had to hght thc Iorccs that stirrcd up kids bcIorc thcy`d
cvcn sct Ioot in thc cassroom. thc tcnsc drop-ohs, thc caIctcria
pandcmonium, thc crratic transition to thc cassroom. y bring-
ing ordcr and continuity to thc cnvironmcnt, shc was abc to crc-
atc Iorward movcmcnt Ior a group oI chidrcn who`d grown uscd
to a dcstructivc cyclc ol bchavior.
Moticc, too, that bccausc oI thc cam cnvironmcnt that Edcr
managcd to crcatc, "bad" kids startcd acting ikc good kids. A
good changc cadcr ncvcr thinks, "Vhy arc thcsc pcopc acting so
bady! Jhcy must bc bad pcopc." A changc lcadcr thinks, "How
can I sct up a situation that brings out thc good in thcsc pcopc:"
8.
So Iar, as wc'vc discusscd how to shapc thc Path, wc`vc cncoun-
tcrcd two stratcgics. ( I ) twcaking thc cnvironmcnt and (2) buid-
ing habits. Jhcrc`s a too that pcrIccty combines thcsc two
stratcgics. It`s somcthing that can bc addcd to thc cnvironmcnt in
ordcr to makc bchavior morc consistcnt and habitua.
Jhat too is thc humblc chcckist. Vc discuss it with somc
trcpidation, bccausc wc know thc associations buzzing in most
rcadcrs` hcads. mundanc, routinc, burcaucratic. "\sc a chcckist,"
wc admit, sounds likc advicc a dad woud givc a cocgc studcnt,
along with somc tips on tirc-prcssurc gaugcs and not charging
bccr to his Exon card.
ut bcar with us, bccausc your pcrccptions arc about to
changc. Vhat iI wc asscrtcd that chcckists can bc gamc-
changing, that chcckists can savc livcs:
Jhc Hoy Grail oI chcckists may bc onc rcportcd by Atu
Gawandc in !beNeu Krker. Iaticnts in intcnsivc carc units
u d H a b l I $ 22!
(LLs) ohcn havc intravcnous incs put in to dcivcr mcdication.
I thosc incs bccomc infcctcd, nasty hcath compications L rc-
sut. rustratcd by thcsc "nc nIcctions, whch arc prcvcntabc,
Or. ctcr ronovost oI|ohns Hopkns compicd a hvc-part chcck-
st.
Jhc chcckist contancd straghttorward advcc. Ooctors
shoud wash thcir hands bcIorc nscrtng a inc, a paticnts skn
shoud bc ccancd with antscptic at thc pont oI nscrton, and so
on. Jhcrc was no ncw scicncc in thc chcckist, nothing contro-
vcrsia. Lny thc rcsuts wcrc surprising. hcn thc chcckst was
put into practicc by Nchgan LLs ovcr a pcrod oI cightccn
months, t ncary ciminatcd inc infcctons, saving thc hosptas
an cstimatcd $I 75 miion bccausc thcy no ongcr had to trcat
thc associatcd compicatons. t aso savcd about hhccn hundrcd
vcs.
How can somcthing so simpc bc so powcrh: Lhccksts cd-
ucatc pcopc about whats bcst, showing thcm thc ironcad rght
way to do somcthing. (Jhat mcans that chccksts arc chcctvc at
drccting thc Kdcr.) A Or. ronovost said, hs hvc stcps wcrc
back and whitc, backcd by sod mcdica rcscarch. You coud ig-
norc thc chcckist, but you coudnt disputc t.
Lvcn whcn thcrc s no roncad right way to do thngs, chcck-
ists can hcp pcopc avod bnd spots n a compcx cnvironmcnt.
Has your busincss cvcr madc a big mistakc bccausc it Iaicd to
considcr a thc right nIormaton: ^ chcckist mght havc hcpcd.
Lisco Systcms, onc ot thc argcst intcrnct hardwarc companics,
uscs a chcckist to anayc potcntia acqusitions. i thc com-
panys kcy cnginccrs bc wiing to rcocatc: wc bc abc to sc
additona scrviccs to its customcr basc: hats thc pan Ior con-
tinuing to support thc companys cxisting customcrs: Aa smart
busincss dcvcopmcnt pcrson, youd probaby rcmcmbcr to in-
vcstgatc 80 pcrccnt oI thcsc critica ssucs bcIorc any dca s
222 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
struck. But t woud bc inadvisabc to rcca thc othcr 20 pcrccnt
aItcr thc cosc oI a $ I 00 mion acgustion. ( wboos!!bosebot-
sbotengineersrseto /ea:etbesnouinBouHec)LhcckIsts pro-
vdc insurancc aganst ovcrconhdcncc.
^nd ovcrconhdcncc s worth nsurng aganst bccausc wc aI
havc a knack Ior t. n onc cassc study, pcopc wcrc askcd to
comc up wth soutons Ior thcir unvcrsty's chronc parkng
probcm. dcas rangcd Irom raisng parking Iccs to crcating morc
"Lompact Lny parkng spaccs. ^hcr thc dcas wcrc cocctcd,
a panc oI cxpcrts asscsscd thcm-cminatng wacky or imprac-
tca optons-and dcntihcd a sct oI bcst soutons.
Jhc avcragc indivduaI brainstormcr camc up wth 30 pcr-
ccnt oI thc bcst soutions, which is prctty good Ior a soo chort.
Hcrcs what's not so good. Jhc branstormcrs conhdcntIy prc-
dctcd that thcyd dcntihcd 7; pcrccnt oI thc bcst dcas. (c a
know pcopc who bcicvc that thc words accumuatcd wisdom
ony adds an incrcmcntaI 2; pcrccnt to thcr own contrbuton.
You may havc marricd onc oI thcm.)
^ chcckist coud havc hcpcd thcsc pcopc. magnc iI you`d
provdcd thcm wth a st oI "soution catcgorcs to guidc thcr
thnking, rcminding thcm to think about "soutons that rasc
thc cost oI parking and "soutons that hcp morc cars park n thc
samc amount oI spacc and so on. Jhat ist woud havc scrvcd thc
samc roc as Lscos acguistion catcgorcs, t woud havc sparkcd
thcr thnking and kcpt thcm Irom Iorgcttng kcy arcas oI con-
sdcraton.
copc Icar chcckIsts bccausc thcy scc thcm as dchumanizng
maybc bccausc th associatc thcm wth thc cxhaustvc chcckists
that aow ncxpcrcnccd tccnagcrs to opcratc Iast-Iood chans suc-
ccsshy. Jhcy thnk iI somcthng s smpc cnough to bc put n a
chcckist, a monkcy can do it. c, I thats truc, grab a piots
chcckist and try your uck wth a 747.
u l l d H a b t $ J
Chcckists simpy makc big scrcwups css ikcy. ^s
Or. ronovost said, "c wantcd pcopc to standardizc on thc
mssion-crtca ccmcnts-thc arcas whcrc wc havc thc strongcst
cvdcncc. ^nd thcsc things that arc mssion-crtica, wcvc got to
do thcm cvcry timc.
hat docs your organzation nccd to do in cvcry product
cycc: hat do you nccd to chcck Ior in cvcry contract or ncgo-
tation: hat docs your Iamiy nccd to do to prcparc Ior cach
ncw schoo ycar: ut thcsc things in a chcckist. You may not savc
a iIc, but you surc avoid a panIu bnd spot.
You' aso avod making thc !undamcnta ^ttrbution Lrror.
Or. ronovost`s rcscarch showcd that inc inIcctions-Ic-
thrcatcnng probcms that arc prcvcntabc-wcrc rampant. Yct
hc didn't concudc, "c'vc got a hcath carc systcm h oI soppy,
ncgigcnt doctors. nstcad, hc askcd hmscI, "How can changc
thcsc doctors` stuations so that thcyrc morc ikcy to avoid nc
nIcctions: (So bcIorc you concudc that your husband is hopc-
cssy abscntmndcd, aways Iorgctting to pck up thc dry ccan-
ing and thc mik, maybc you shoud try shaping his ath. How
about taping a chcckist to his stccring whcc:)
^you try to makc a switch, thc hardcst struggc wi bc to
mantan your motvaton, to kccp your Lcphant on thc road.
Jhis puts a hugc burdcn on your Kidcr, who has to rcin in thc
Lcphant whcn it strays. n this chaptcr, and thc ast onc, wcvc
bccn scarchng Ior ways to usc thc cnvronmcnt to rcicvc
thc Kdcr`s burdcn. c startcd with thc story oI Nkc Komano,
thc sodicr who cac back Irom Victnam with an addiction to
opum. I Komanos Iatc had hngcd socy on thc onc-on-onc
battc bctwccn his Kdcr and hs Lcphant, hc coudnt havc
kickcd hs addcton. t was thc cnvironmcnt that tppcd
thc Iorccs in hs Iavor. hcn Komano camc back to his homc-
town oI Nwaukcc, hc Iound t a ot casicr to changc.
4 b H A P E T H E P A T H
ow can you crcatc an cnvronmcnt that woud makc it cas-
cr Ior you, or your tcam, to changc: cvc sccn that supportvc
habts-kc hoIdng stand-up mcctngs or catng DO daiy bows
oI soup-can hcp, and so can acton trggcrs that .uow you to
prcoad dimcut dccsons. Evcn a smpc chcckist can makc a
dhcrcncc. n thc ncxt chaptcr, wc' gct thc hnaI pccc oI thc puz-
zc: thc nducncc oI othcr pcopc. ts cascr to pcrscvcrc on a ong
journcy whcn you'rc travcng wth a hcrd.
1 0
h IhE HEI0
!.
Jhnkolthclast tmcyouwcrcnastuatonwhcrcyouwcrcnt
totallysurchowtobchavc. Naybc twasyourhrsttmc nancw
church, oryourhrsttmcnanothcr country, ormaybctwas a
dnncr partywhcrc you ddn't know many olthc gucsts. hat
ddyou dototrytohtn:
Youwatchcdothcrpcoplc, olcoursc.
!nambguousstuatons,wcalllooktoothcrslorcucsabout
howtobchavc.Naybcyouvchadthccxpcrcnccolscannngthc
tablclrantcallyatalancydnncr,tryngtohgurcoutwhchlork
s lor dcsscri. (!lyou havcnt had thatcxpcrcncc, wc hopcyou
knowyour |orks, bccausc thc rcst olus copcd you.) hcn thc
cnvronmcntsunlamlar,wcsproutsocal antcnnacthatarccx-
qustclyscnstvc.
!n thc lancy dnncr stuaton, our antcnnac work grcat, bc-
causcJNtNtatthctablcknowswhattodo,andwcL j ustcopy
22b 5 H A F L T H L F A T H
that pcrson. But somctimcs n tmcs oI changc, n/odknows
how to bchavc, and that can cad to probcms. or nstancc, I
you cvcr hnd yourscI n an cmcrgcncy situaton, wc pray that
thcrcs ony onc pcrson n thc vcnty who can hcp you, rathcr
than a crowd. Jo scc why, considcr somc rcscarch conductcd by
Bbb Latanc and |ohn N. Oarcy.
Loumba Lnvcrsty studcnts, having vountccrcd Ior a rc-
scarch study, wcrc askcd to st n a room and h out a survcy.
Somc wcrc ch aonc, othcrs wcrc put n rooms wth two othcr
studcnts. ^s thcy hIcd out thcr survcys, a crsis cmcrgcd.
Smokc bcgan to pour nto thc room through a wa vcnt. Jhc
smokc contnucd to how, n rrcguar puIIs, unt cvcntuay thc
room was hcd with hazc. LI thc studcnts sittng IU a room by
thcmscvcs, 7; pcrccnt got up and Iound somconc to acrt about
thc smokc. But whcn thrcc studcnts wcrc paccd in thc room
at thc samc tmc, ony 38 pcrccnt oI thc groups oI thrcc cvcr rc-
portcd thc smokc. Jhcy just sat thcrc, inhang thc smokc, cach
ndvduas nacton sgnang to thc othcr two pcopc n thc
room that thissmokecludisntsucba/igdea/
n a smar study, ndviduas or pars who wcr: compcting
a survcy hcard what soundcd kc a woman Iaing down oudy
on thc othcr sidc oI a room dvdcr. LI thc onc bystandcrs, 70
pcrccnt wcnt to hcp hcr, but ony 40 pcrccnt oI thc pars hcpcd.
Evcn whcn thc pars hcpcd, thcy actcd morc sowy than thc n-
dvduas.
y do groups Iai to rcspond as wc ndvduas:
n ambguous stuatons-smokc pourng nto a room, thc
apparcnt sound oI a Ia-pcopc ook to othcrs Ior cucs about
how to ntcrprct thc cvcnt. I you scc a man suddcny coapsc at
thc maI , your brain raccs through possbc ntcrprctations: ts a
hcart attackl Lr, wat, maybc hc trppcd and Ic down. Lr what
I hcs payng a gag on somconc: You`rc rcuctant to rush ovcr
K a g I h e H e r d 22
mmcdatcIy, bccausc I hc smpIy trppcd, your aIarm-bcII bc-
havor wI cavc you both cmbarrasscd.
I yourc thc onIy pcrson around to rcact, you`II probabIy makc
your bcst gucss-heartutturk-and rush ovcr. But I thcrcs a
crowd, you`vc got two stmuI to proccss. thc coIIapsc tscII and
thc crowds rcacton to thc coIIapsc. You mght pausc brchy to
study thc crowd. reothereo/eacting/ikeheshadaheartat-
tackYou stand thcrc, dIng, rcady to sprng nto acton at thc
hrst sgn oI crss. But as you wat, othcr pcopIc arc Iookng back
at you, and whcn thcy scc you dIng, your bchavor bccomcs data
Ior thcr thcory that ts not an cmcrgcncy. ^nd that`s why thrcc
pcopIc can st n a room hIng wth smokc and not makc a pccp.
c aIl talk about thc powcr oI pccr ressure, but "prcssurc
may bc ovcrstatng thc casc. ccr ercetions pcnty. n ths cn-
trc book, you mght not hnd a sngc statcmcnt that s so rgor-
ousy supportcd by cmprcal rcscarch as ths onc. You arc dong
thngs bccausc you scc your pccrs do thcm. ts not onIy your
body-pcrccd tccn who IoIows thc crowd. ts ou,too. Bchavor
s contagous. Lcts takc a quck cpdcmoIogca tour oI bchavor.
c start wth a mnd-bowng hndng. Lbcsty s contagous.
^ groundbrcakng study Icd by Or. ^choIas Lhrstakis oI ar-
vard NcdcaI SchooI, whch IoIIowcd I 2,07 pcopIc Ior thrty-
two ycars, Iound that whcn somconc bccamc obcsc, thc odds oI
that pcrson: cIosc mutuaI Ircnds bccomng obcsc trpcd' Kc-
markabIy, proxmty ddnt sccm to mattcr. Lbcsty sccmcd to
"sprcad bctwccn Ircnds cvcn whcn thcy wcrc n dhcrcnt parts
oI thc country. n cxpIanng thcsc hndngs, Or. Lhrstaks sad,
"You changc your dca oI what s an acccptabIc body typc by
Iookng at thc pcopIc around you.
Ornkng s contagous. ^ study showcd that whcn coIIcgc
maIcs wcrc parcd wth a dormtory roommatc who drank Irc-
qucntIy n hgh schooI, thcy saw thcr L^s go down by a quar-
228 5 h A P L T h L P AT h
tcr point on avcragc. Jhcrc`s an cndcss st oI othcr bchavors
that arc contagious, as wc. marragc, shakng hands to grcct
somconc, wcaring Iashonaby nuI| boots, and i nvcstng n
Loogc. ^nd you might want to avod hangng around with basc-
ba paycrs, cst you start compusvcy spttng.
ts ccar that wc mtatc thc bchavors ot othcrs, whcthcr con-
scousy or not. c arc cspccialy kccn to scc what thcy'rc dong
whcn thc situation s unIamar or ambguous. ^nd changc st-
uatons arc, by dchntion, unIamar! So I you want to changc
thngs, you havc to pay cosc attcntion to soca sgnas, bccausc
thcy can cthcr guarantcc a changc chort or doom t.
hcn you'rc cadng an !lcphant on an unIamiar path,
chanccs arc ts gong to Ioow thc hcrd. So how do you crcatc a
hcrd:
Z.
Jhc !cphant constanty ooks to thc hcrd Ior cucs about how to
bchavc. Jhs s why barstas and bartcndcrs sccd thcr tp jars~
thcy'rc tryng to scnd sgnas about thc "norm oI thc hcrd. ts a
tmc-honorcd tactc. n Iact, opcra compancs uscd to pant
stoogcs in thc audcncc to augh and appaud at thc appropratc
tmcs. (I that sccms guant, rcmcmbcr that thc "stoogcs arc aIvc
and wc on thc augh tracks oI your Iavortc stcom.)
But somctmcs soca cucs arc hddcn. or instancc, hotc
bathrooms ohcn dspay ittc cards askng gucsts to usc thcir tow-
cs morc than oncc, usuay appcaing to a pro-cnvronmcnta ob-
jcctvc such as thc conscrvaton oI watcr. (^so conscrvcd,
concdcntay, arc abor costs in thc hotc aundry room.) So
shoud you rcusc your towc: t's not a ccar-cut situaton. ^t
homc, you probaby usc your towcl morc than oncc, but n
a hotc, you mght cxpcct a bt morc pampcrng, ncudng a
K l l I h e H e f d D
ccan towcI cvcry timc you nccd onc. Jhcrcs no obvious sociaI
norm to consut, bccausc you can`t pcck into thc othcr gucsts`
bathrooms.
cI awarc oI thc powcr oI contagious bchavior, a group oI so-
cia psychoIogists pcrsuadcd a hotc managcr u tcst out a ncw
sign in thc hotcI bathrooms. Jhc sign didnt mcntion thc cnvi-
ronmcnt at aI, it simpIy said that thc "thc majority oI gucsts at
thc hotc rcusc thcir towcs at Icast oncc during thcir stay. t
workcd-gucsts who got this sign wcrc Z pcrccnt morc ikcy to
rcusc thcir towcs. Jhcy took cucs Irom thc hcrd.
^otc thc downsidc, though. I thc sign had said, "^bout 8%
oI our gucsts dccidc to rcusc thcir towcs, ncw gucsts woud havc
bccn /essIikcy to rcusc thcrs. (Jhc samc chcct cxpIains why you
don`t tip thc pcrson who bags your groccrics, cvcn though that
pcrson is doing as much vaIuabIc work as your barista. Jhc hcrd
tod you not to.) n situations whcrc your hcrd has cmbraccd thc
right bchavior, pubicizc it. or instancc, iI 80 pcrccnt oI your
tcam submits timc shccts on timc, makc surc thc othcr Z0 pcrccnt
knows thc group norm. Jhosc individuas amost ccrtainIy wiI
corrcct thcmscIvcs. But iI ony ! 0 pcrccnt oI your tcam submits
timc shccts on timc, pubIicizing thosc rcsuIts wiII hurt, not hcp.
hcn thc norms arc against you, what can

you do to ray
thc hcrd: Jhat, in csscncc, was thc probcm Iacing Lcrard La-
chon. a harton Schoo opcrations proIcssor. n Z00, Lachon
bccamc thc cditor oI thc journa ManuctungandSer:iceO-
erationsManagement(MSOM).Hcrc arc thc titcs oI somc oI thc
articcs Icaturcd in MSOM.
"Kcquircmcnts Ianning with Substitutions. Lxpoiting
BiI-oI-Natcrias cxibiity in roduction Ianning

"^ Lcncra ramcwork Ior thc Study oI Occcntraizcd

Oistribution Systcms
2JO 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
Stock !ostonng and crIormancc Lstmat1on n ocra!
roductons-Jransportaton Systcms

Lontract ^sscmby. Ocang with Lombncd Suppy

Lcad Jmc and Ocmand Quantity Lnccrtanty
I you just Ict your pusc guckcn, you arc dchntcy an opcra-
tons pcrson.
^ccdcss to say, MSOMsn't thc knd oI mass-appca pcrod-
ica that w bc shcvcd bctwccn Maimand Peo/e at thc oca
ncwsstand. Its roc s to showcasc thc atcst thnking n thc hcd
oI opcratons. roIcssors compctc strcnuousy to gct thcr artccs
pubshcd in j ournas ikc MSOM, bccausc n ordcr to gct pro-
motcd wthn thcr unvcrsty dcpartmcnts, thcy nccd a sod
track rccord oI pubcaton. (You`vc probaby hcard thc cxprcs-
son ubsh or pcrish. )
Lcttng artccs pubishcd is a ong proccss. rst, you do a ot
oI rcscarch-ohcn scvcra ycars worth. Jhcn you wrtc an artcc
dcscrbng thc rcscarch and submt t to a journa. Jhc journa cd-
itor Iarms out your artcc to `pccr rcvcwcrs-othcr proIcssors
who agrcc to crtguc your pccc (anonymousy) . Jhc cdtor thcn
summarzcs thc opnons oI thcsc rcvicws and dcvcrs a vcrdict-
ycs, no, or rcvsc and rcsubmit. II you gct thc KK vcrdct, you
ohcn havc to aunch somc ncw rcscarch to pug thc hocs n your
work, and I you do that, you can cvcntuay rcsubmit your papcr
Ior a ncw cycc oI rcvcws. t`s an cxhaustng proccss-t routncy
takcs ycars to gct a papcr pubshcd.
^ kcy bottcncck s thc pccr rcvcw stagc. II it takcs a ong
tmc Ior othcr proIcssors to rcad thc articc and gvc Iccdback,
thc whoc proccss grnds to a hat. Jhc standard rcvcw tmcs Ior
many acadcmc journas rangc Irom thrcc to sx months. ^ Iront-
nc scicnthc journa kc Scienceor Naturemght gct rcvcws
donc in a Icw wccks.
K a l g I R 0 N 0 f 0 J1
Vhcn Gcrard CachontookovcrMSOM, mostpccrrcvicws
wcrc taking Irom scvcn to cight months, and manywcrc taking
ovcraycar. Larlyinhistcnurc,Cachongotc-mailsIromproIcs-
sors who wcrc hcsitanty chccking inwith him about apapcr.
A typical notcmightsay, "l submittcdthis papcrtwoycarsago
and]ustwantcdtochcckintoprogrcss."Inscvcra cascs,whcn
Cachon chcckcd on thc papcr inqucstion, hc carncd that thc
]ournahadaorccordolitscvcrbcingsubmittcd. magincwrit-
ingthatc-maircsponsc. (And takc asccondtocontcmpatcan
cnvironmcntinwhichproIcssorsIccbadaboutchcckinginahcr
twoycars|Jalkaboutcarncdhcplcssncss.)
Ironicaly,opcrationspcopcarcsupposcdtobcthcIokswho
makc thctrainsrun on timcthcydcalwithlogisticsand bot-
tcnccksandsuppychainsandcycctimcs.Forapsychoogy]our-
nal tooutpcrtormanopcrationsjourna-that'sasdisgraccmas
MichacIhcpsbcingtrounccdin thc I 00mIrccstycbyOr. Ihil.
Cachon's goawasobviousmakcthings movcIastcr. ut
whatcoudhc do: lchadnopowcrovcranyoIthcrcvicwcrs.
Jhcydidn't rcportto him. Rcvicwcrs arcvountccr aborwho
pcrIormadimcuttaskIorIrcc.Howwoudyouikctovcri[thc
ogicoIsomconc`s mathcmaticaIdcrivationsinapapcr onopti-
mascriatransportsystcms:
Cachon`s gamc pan providcs a grcat rcvicwoIthc Suitcb
Iramcwork. |irst, hcspokctohisconstitucnts' Ridcrsbypoint-
ingtothcdcstination. "!kncwthcrcwasacocctivcgoathat!
coudappcato,"hcsaid."EvcryauthorwantsIastcycctimcand
iswiingto providcitiIcvcryoncclscdocs. utnooncwantsto
bcthconcsuckcrwhoprovidcsthclastcadtimc,andthcnwhcn
thcy submit thcir papcrs ittakcs Iorcvcr. " Cachon announccd
thatMSOMwould rcvicw papcrs within sixty-hvc daysthat
was2 pcrcentIastcrthanitsprcviousavcragcl
Sccond, hc appcalcd to idcntity. ve're oerationseo/e,/r
J b H P F L J H L F P J H
Petessake. wshouH/e/eadingtheua ong cien;,andturn-
aroundnme!Jhrd, hc dchncd a clcar bchavor. Lvcry rcvccr
had to submt Iccdback wthn hvc wccks. Lachon got thc rc-
vicwcrs to commt up Iront that thcy coud mcct thc dcadInc.
naIIy, Lachon Iound a way to raIy thc hcrd. Lvcry rday,
hc postcd an LxccI sprcadshcct on thc ntcrnct that showcd thc
status oI cvcry papcr submttcd to thc journaI. Lvcry rcvcwcr
couId scc what thc othcr rcvcwcrs had donc (and whcn). I thcy
voIatcd thcr hvc-wcck commtmcnt, thc trackng shcct crcatcd
powcrmI prcssurc, cspccaIIy whcn Lachon caIcd thcm and sad,
"ook, othcr pcopIc arc dong ths on tmc, and, by thc way,
hcrcs thc data. hcn pcopIc saw thc data, thcy rcaIzcd, whoos,
Im the/otthneck.
th thc onInc tracking shcct, Lachon was usng thc hotc-
towcI stratcgy. Hc was pubIcizing thc group norm. Othereoh
aregeningtheiruorkdoneontime. wh uont ou?
Lachon sct out to makc good bchavor contagous, and hc
succccdcd. Aa rcsuIt oI Lachon's brIIant pIan, MSOMnow has
thc Iastcst turnaround tmc oI any journa n thc hcId oI managc-
mcnt sccncc. Ad,

ccausc oI hs work, Lachon was askcd to takc

ovcr thc hagshp journaI oI thc whoIc hcId, ManagementScience.
Lachon sad, "^ow, whcn pcopc gct thcir rcvcws n hhy
days, thcy comc back and say, `owl can stI rcmcmbcr thc
papcr'
3.
cvc sccn that bchavor s contagous at thc ndvduaI cvc
(obcsty and tp jars) and at thc group IcvcI (Lachons on-tmc
rcvcwcrs) . t probabIy wII not surprsc you that bchavor aIso s
contagous at thc socctaI cvcI (scc bcI-bottoms and organc Iood
and thc phrasc "at thc cnd oI thc day ) . But what may ntcrcst you
K l l t h e H e f d 2JJ
isthat thcrc's aparticuarbchavior,nowubiquitousinAmcrica,
thatwccantraccbackto itsorigin.hatIoowsisthcstoryoI
aguywho, atthccndoIthcday,changcdthcwayasocictybc-
havcd.
nthc I80s,|ayVinstcn, apubic hcathproIcssoratHar-
vard, got intcrcstcd in thc idca oIa "dcsignatcd drivcr." Hc'd
pickcdupthisconccptIromScandinaviancountrics,whcrcitwas
arcady anorm. At thc timc, thc conccpt did not cxist in thc
LnitcdStatcs.Moonchcrckncwwhata"dcsignatcddrivcr"was.
VinstcnandhistcamatHarvardmadcitthcirgoaltocrcatc
asocialnorm inthcLnitcd Statcs. IIyouwcrcgoing outdrink-
ing,youwouldpickadcsignatcddrivcrwhowoudcommit not
todrinkIorthccvcning.HowdoyoucrcatcasocianormoutoI
thinair:Vinstcn's inspirationwasthatyoucoudmakcthcbc-
haviorcontagious by rcpcatcdycxposingpcopcto it, inmany
dihcrcntcontcxts,cvcniIthosccontcxtswcrchctiona.
Vins tcnandhistcamcoaboratcdwith produccrs,writcrs,
andactorsIrommorcthanI 60primc-timcJprograms,sprin-
kingdcsignatcd-drivcr momcnts naturalyinto thcpots. Scg-
mcntsIcaturingdcsignatcddrivcrsappcarcdonHunter IheCes[
Shou.Mr Be/:edere, and VhostheBossCn an cpisodc oIthc
smash-hit I 80slcgal drama L.Z. Lau, thc hcartthrob awycr
paycdbyHarryHaminaskcdabartcndcrtocahisdcsignatcd
drivcr.Adcsignatcd-drivcrpostcrappcarcdinthcbaronCheers.
"|ay's crusadc was onc that wc coud do somcthing about
Iairycasily, unlikcaotoIothcrworthwhilccauscs,"saidGrant
Jinkcr,thcnaviccprcsidcntoIMC,whointroduccdVinstcn
todozcnso|writcrsat al thc ma]ornctworks. Vinstcn aIways
rcqucstcdjust"hvcscconds"oIdiaogucIcaturingthcdcsignatcd-
drivcridca, notawhoccpisodc orcvcnawhocsccnc. "Consid-
cringthcsimpicityoIital,"saidJinkcr,"itwasvcryhardIorus
to Iccourindcpcndcnccwasbcingchacngcd."
J4 5 H A P E T H L P A T H
otcc how smart nstcn was. Hc uscd thc powcr oI thc
lath to changc thc pubIc's bchavor, but hc uscd thc powcr oI thc
Kdcr and thc LIcphant to changc thc nctwork cxccutivcs' bc-
havor. th hs hvc-sccond rcgucsts, hc was drccting thc Kdcr
by dcscrbng a smpc acton that coud hcp on a compIcx prob-
Icm, and hc was motvatng thc LIcphant by shrinkng thc changc.
n I 99I , thrcc ycars ahcr thc campagn Iaunchcd, nnc out
oI tcn pcopc wcrc Iamar wth thc tcrm desigateddri:er ^nd
thcy wcrc bchavng dhcrcntIy as a rcsut. Jhrty-scvcn pcrccnt oI
aI ^mcricans rcportcd havng actcd as dcsgnatcd drvcrs, and
54 pcrccnt oI Ircgucnt drinkcrs had bccn drivcn homc by onc.
Jhc bchavior changc savcd Ivcs. ^IcohoI-rcIatcd tramc Iatatcs
dccIncd Irom 23,2 n I 988 to I 7, 858 n I 992.
nstcn uscd thc powcr oI tcIcvson to smu|atc a socaI
norm. But you don't nccd HoIywood to crcatc a hcrd. hcn
Stcvcn KcIman, whom wc dscusscd n thc "Shrnk thc Changc
chaptcr, took ovcr thc govcrnmcnt's procurcmcnt rcIorm chorts,
hc rcazcd that onc oI hs bcst stratcgcs was to "unIcash changc.
By that, hc mcant that hc nccdcd to scnd signaIs to thc pcopc
who arcady supportcd procurcmcnt rcIorm. KcIman kncw
hc nccdcd to tcII thc supportcrs, ts saIc to gct voca now. n thc
bcgnnng, hc ddnt nccd to crcatc ncw bcicvcrs so much as hc
nccdcd to unIcash thc bccvcrs hc aIrcady had.
n thc IaI oI 27, a group oI pubIic-hcaIth and ^OS cx-
pcrts had a chancc to gct nvoIvcd n a stuation vhcrc changc
nccdcd to bc uncashcd. Jhc scttng was Janzana, and thc sub-
jcct was sugar daddcs.
.
n Janzana, "sugar-daddy rcIatonshps arc common. You know
thc drI. A odcr man pursucs a youngcr woman, thcy start
K t h e N e f d Jb
havng scx, and as part oI thc "dca, thc young woman rcccvcs
ghs or Iavors-a cc phonc, moncy Ior schoo tuiton, cothcs,
and so on. Jhs s hardy a unguc Icaturc oI Janzanian cuturc, as
cvdcnccd by Hugh HcIncr and his scxtupct bond houscmatcs.
But thc sugar-daddy rcatonships n Janzana arc morc trou-
bng. irst, thc womcn arc ohcn undcragc grs-!5, ! 6, ! 7 ycars
od. Sccond, thc powcr dynamcs n thc Janzanan sugar-daddy
rcatonshps ohcn cad womcn to cngagc n unsaIc scx. (ts not
casy to insist that your partncr put on a condom whcn hcs your
cdcr and your bcncIactor.) Jhs powcr dynamc s unvcrsa, oI
coursc. ^mcrican tccns who datc mcn who arc sx or morc ycars
odcr arc amost Iour tmcs morc kcy to gct prcgnant than tccns
who datc wthn two ycars oI thcr own agc.
Jhc rcaty s that whcn odcr mcn want unsaIc scx, thcy tcnd
to gct thcir way. n ^mcrca, that mcans thc girs gct prcgnant. n
Janzania, it mcans thcy gct ^OS and dc. ^nd thats why sugar
daddcs in Janzana arc a scrious pubc-hcath probcm.
Hcath cxpcrts ca thcsc sugar-daddy rcatonshps "cross-
gcncrationa. n thc agc group I ; u 24,womcn n sub-Saharan
^Irca arc thrcc tmcs morc kcy to bc HV-postivc than mcn n
thc samc agc rangc. ts thc rcatonshps that thcsc youngcr
womcn havc wth odcr mcn that cxpan thc dsparty. Jhc cross-
gcncrationa rcatonship opcns up a brdgc Ior HV to travc bc-
twccn popuatons that ordnary woudnt ntcrscct.
Jhc othcr thng that`s dhcrcnt about sugar-daddy rcaton-
shps n Janzana s that, dcsptc thc hcath rsks, thcrcs no strong
soca taboo against thc bchavor. n thc Lntcd Statcs, ;0-ycar-
od cchcrs who chasc cocgc girs arc punshcd Ior t socay.
Lant you j ust hcar thc mans sstcr tcng him, "Yourc pathctic:
Lant you just scc thc cycs rong at hs omcc: But thcrcs no rca
cguvacnt oI ths soca stgma in Janzana. ts acccptcd that
high-status mcn w dspay thcr status n this way.
2Jb 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
Yct thc grcat majorty oI Janzanans-89 pcrccnt n onc
pol-bccvc that cross-gcncratona rcatonshps arc wrong. \n-
Iortunatcy, thcr opposton tcnds to bc guct and prvatc, t's an
uncomIortabc ssuc to dscuss.
n ^ugust 2007, amca htc and Nkc Lchron oI \S ^O,
a rccI organzaton thats part oI thc \. S. Statc Ocpartmcnt,
cacd togcthcr a dvcrsc tcam oI cxpcrts (ncludng thc two oI us)
n a hotc n Oar cs Saaam. Jhc msson. to dcvcop a campagn
to hght cross-gcncratona scx. Lcadng thc tcam was a group
Irom |ohns Hopkns \nvcrsty's Boombcrg Schoo oI ublc
Hcalth. Lthcrs ncudcd ^OS cxpcrts and about a dozcn oc
artsts and crcatvcs (produccrs, actors, wrtcrs, and at cast onc
Janzanan soap-opcra star, who was ntcrruptcd at onc point Ior
an autograph).
Jhc dscussons wcrc dmcult. Jhc ssuc was complcatcd, and
t wasn't cvcn ccar whcrc to start. or cxamplc, no onc bccvcd
that scoldng thc sugar daddcs woud bc chcctvc n stoppng
thcr bchavor. ^nd thc pubc-hcath cxpcrts thought that wc
wcrc unkcy to convncc young womcn to rchsc thc advanccs oI
thcsc mcn, bccausc thc soca and hnanca prcssurcs on thcm
wcrc too ntcnsc to bc countcr

d by a campagn. So wc startcd
thnkng. I wc can't changc thc man charactcrs n ths story, can
wc changc thcr cnvronmcnt:
Kccal Irom Lhaptcr 8 that Hackspacc changcd ndvduas by
changng thcr cnvronmcnt, thcr cuturc. But that was onc com-
pany. as t possbc to changc thc soca atmosphcrc inanentire
ceunt

: Jhc tcam kncw that Janzanans objcctcd to cross-

gcncratona rclatonshps but, Ior whatcvcr rcason, rcmancd
guct about thcm. Could thc tcam gvc a vocc to that rcscnt-
mcnt:
c nccdcd to hnd a way to makc Janzanans Iccl comIortablc
dscussng somcthng uncomIortabc, a way to dsarm thc
K t h e N e f d J1
convcrsaton. ^nd somconc burtcd out. c nccd pcopc to bc
abc to augh at ths| c nccd humor|"
nsprcd, thc tcam hatchcd thc dca Ior a van. Hc`d bc a v-
an pcopc woud ovc to hatc, ikc ] .K. Lwng, thc ctcrnay
schcmng oman oI thc od Jshow Da//.Athc group kckcd
around thc dca, a portrat oI thc van bcgan to cmcrgc. Hcd bc
an odcr mi who cncapsuatcd thc sugar daddy-somconc who
ht on young girs constanty, rccntcssy, shamccssy. Hcd ap-
proach thcm anywhcrc hc coud hnd thcm, and hcd oIIcr
Iavors-Ircc mcas, Ircc drnks, cIothcs, or tmc on hs cc phonc.
Somconc suggcstcd that thc van bc cacd "atak, and
cvcryoncs cycs it up. Fatakis a Swah word that transatcs
ooscy as "cxposon or "hrcworks-somcthing dangcrous and
a bt unstabc. n othcr words, atak s somconc you want to stay
away Irom.
Jhc pan was to start tcng atakis story n radio commcr-
cas, bccausc radio comcs coscst to bcng a unvcrsa mcdum n
Janzana. Jhc tcam startcd drcaming up dozcns oI stuatons to
put atak n, and across thcsc stuatons thcrc woud bc a com-
mon ccmcnt. Ocsptc hs status and wcath advantagcs, and dc-
sptc hs smooth tak, atak ncvcr succccds. Hc Iais agan and
agan bccausc an outsdcr ntcrvcncs to dsrupt hs scductvc cI-
Iorts. Lkc c L. Loyotc stakng thc Koad Kunncr, !atak
chascs and chascs and chascs but ncvcr gcts hs prcy. Hcs pathctic.
Hcs somconc you can augh at.
Hcrc`s thc transaton oI a atak spot cacd "Lhickcn and
Lhps.
(Noisseundo/arestaurant)
CI RL: Lh so many choccs . . .
FATAK! : casc pck onc . . .
C! RL. ^,watrcss, s ths chckcn or . . :
2JB 5 H A F E T H E F A T H
N1HLoo: woud rccommcnd this onc . . .
t. Jhats too cxpcnsivcl Lstcn. Cvc hcr
chckcn and chips wth somc saucc.
Jhats good, right, my ovc:
LHL: Hmmmm . . . CK.
( witressacknou/edges theirorderandua/ksauoy.)
lt1 :s C:r/: Ch, plcasc go and tc hcr t s
a takc-away'
LHL: Ckay . . .
(Backgound:oiceso/uaitersordering/od)
NHLoo ( uhisering) : m gad that havc a
chancc to tak to you aonc. Oon't you Iccl
ashamcd to havc a rcationshp vth such
an old man: Hcrc, takc your chps and
cavc gucky through ths back door . . .
(Soundo/doroening)
t: aitcr, what is going on thcrc:
NHLoo: Sr, thc gr ust wcnt away. oud you
kc somcthng:
t: hat:l camc with hcr. Shc wcnt
through whch door:
NHLoo: But you havc not paid Ior thc chps,
sir o e e
t. Lhhh:::
NlHLoo: Sr, this kid is not your agc . . .
t1: ^,takc thc moncy and cavc mc aonc!l
NHLoo: Hcc hcc hcc| Lot himl
L\LLH: rotcct your lovcd oncs Irom a atakil
Kado spots lkc that onc bccamc part oI a unhcd campagn
that was piotcd in a rura rcgion calcd Norogoro. Jhc campagn
consstcd oI 0 dihcrcnt radio spots that wcrc paycd on 3 sta-
K l l I h e h e f d 239
tions, and I `0 banncrs that wcrc hung on storcs and pubic
buidings. Jhc typica pcrson hcard about onc radio spot a day.
Jhc campaign had two goas. Jhc hrst was to crcatc a mocking
abc Ior sugar-daddy bchavior. Jhc crcativc tcam's objcctivc was
to somcday wak into a Janzanian nightcub and ovcrhcar onc
patron tcing anothcr, "Jhat guy is such a atak. By making t
LK to mock thc atakis, thc tcam woud hcp to countcract thc
natura status advantagcs oI odcr and wcathicr mcn. Jhc scc-
ond goa oI thc campaign was to cncouragc intcrvcntions by
otttsidcrs~uicnds, rcativcs, tcachcrs, cvcn waitrcsscs-by mod-
cing thc bchavior in thc radio spots. Jhc mcssagc was. "!ts our
rcsponsibiity to ook out Ior thcsc young womcn. rotcct your
ovcd oncs Irom a atakil
Jhc rcsuts Irom thc piot campaign wcrc uncxpcctcdy
strong. By thc cnd oI thc Iour-month campagn, 44 pcrccnt oI
pcopc who wcrc askcd hat woud you ca a ;0-ycar-od man
who s aways trying to scducc youngcr womcn: spontancousy
rcpicd "ataki. Scvcnty-hvc pcrccnt oI Norogorans rcportcd
discussing ataki with othcrs. ^nd thc pcrccntagc oI pcopc who
said can do somcthing about cross-gcncrationa scx incrcascd
Irom 4 pcrccnt bcIorc thc piot to 88 pcrccnt ahcrward.
Having succccdcd in Norogoro, thc campaign was rocd out
nationay in Janzania, and thc word bcgan to sprcad nationwidc.
^ hcath carc workcr sctting up V cinics in thc outcr rcachcs
oI Janzana rcportcd that cvcn in rcmotc viagcs, atak had
managcd to bring a convcrsation out oI thc cosct. ithin wccks
oI thc nationa aunch oI thc campaign, thc banncr Iront-pagc
hcadinc oI a Janzanian taboid accuscd Kanumba, a popuar
actor, oI bcng a ataki. (Hcd bccn spottcd chccking into thc
Lambada otc with a young gr.) Jhc Janzanian pubic had
takcn owncrship oI a namc and a charactcr who symboizcd thc
bad bchavior thcy'd rcscntcd, gucty, a aong.
24O b H A P L 1 H L PA 1 H
LL M L
h0W LB0 0B bI0g I0h0`5
blBCKb0ff 00CI001
blTUTlM John has a B|ackBe||y addiction. h|s body tw|tches eve|y time his
B|ackBerry goes o!!. he can't stop himse|! !rom checking eve|y message that
comes in. |t's become a ser|ous distraction. |n meetings at wo|k, he !inds himse|!
sneaking the device unde| the tab|e to |ead messages cove|t|y. (|t annoys John's
co||eagues that he thinks he`s !oo|ing them.) John`s w|!e becomes increas|ng|y ||
r|tated that he can't !ocus on their d|nne| conve|sat|on, and one day he a|most
has a !ende|bende| because he is try|ng to emai| someone whi|e dr|ving. John
knows that he needs to cut |t out, but every t|me he reso|ves to stop, the B|ack
Berry buzzes. jJohn is !ictitious, but we a|| know a John.|
WHTb THb bWlTCH M WHTb HLl M lT BCKT Th|s |s the
|ast C||n|c |n the book, and by now, we hope you'|| make easy wo|k o! this situ
ation. Te behav|o| change |s c|ear enough: John needs to stop us|ng h|s B|ack
Be|ry a|| the t|me (and espec|a||y wh||e dr|v|ng). What's ho|d|ng h|m back! h|s
E|ephant, o! cou|se. l n any add|ct|on situation, the E|ephant is the cu|pr|t. To re|n
in John's E|ephant, we'|| 0se a|| th|ee pa|ts o! the !|amework. Take a moment to
gene|ate an act|on p|an !o| John, and then compare your notes w|th ours.
HW Wb NKb THb bWTCHT
/lCC/ lOC hl0Cl. T . 0 I6 0fgI Sp0IS. Are the|e t|mes when John
doesn`t !ee| the B|ackBe|q compu|sion! What's dil|e|ent about those times, and
can we !ind a way to rep||cate those condit|ons! . 0I I0 I6 06SI8I0.
John needs a B&W goa|, | |ke BP's Wo d|y ho|es. Reca|| that B&W goa|s are par
t|cu|ar|y use!u| in situat|ons where peop|e are prone to rat|ona||te. (John is con
stant|y te|||ng h|mse|!, | ust need to check and see il this one spec|!|c emai|
has come | n. ) John cou|d exper|ment with d|!|erent B&W goa|s: N0 b8Ckb0lQ
0UH0g 0l000f or N0 b8Ckb0lQ 8h0l 0.0., or 00 b8Ckb0lQ f0005 0UI 00y
w000 0 Il8v0/l0g. he needs to e|im|nate h|s own w|gg|e room.
K 8 l l I R 0 H 0 I 0 4!
NCl/vdlC lOC L/COdDl. T. 0 I6 66g. have John's wi!e !orce h| m
to read a|oud the |ast ten ema||s that he rece|ved and then ask whether any o!
them is rea||y wo|th gett|ng twitchy ove|. A |itt|e emba|rassment might do h|m
good. .0 I6 66g. Car acc|dents a|e happen|ng more and mo|e because
o! peop|e ||ke John. Con!|onting John with a part|cu|ar|y sobe|ing news story
!o| examp|e, Cute Puppy Run 0ve| by E-Ma|||ng 0||ve| m|ght be a good idea.
J. bu0 06II. John`s wi!e (or his co||eag0es) cou|d h|gh||ght how his B|ack
Be||y habit doesn't !|t w|th h|s character. John, you'|e usua||y such an 'in con
tro|` guy. |t's we||d to see you so !|aky. 4. bu0 I6 gf0WI m0S6I. Some
smoke|s qu|t success!u||y on the seventeenth t|y. |! John tru|y wants to curb his
habit, h|s !r|ends shou|dn`t |et him give up i! he re|apses a !ew t|mes.
OdC lOC /dlO. 1 . bI68k I6 6Vf0m6I. John`s w|!e can s|mp|y
smash his B|ackBerq w|th a hamme|. Prob|em so|ved. T8. 1W68k I6 6Vf0
m6I. |! smashing it isn't poss|ble, John cou|d |ock h|s B|ackBer|y |n the t|unk o!
his ca| eve|y t|me he d|ives. That way, he wou|dn't have to !|ght the E|ephant
when |t buttes. .1W68k I6 6VI0m6I. The s||en song o! the B|ackBer|y |s
its butt (o| ring o| !|ashing |ed |ight). Can you tu|n o!| the sound! Cover up the
||ght! (Pa|nt over the |ight with W|te0ut |! necessa|y.) J. K8 I6 6f0. John's
co||eagues shou|d make sure he knows he`s not !ool|ng anybody | n meetings.
They shou|d make a pact that, each time John sneaks a |ook at h|s B|ackBerq
unde| the tab|e, they w||| a|| stare at h|m unti| he meets the|r (disapproving) eyes.
S.
Jhc Iatak casc study mayhavc |clt|orcgn toyou. !tprobably
docsn'tbcarmanysupcrhcalsmlartcstothcchangcsyourccon-
tcmplatng.Butlookatthcundcrlyngdynamcs.Youwantccrtan
pcoplc to act dhcrcntly, but thcyarc rcsstant to thc changc. So
yourallythcsupporto|othcrswhonturncouldnhucnccthosc
youhopctosway. !ncsscncc,tsanattcmpttochangcthcculturc,
and culturc ohcn s thc lnchpn o| succcsshl organzatonal
4 5 H A P b T H b P A T H
changc. A Iormcr BN LLL Lou Lcrstncr said, " camc to scc, in
my timc at BN, that cuIturc isn`t ust onc aspcct oI thc gamc-it
isthc gamc. But organzationaI cuIturc is a sIippcry, abstract con-
ccpt. How do you changc it: hcrc do you start:
n I 984, Libby Zion, an I 8-ycar-oId Ircshman at Bcnnington
LoIcgc, at homc visitng hcr parcnts in Nanhattan, dcd in a
^cw York tcaching hospitaI. Shcd bccn givcn thc wrong mcd-
icaton by a mcdicaI rcsidcnt who'd bccn working Ior ovcr
! 9 hours. Hcr dcath sparkcd an outcry ovcr thc cxccssivc hours
workcd by mcdicaI intcrns. (Intcrns arc hrst-ycar rcsdcnts.
Jhcyvc compctcd thrcc ycars oI mcdica schooI and arc bcgin-
ning IuIl-timc work in hospitaIs.) JraditionaIIy, ntcrns havc
workcd an astonishing I 20 hours pcr wcck.
Jhc story oI Libby Zon bccamc thc ccntcrpiccc oI a cam-
paig

to Iimit thc workwccks oI mcdca rcsidcnts. ^Imost two
dccadcs atcr, n 2003. Longrcss hnaIIy sccmcd rcady to movc.
Jhcn thc ^mcrican LounciI Ior Lraduatc Ncdica !ducation~
which accrcdits mcdca schooIs-madc an chort to prccmpt con-
grcssiona Icgisation by rcguring 80-hour workwccks Ior
rcsdcnts starting in |uIy 2003. Jhat might sccm to bc thc cnd oI
thc story. ^ switch happcncd in mcdicaI schooIs bccausc somconc
wth hat powcr mandatcd thc changc.
n this casc, though, hat powcr IaiIcd. ^ subscgucnt study by
thc }oua/o/theZmericanMedica/ZssociationIound that onIy a
third oI gcncraI surgcry rcsidcncy programs compIicd with thc
ncw workwcck Iimits. hy wouId hospitas Iai to changc thcr
ways in spitc oI thc Iact thcy wcrc putting paticnts at risk (as wcII
as thcir own accrcditaton):
Kathcrinc KcIIogg, an cthnographcr at NJs Soan SchooI
oI Nanagcmcnt, wantcd to undcrstand why somc organizations
compIcd with such rcguIations and othcrs didnt. Shc dccidcd to
study two northcastcrn tcaching hospitas, nicknamcd ^pha and
K l t h e N e f d Z43
Bcta, that wcrc wcl matchcd in sizc, scctor, structurc, and othcr
Iactors. Shc was givcn h acccss to thc stahcrs oI thc two hospi-
tas, and shc obscrvcd thc two hospitas Ior an avcragc oI twcnty
hours a wcck, cach, Ior hhccn months. Kcogg was thc pcrIcct
cycwitncss U a rca-word cutura changc chort.
6.
n thc gucst to rcIorm, thc hcrccst battc woud bc Iought ovcr a
surprisingy mundanc practicc cacd thc "daiy signout. Jhc
daiy signout is thc point, usuay about 9 or I 0 p. m. , whcn sur-
gica intcrns hand oI thcir paticnts to thc on-ca night rcsidcnt.
Ouring thc signout, thc intcrn bricIs thc rcsidcnt on cach pa-
ticnt's status. so that thc rcsidcnt is prcparcd to takc carc oI any
cmcrgcncics that happcn ovcrnight.
But intcms wcrcnt rcaIy handing oh thcir work, and that`s
onc rcason why thcy wcrc working I 20 hours a wcck. Ln cvcry
third night, thcrc was no handoh at al-thc intcrns wcrc on duty
a through thc night. And on thc othcr nights, thcy staycd atc
to hnish thc papcrwork thcy shoud havc handcd oII. orsc,
night rcsidcnts usuay rchscd to do any papcrwork ovcrnight,
so thc intcrns had to show up cary thc ncxt morning-at, say,
4 a.m.-to compctc it bcIorc bcginning thcir normay schcd-
ucd rounds at 6 a.m.
Jo cnIorcc an 80-hour workwcck, thc hospitas nccdcd to
start taking thc daiy signouts scriousy, but that wasnt quitc as
casy as it sounds. Lmotiona rcsistancc to rcIorm was cntrcnchcd
in both Apha and Bcta and, indccd, in most hospitas across thc
country. Signing out conhictcd with ong-standing cutura prac-
ticcs. or instancc, onc opponcnt said, "You carn by bcing hcrc.
Jhcrc is a hugc amount oI inIormation passcd on in an ad hoc
Iashion at 2 L

cock in thc morning whcn thc scnior rcsidcnt and

244 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
you arc trying to gct a patcnt's bIood prcssurc up or an V n. You
nccd to bc thc onc managng t, dong t, n ordcr to carn.` (n
othcr words, ntcrns woud bc putting thcr mcdca cducation
at rsk by, cr, slccpng.)
Lthcr opponcnts strcsscd thc mportancc oI "continuty oI
carc~minimzng thc numbcr oI tmcs that paticnts wcrc passcd
among doctors. A onc rcsdcnt sad, "Jhc problcm wth hand-
ohs s that things Ia through thc cracks and thngs gct msscd.
^ hna objccton, n csscncc, was that iI thc ntcrns ddnt pay
thcr ducs, t would bc unIair cvcryonc who'd arcady put n
timc as thc papcrwork ackcys. "Jhcsc guys havc bccn thcrc and
donc that . . . . You can scc how t woud bc tough as a Iourth-
ycar rcsidcnt to bc tod to do thc ntcrn ob a ovcr agan.
ortunatcy, at both ^pha and Bcta, thcrc was substantia
support Ior sgnout changc among thc ntcrns' supcriors, such as
scnor rcsdcnts and chcI rcsidcnts. ^t ^pha, I3 oitt oI 3 I su-
pcrors wcrc rcIormcrs who supportcd thc changc, at Bcta, I 2
out oI I 8wcrc rcIormcrs. Bccausc oI ths support, crcumstanccs
lookcd rpc Ior rca changc. ^l sgns wcrc Lo. ^t ong ast, thc
I 20-hour workwcck woud bc aboshcd.
Jhcrc was j ust onc probcm: Jhc ntcrns woudn't sgn out. A
onc ntcrn sad, "Bcng considcrcd a good intcrn has nothng to
do wth what you know or how wc you managc your patcnts.
t s totay bascd on workng hard and not handng stuh oh t`s
your atttudc, not your abty . . . . Jhis s whcrc lvc. ony go
homc to sccp. t sounds sck, but thcsc pcopc arc kc my Iam-
y.hc worst thng woud bc not to bc rcspcctcd by thcsc guys.
or thc intcrns, soca status was at stakc. Jhc ntcrns Ict thcy
woudn`t bc rcspcctcd I thcy cmbraccd thc sgnout. Lhangc was
comng nto conhct wth cuturc, and cts Iacc t, a ncw ruc is
no match Ior a cuturc.
Loud thc hosptas changc thcir cuturc: Hcrcs whcrc thcr
K t h e h e f d 4b
pathsdivcrgc. FihccnmonthsintoKathcrincKclogg's rcscarch,
Alphahadmanagcdtowinthc culturc battc, andctahadost
it.Anyoncwhowants to crcatc organizationa changc nccdsto
undcrstandwhy.
7.
Kcoggdiscovcrcdthatthcchangchingcdonthcsmalcstwork
tcamsatthcHospita,whichmctcachdaytor"ahcrnoonrounds."
Lachtcamwascomposcdotthrccortourrcsidcnts(bothintcrns
andmorcscniorpcoplc),andduringahcrnoonrounds,thcydis-
cusscdthcpaticntsundcrthcircarcandothcrimportantissucs.
Jhc attcrnoon rounds at thctwo hospitas dittcrcd agrcat
dcal.
AtApha,thcroundswcrclcngthy(aroundanhour) and
hadahighattcndanccratc.Jhctcamstcndcdtomcctin
quictcorncrs,movingtrompaticnttopaticntaroundthc
hosptahoor.
" At cta, thc roundswcrcmorc casua.Jhcywcrcshortcr
(twcnty or thirty minutcs), and tcam mcmbcrs ottcn
calcdinorscntamcssagcinstcadotshowingupinpcr-
son.Jhctcamsatctadidn'tmcct atpaticnts` bcdsidcs,
thcymctinthccomputcroungc,whcrcalthcrcsidcnts
hungoutbctwccnshihs. (Jakcamomcnttocontcmplatc
thcdihcrcntbchaviors that mghtbccncouragcd by thc
dihcringtormatsotthcscrounds.)
Jcamswcrcshumcdaboutonccamonth,andcvcrysoohcn,
by thcluckotthcdraw, athc pcopc ona tcamwoud bcrc-
tormcrswho supportcd thc shortcrworkwccks. AtApha, thc
rctorm-mindcdtcamstoundgrcatstrc

gthinthcirrounds.Jhcy
24b 5 H A P E T H E P A T H
wcrc spcndng an hour in privatc discussons with a group oI thcir
Icow bcicvcrs. But at Bcta, thc Iormat oI thc ahcrnoon rounds
bockcd any momcntum Ior rcIorm. Jhc tcams mct Ior ony a
short timc, and mcmbcrs ohcn wcrc missng. orsc. tcams wcrc
mccting n thc computcr loungc, whcrc ots oI pcopc who op-
poscd rcIorm coud ovcrhcar thcir convcrsation, whch cd
rcIorm-mindcd mcmbcrs to scI-ccnsor.
Bottom linc. ^t Bcta, thc ahcrnoon rounds wcrc irrclcvant to
thc changc. ^t ^pha, thcy bccamc thc spark, and thc rounds bc-
camc, in csscncc, undcrground rcsistancc mcctings.
8.
Kcscarchcrs who study socal movcmcnts ca situations kc thcsc
"Ircc spaccs -sma-scac mcctngs whcrc rcIormcrs can gathcr
and rcady thcmscvcs Ior colcctvc action without bcng obscrvcd
by mcmbcrs oI thc dominant group. rcc spaccs ohcn pay a crit-
ica roc in Iacitatng socal changc. Cvi rghts cadcrs, Ior n-
stancc, wcrc abc to usc southcrn black churchcs as Ircc spaccs to
prcparc thcmscvcs Ior acton.
Kclogg was prcscnt, cvcry day, at ^pha and Bcta as onc rc-
Iorm movcmcnt bossomcd and thc othcr wtcd. Shc attcndcd
thirty-onc Ircc-spacc mcctings at ^pha and twcnty-two mcct-
ings at Bcta. Jhc mcctings at Bcta had a comparabc numbcr oI
rcIormcrs but wcrcn't conductcd in a Ircc spacc.
^t ^pha, 77 pcrccnt oI thc mcctngs ncudcd discussion
about thc lcgtimacy oI thc sgnout proccss, and 8 I pcrccnt oI
thc mcctngs drcw boundarics bctwccn "us and "thcm-
rcIormcrs vcrsus rcsistcrs. ^t Bcta, nonc oI thc mcctings Icaturcd
cthcr kind oI dscussion.
Ourng thc ^pha Ircc-spacc mcctngs, thc rcIormcrs bcgan
to dcvcop a anguagc Ior taking about thc advantagcs oI thc
K l l t h e h e r d 247
rcIorm.Forinstancc,duringoncmccting, thcchicIrcsidcntdc-
constructcd thc "continuityoIcarc" argumcnt madc bychangc
rcsistcrs:
It is important to takc pcrsonal rcsponsibiity. ut I
thinkyoucanprcscrvcthispcrsonacommitmcntwith-
outhaving onc pcrson thcrca thc timc. Somcpcopc
arcoUscboo/andsay, ``I`mgoingto do it myscI" Ior
mc,itistbeteamthatisgoingtotakccarcocvcrything.
acholustakcs pcrsona rcsponsibility to makcsurc
thatpaticntcarcis thc bcst itcan bc, but tbatdoesn't
meandoingitahourseq aslongasaloIthcpicccshtto-
gcthcr. cmphasisaddcd|
Jhis rcsidcntwas dcvcoping what Kcoggcals an "opposi-
tionalidcntity"lvcrycuturc,whcthcrnationaororganizationa,
is shapcd powcrmyby its anguagc.Acrossthc rcIorm-mindcd
Aphatcams, ancwlanguagcwasbcingincubatcdthatrchcctcd
ancwsctoIvalucs.Cdschoolvcrsusncwschoo.Jrustingyour
tcamvcrsusdoingitalyoursct cing cmcicntvcrsusivingin
thchospita.
At Alpha, thc rcIormcrs had thc spacc and thc languagc
nccdcdtobrcwancwidcntity.Atcta, thcydidn't.Jhccssons
arcccar. IIyouwanttochangcthcculturcoIyourorganization,
you`vcgottogctthcrcIormcrstogcthcr.Jhcynccdarccspacc.
JhcynccdtimctocoordinatcoutsidcthcgazcoIthcrcsistcrs.
Countcrintuitivcy,you`vcgottolctyourorganizationhavcan
idcntityconbict.Foratimc,atcast,you`vcgottopcrmitan"us
vcrsus thcm" struggc to takcplacc. Vc know this vioatcs our
"wc'rcaonthcsamctcam,"Kumbaya-ishinstincts.It'snotdc-
sirabc,butit'sncccssary.JhinkoIitasorganizationamolting.
Jo cncoutagcthismotinginyourcuturc,thinkoIathctools
48 5 h A P L T h L P AT h
wcvc buit up in thc ath scction. !irst, you nccd to twcak thc
cnvironmcnt to providc a Ircc spacc Ior discussion. ^t ^pha, thc
rotationa tcams had a privatc pacc to mcct, and that crcatcd a
Ircc spacc whcrc thc ncw idcntity coud grow. Oo your own "rc-
Iormcrs havc a privatc pacc whcrc thcy can mcct and coordinatc:
Sccond, you shoud buiId good habits. Kcca thc idca oI ac-
tion triggcrs-visuaizing whcn and whcrc you arc going to do
somcthing important. Jhc intcrns at ^pha wcrc csscntiay sct-
ting action triggcrs. Jhcy thought about what thcy wouId say,
and how thcy woud act, whcn p.m. camc and thc signout
proccss was triggcrcd. Jhcy mcntay rchcarscd how thcy woud
rcspond iI an argumcnt harcd up with thc night rcsidcnt. avc
mcmbcrs oI your tcam rchcarscd how thcyI rcact whcn thcy
mcct rcsistancc Irom your organizations "oId guard:
!inay, you shoud raIy thc hcrd. ^t ^Ipha, thc Icadcrs hcpcd
thc rcIormcrs hnd onc anothcr, and thc rcIormcrs bcgan to crc-
atc a anguagc-as wc saw in thc cxampIcs oI thc dcsignatcd
drivcr and ataki-that aowcd thcm to tak about thcir vaucs
with othcrs. Aa Icadcr, you can hcp prod thcm to crcatc this an-
guagc, to hnd ways to articuatc what is dihcrcnt and bcttcr about
thc changc you scck.
V.
c startcd thc ath scction by discussing thc !undamcnta ^t-
tribution Lrror-thc tcndcncy to attributc bchavior to pcopcs
charactcr rathcr than to thcir cnvironmcnts. Look again at thc
tcaching-hospita cxampc. ^t ^pha, 42 pcrccnt oI supcriors sup-
portcd thc changc, at Bcta, 66 pcrccnt supportcd it. ^most aI oI
us woud havc put our moncy on Bcta. ot many of us, whcn
conIrontcd with that data, wouId havc immcdiatcy thought, Ks,
butuhataboutthesituationa/ /rces
K t h e N e f d 249
^t thc two hospitas, individua charactcr compctcd with sit-
uatona Iorccs, and situationa Iorccs won. Jhis brings us back
h circc to thc Iood drivc study, whcrc a crk with ccar in-
structions was morc charitabc ma saint with gcncric instruc-
tions. Jhc inc bctwccn sants and jcrks wasnt as ccar as wc might
havc thought. cithcr was thc inc bctwccn supportcrs and rc-
sstcrs oI hospita rcIorm.
Il thc right ath can turn a crk into a saint, thcn thc right
ath can aso turn a changc cncmy into an ay.

BB hB bW fh 0ng
I .
"^ ong journcy starts with a sngIc stcp. ^ cIchcs go, thats
prctty wisc.
But you know what csc starts with a singIc stcp! ^n -
conccvcd ambIc that you abandon ahcr a Icw mnutcs.
So, ycs, a ong ourncy starts with a sngc stcp, but a singIc
stcp docsnt guarantcc thc Iong journcy. How do you kccp thosc
stcps coming!
Jhc brst thing to do s rccognzc and cccbratc that brst stcp.
Somcthng youvc donc has workcd. Youvc dircctcd thc Kdcr,
youvc motvatcd thc LIcphant, you'vc shapcd thc ath-and now
your tcam is moving, or yourc moving. hcn you spot movc-
mcnt, you'vc got to rcnIorcc t. Cn this front, wc can takc n-
spiration Irom a rathcr unIikcy sourcc. trancrs oI cxotc anmaIs.
Jhc writcr ^my Suthcrand studcd anima trancrs who tcach
doIphns to ump through hoops and monkcys to ridc skatc-
K 0 0 g I 0 0 W I L 0 0 0 @ Z5I
boards. Jhcsc arc vcry, vcry ong j ourncys indccd. hat do you
do, in thc hrst hour oI thc hrst day, to tcach a monkcy how to ridc
a skatcboard:
Jhc answcr docsnt invovc punishmcnt. ^nima traincrs
rarcy usc punishmcnt thcsc days. You can punish an ccphant
ony so many timcs bcIorc you wind up as a spintcr. nstcad,
traincrs sct H bchaviora dcstination and thcn usc "approxima-
tions, mcaning that thcy rcward cach tiny stcp toward thc dcs-
tination. or cxampc, in thc hrst hour oI thc hrst day oI training,
thc hturc skatcboarding monkcy gcts a chunk oI mango Ior not
hcaking out whcn thc traincr puts thc board in his cagc. Latcr, hc
gcts mango Ior touching thc board, thcn Ior sitting on it, thcn for
ctting thc traincr push him back and Iorth on it. Nango, mango,
mango. Hundrcds oI scssions atcr, youvc got a mango-boatcd
monkcy rcady to skatc a haI-pipc.
A^my Suthcrand studicd thc cxotic-anima traincrs, shc
had an cpiphany: Shc wondcrcd what woud happcn iI shc uscd
thcsc tcchnigucs on that "stubborn but ovabc spccics, thc ^mcr-
ican husband. nspircd by thc idca, shc wrotc a hiarious N
KrkImesarticc on hcr attcmpts to train hcr husband. Jhc ar-
ticc, "hat Shamu Jaught Nc ^bout a Happy Narriagc, bc-
camc thc most c-maicd articc on thc 7meswcbsitc in Z00, and
it cd to a book on thc samc topc.
rustratcd by hcr husband`s various pccadiocs, Suthcrand
bcgan to usc approximations with him: "You cant cxpcct a ba-
boon to carn to hip on command in onc scssion, just as you
can`t cxpcct an ^mcrican husband to bcgin rcguary picking up
his dirty socks by praising him oncc Ior picking up a singc sock.
ith thc baboon you hrst rcward a hop, thcn a biggcr hop, thcn
an cvcn biggcr hop. ith Scott thc husband, bcgan to praisc
cvcry sma act cvcry timc. ifhc drovc just a mic an hour sowcr,
tosscd onc pair of shorts into thc hampcr, or was on timc Ior
2b2 K e e g I h e b w I t h U 0 n g
anything. ^nd Scott, baskng n thc apprccaton, bcgan to
changc.
Jhs approach contrasts wth much oI thc thinkng on m-
provng rcatonshps at work. !or nstancc, you probaby havc
bccn askcd to takc a pcrsonaty tcst or a "work stylc tcst Ior a
job. Jhc dca s that it you undcrstand your colcagucs "typcs,
you' al gct aong bcttcr. ^nd somc pcopc may hnd thc know-
cdgc oI typcs uscIu. But notcc that ths sounds ikc undamcn-
ta ^ttrbution Lrror thnkng. Jo dcvcop bcttcr rclatonshps,
you dont nccd to know whcthcr your colcaguc s a ^avgator or
a cascr or a assvc-^ggrcssvc Lhchan. You just nccd to no-
tcc and rcnIorcc your colcagucs positvc bchavors-as Suthcr-
and dd wth hcr husband-and trust that your colcaguc wi
do thc samc wth you. ^hcr a, advcc about agnng stycs and
cxpcctatons can`t bc thc answcr to cvcrythng. ^ trancr in La-
Iorna taught six ccphants to stand in a inc and urnatc on com-
mand, and thcy hadn't cvcn compctcd a Nycrs-Brggs.
KcnIorccmcnt s thc sccrct to gcttng past thc hrst stcp oI
your ong journcy and on to thc sccond, thrd, and hundrcdth
stcps. ^nd thats a probcm, bccausc most oI us arc tcrrbc rcin-
Iorccrs. c arc guckcr to grousc than to praisc. ^t work, wc ovc
to bond wth our coIIcagucs through communa companing.
(Suthcrand cas ths bchavor vcrba grooming.) But ths s aI
wrong. c nccd to bc ooking Ior brght spots-howcvcr tny|
and rcwardng thcm. I you want your boss or your tcam to
changc, you bcttcr gct a ttlc css stngy wth thc mango.
Lcarnng to spot and cccbratc approxmatons rcguircs us to
scan thc cnvronmcnt constantly, ooking Ior ttc rays oI sun-
shnc, and t snt casy. Lur Kidcrs, by naturc, Iocus on thc ncg-
ativc. robcms arc casy to spot, progrcss, much hardcr. But thc
progrcss s prccous. Shamu didn't lcarn to jump through a hoop
bccausc hcr trancr was btchng at hcr. Shc carncd bccausc shc
K e e g I h e b w I t h U o n g >J
had a traincr who was paticnt and Iocuscd and rcinIorccd cvcry
stcp oI thc journcy.
sychoogist ^an Kazdin prcscribcs an amost idcntica sct oI
tcchniqucs Ior parcnts. Kazdin urgcs parcnts to "catch thcir chi-
drcn bcing good. Hc said, I you want your chid to do two
hours oI homcwork on hcr own cvcry night, you dont withhod
praisc and rcwards unti shc docs two hours oI homcwork with-
out bcing askcd to. nstcad, you sct sma goas and graduay
buid hcr up. ^nd whcn a chid docsnt gct somcthing right,
Kazdin adviscd. "^sk yoursct `as thcrc anything about it thats
a componcnt oI what 'd ikc hcr to do: I thc answcrs ycs, and
it amost aways is, thcn ump on that componcnt: Ituasgeat
thatoudid`.
Kazdin points out that in ccrtain situations, parcnts do this
kind oI rcinIorccmcnt instinctivcy~Ior instancc, whcn a chid
hrst starts trying to wk. "You prascd him widy whcn hc pucd
himscI up Irom a crawing to a standing posturc. You hcd his
hands and hcpcd him to takc a Icw stcps, cncouraging him by cx-
caiming, Lookatou!Ku'reua/king!Vhata/ig/o!Hc was not
waking, oI coursc . . . but you wcrc shaping that bchavior by rc-
inIorcing thc stagcs on thc way to it.
Lcts bc ccar, wc`rc not advising that you trcat your cocagucs
or Icow citzcns ikc monkcys or chidrcnRogefoucut/ack
ouroenses /tmonth!whata/ig/oou are!KcinIorccmcnt
docsnt havc to bc condcsccnding, and it docsnt havc to comc
with a powcr dynamic. Jhink oI thc way a Iricnd urgcs you on
at thc gym ("Lood work-now do onc morc rcp!) . But rcin-
Iorccmcnt docs rcquirc you to havc a ccar vicw oI thc dcstination,
and it rcquircs you to bc savvy cnough to rcinIorcc thc bright-
spot bchaviors whcn thcy happcn.
Jhc most important csson wc can carn Irom Kazdin and thc
anima trancrs is this: Lhangc isnt an cvcnt, its a proccss. Jhcrc
2:4 K e e g I h e b w l I t h U o l n g
s no momcnt whcn a monkcy carns to skatcboard, thcrcs a
proccss. Jhcrc s no momcnt whcn a chd carns to wak, thcrcs
a proccss. ^nd thcrc wont bc a momcnt whcn your communty
starts to nvcst morc n ts schoo systcm, or starts rccycing morc,
or starts to bcaut ts pubc spaccs, thcrc w bc a proccss. Jo
cad a proccss rcgurcs pcrsstcncc.
^ long journcy rcguircs lots oI mango.
.
n thc !cphant sccton, wc tod thc story oI Stcvcn Kcman, thc
man who acccptcd thc dauntng task oI rcIormng thc Icdcra
govcrnmcnts procurcmcnt proccsscs. n hs book 0n/eashing
Change, hc obscrvcd an cncouragng dynamc n hs changc cI-
Iorts: Lncc thc changc startcd, it sccmcd to Iccd on tsct
c`vc sccn ths snowbaing chcct many timcs. Jhc ctzcns oI
Nncr Lounty, cagcr to rcvtazc thcr communty, bcgan thcr
chorts by simpy digging up trcc stumps. ithn a Icw ycars, thcy
managcd to bud up thc tax basc oI thc cntirc county. ^t Kack-
spacc, thc customcr-scrvcc tcam had thc ca-qucung systcm un-
puggcd. t was a smpc changc, but t ddnt takc ong bcIorc thc
customcr-scrvcc cthc took root and cd thc company to a spcc-
tacuar pcriod oI growth.
!cman, thc procurcmcnt guru, attrbutcd thc snowbaIlng
chcct to scvcra phcnomcna. sychoogsts ca onc oI thcm thc
mereexosureg ct,whch mcans that thc morc you`rc cxposcd to
somcthng, thc morc you kc t. or nstancc, whcn thc !hc
Jowcr was hrst crcctcd, arsans hatcd t. Jhcy thought t was a
haI-hnshcd skccta bight on thcr Iar city, and thcy rcspondcd
wth a Ircnzy oI protcst. But as timc wcnt ly, pubic opnon
cvovcd Irom hatrcd to acccptancc to adoraton. Jhc mcrc cxpo-
surc prncpc assurcs us that a changc chort that ntaly Iccs
K e e g I h e b w I t h U 0 n g bb
unwccomc and Iorcign wi graduay bc pcrccivcd morc Iavor-
aby as pcop|c grow accustomcd to it.
^so, cogniti:edissonanceworks in your Iavor. copc don't
Iikc to act in onc way and think in anothcr. So oncc a sma stcp
has bccn takcn, and pcopc havc bcgun to act in a ncw way, it
wi bc incrcasingy dimcut Ior thcm to disikc thc way thcy'rc
acting. Simiary, as pcopc bcgin to act dihcrcnty, thcy start to
think oI thcmscvcs dihcrcnty, and as thcir idcntity cvovcs, it
wi rcinIorcc thc ncw way oI doing things. (Jhink oI Brasiata`s
"invcntors.
Kcman points out that thcsc Iorccs arcn't contingcnt on
changc chorts bcing succcssh in thc cary going, thcsc arcn`t thc
rcinIorcing spois oI achicving "sma wins. Kathcr, thcy kick in
automaticay as timc gocs by. So, athough incrtia may bc a Ior-
midabc opponcnt in thc cary goings oI your switch, at somc
point incrtia wi shiIt Irom rcsisting changc to supporting it.
Sma changcs can snowba to big changcs.
3.
Jhcsc arc cncouraging rcaizations: Big changcs can start with
vcry smaI stcps. Sma changcs tcnd to snowbaI. But this is not
thc samc as saying that changc is casy. I it wcrc, wc woudn't scc
around us so many strugging acohoics and troubcd marriagcs
and agging companics and thwartcd socia changc chorts.
Lhangc isn`t aways casy and it isn't aways hard. n somc ways
changc is ubiquitous, in othcrs it's unikcy.
c can say this much with conhdcncc. hcn changc works,
it tcnds to Ioow a pattcm. Jhc pcopc who changc havc ccar di-
rcction, ampc motivation, and a supportivc cnvironmcnt. n
othcr words, whcn changc works, it's bccausc thc Kidcr, thc Lc-
phant, and thc ath arc a aigncd in support oI thc switch.
5b K e e g I h e b W I t h U o n g
Jakc bccomng a parcnt. I you thnk rhc organzatonal
changc yourc conrcmpatng s wrcnchng, Iorgct about t-it
cant hod a candc to rhc amount oI changc rcqurcd by havng
kids. hatcvcr acts oI w may bc rcguircd to cxccutc your ncw
dca at work, no onc w bc cacd upon to scnd thc controcr to
cocgc (or to burp rhc LL).
Kasing chdrcn s an absolurcy massvc changc that works
prcrry darn wc, and ts no grcar mystcry why. or onc rhng, its
a cIcar and vvd dcstnaton. cvc a bccn kds, and wcvc a
sccn parcnts (our own and orhcrs) n acton. c'vc rcccvcd
dccadcs oI vcarous traning n parcnrng. So rhc Kidcr knows
whar dirccton to go and what kinds oI bchavors cad ro succcss.
(Nind you, thcrc's sr a Iot oI wnging r cn routc ro rhc dcst-
nation.)
copc havc kds bccausc oI Iccngs, nor knowcdgc. ^ rosy-
cycd coupc ooks Iorward to rasng a chd. Jhcy thnk about
whar t` bc kc to havc rhcr own Ittc bundc oI oy. So thc Lc-
phant is cxcitcd to bcgn a ong and arduous ourncy that, n
othcr crcumstanccs, mght nducc panc. urthcrmorc, parcnr-
hood s an idcntty that appcals-you start makng your dcc-
sons bascd on what`s good Ior thc kds rathcr than on what`s mosr
comIortabc Ior you. Jhc dcntty s so powcrh, n Iact, that your
Lcphant starrs cmbracng short-tcrm JQLqLCJ Ior thc good oI
thc ktds.
Lncc wc bccomc parcnts, our Ircnds and Iamcs hnd ways
to shrnk thc changc, cspccay n thc hrst Icw monrhs: Your
mom comcs to hcp in thc hrst Icw wccks, your Ircnds brng you
Iood, your cmpoycr gvcs you cavc Irom work, and your rcatvcs
kccp tabs on you.
^nd rhnk oI a thc othcr ways that soccty has shapcd thc
ath Ior rasng kids. Irom ittc thngs, kc hgh chars at Livc
Lardcn, to bg thngs, kc matcrnity cavc and schoo systcms
K e e g I h e b w I t h 0 n g b7
and ncghborhoods buIt cxpIctIy to bc good pIaccs Ior rasng
chIdrcn.
Naybc ths sounds kc common scnsc to you. But I t`s com-
mon scnsc, thcn ts common scnsc that stays conhncd to thc
"parcntng arca oI our brans. Bccausc I wc rcaIIy dd undcr-
stand why an cxtrcmc changc Ikc havng kdworks whIc mnor
changcs routncy IaI~I wc rcaIIy dd undcrstand that changc
rarcIy happcns unIcss t`s motvatcd by IccIng, or that thc
cnvronmcnt can act as a powcrh brakc or acccIcrant on our
bchavor-thcn, Ict's Iacc t, thc ood yramd wouId not cxst,
managcrs wouId ncvcr kck oh changc ntatvcs wth owcront
prcscntatons, and gIobal warmng actvsts wouId ncvcr taIk
about thc numbcr oI carbon parts pcr mIIon n thc atmosphcrc.
I ts common scnsc, t hasn't gutc madc thc Icap to acton.
hcn changc happcns, t tcnds to IoIIow a pattcrn. cvc got
to stop gnorng that pattcrn and start cmbracng t.
.
hcn Nkc Komano wcnt to Vctnam, surroundcd by drugs, hc
startcd dong opum, and whcn hc camc homc, surroundcd by
Ircnds and IamIy, hc stoppcd. hcn thc cmpoyccs at Kack-
spacc had a caII-gucung systcm, thcy ddn`t answcr customcrs
cIs, and whcn thc systcm was thrown out, thcy startcd answcr-
ng. Lhangc IoIows a pattcrn.
hcn thc two oI us startcd j ury-rggng our computcrs to
hght c-ma dstractons, wc wcrc hghtng thc samc battIc as thc
pcopc who purchascd a LIocky, dctcrmncd to kccp thcmscIvcs
Irom ovcrsIccpng. Lhangc IoIows a pattcrn.
hcn somc hotcl mads wcrc gvcn an dcntty oI thcmscIvcs
as scrous cxcrcscrs, thcy turncd up thcr actvty IcvcI a notch.
hcn thc "invcntors at BrasIata taccd an ccctrcty shortagc,
25B K e e g I h e b w l I t h U o l n g
thcy camc up with so many cncrgy-saving idcas that thc hrm
cndcd up with a surpIus. Lhangc IoIows a pattcrn.
hcn |crry Stcrnin wcnt to Victnam, thc govcrnmcnt gavc
him six months to makc a dcnt in maInutrition. Hc didnt spcak
a word oI Victnamcsc, but hc kncw how to ook Ior thc bright
spots, and soon mothcrs had carncd cooking tcchniqucs that
IoiIcd manutrition. hcn thc conscrvationists at Karc saw how
St. Lucians had raicd bchind thcir parrot, thcy rcaIizcd thcy had
a bright spot on thcir hands, and sincc thcn, thcy'vc sprcad "ridc
campaigns to ovcr hhy countrics. Lhangc Ioows a pattcrn.
hats notpart oI thc pattcrn is thc typc oI pcrson whos
doing thc changing. c mcntioncd a Icw LLLs in this book,
but wc mcntioncd vastIy morc pcopc who had css imprcssivc ti-
tIcs and who didn`t havc much moncy in thcir budgcts. proIcssors
and nurscs and middc managcrs and govcrnmcnt burcaucrats
and principaIs and parcnts. Jhcir qucsts rangcd Irom ccccntric
to cpic. c saw a proIcssor who shrank movicgocrs` popcorn con-
taincrs, and two pcopIc who rcincd in ^tta thc ^ccountant, and
a woman who rcIormcd chid abuscrs, and a man with a stah oI
7; who savcd !00,000 Iivcs.
Jhcir situations wcrc dihcrcnt, and thc scac of thcir changcs
was dihcrcnt, but thc pattcrn was thc samc. Jhcy dircctcd thc
Kidcr, thcy motivatcd thc Lcphant, and thcy shapcd thc ath.
^nd now its your pattcrn.
hat wi you switch:

H\Y 1\ N11 1 bW
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ML N M b 1MLLb
he|e we ||st twe|ve common p|ob|ems that peop|e encounte| as they !ight !or
change, a|ong with some advice about overcomi ng them. (Note that we'|e
speak|ng in shorthand hereth|s adv|ce won't make sense to anybody who
hasn't |ead the book.)
PfODN POQ OOOT S TH OO TO CH&O@.
~0vlC0. 1. You a|e not go|ng to overcome th|s by ta|k|ng to the Ride|. l nstead,
!ind the !ee| |ng. Can you do a d|amatic demonst|at|on |ike the 6|ove Sh||ne,
or |i ke Robyn Wate|s's demos at Ta|get! . C|eate empathy. Show peop|e the
prob|ems with 00I changing (th|nk Att||a the Accountant). J.Tweak the env|
ronment so that whether peop|e 500 the need to change |s |r|e|evant. Remem
be|, Rackspace emp|oyees didn't necessar||y see the need to improve custome|
sen|ce, but a!te| the ca||queu|ng system d|sappea|ed, they had to pick up the
phone.
PfODm N H&VO@ TH OOT OVOTO Hf QfOD N PO-
Q fSST N O& DC&US TH S& WV OVf OO T
K TH&T Of.
~0vlC0. 1 . h|gh|ight |dentity. ls the|e some aspect o! you| idea that's consistent
w|th the his!o|y o! your organization! (E.g., W090 8w 0000 l00 l0000H l0
I0l5 l00U5IQ.) 0| is you| idea cons|stent w|th a p|o!ess|ona| ident|ty that people
sha|e! . ||nd a b||ght spot that l5 invented here and c|one |t.
D V 0 f L 0 m 0 0 5 I 8 L 0 5
PfOD N W SDOUO D OOO@ Somethng, DUT Wf @TTO@
DO@@O OOWO O &O&SS.
~0vlCC. 1. 0cn't cve|ana|yte and p|ay Ic the weaknesses c! the Ride|. |nstead,
!|nd a !ee|ing that wi|| get the E|ephant mcving. . C|eate a dest|naticn pcst
card. Tat way, the Rider sta|ts ana|yting 00w I0 g0I I00l0 rathe| than w00I00I
80yI0l0g 500U0 00 0000. J. Simp||!y the prcb|em by sc|ipting the c||t|ca| mcves.
What's ycur equiva|ent c! the Vmi|k campaign!
PfODN 1D OVfOONOT H&S SDTO, &OO W OO TO OVf-
CON OUf OO Q&TTfOS O DD&V Of.
~0v/CC. 1 . Can ycu c|eate a new habit sc the R|der dcesn't ccnstant|y have tc
wrest|e the E|ephant! . Set an acticn t||gge|. Pre|cad ycu| dec|s|cn by |magin
ing the time and p|ace where ycu'|e gc|ng tc act d|!Ie|ent|y. J.0se Nata|ie E|de|'s
st|ategy c! creating a |cut|ne !cr the mcrn|ng that e||m| nates the c|d, bad be
havic|. 4.The c|d pattern is pcwe|!u|, sc make su|e tc sc||pt the c|it|ca| mcves,
because amb|guity |s the enemy. A|| rai||cad came up with !cu| s|mp|e |u|es tc
wc|k |ts way cut c! !inancia| d|st|ess.
PfODN POQ S NQ &fOT NOTV&TO TO CH&O@.
~0vlCC. 1. |s an |dent|ty ccn!||ct standing | n the way! |sc, ycu'|| need tc se||
the new |dentity (think Brasi |ata's inventcrs). Enccu|age pecp|e tc take a sma||
step tcward the new identity, as |n the 0r|ve Sa!e|y study. .C|eate a destina
t|cn pcstcard that makes the change mc|e attract|ve (||ke the teache| whc tc|d
her !i|st g|aders Ycu'|| be thi|d g|aders by the end c! the yea|). J. |cwer the
ba| tc get pecp|e mcv|ng, as w|th the 5M|nute Rccm Rescue. 4.0se sccia| p|es
su|e tc enccu|age change (as when 6erard Cachcn pcsted the review t|mes !c|
the cperat|cns curna|). b. Can ycu smccth the Path sc much that even an un
mctivated perscn wi|| s||de a|cng! Remembe( even erks in the dc|m dcnated tc
the !ccd d|ive when g|ven a spec|c |nv|taticn and a map.
V 0 f L 0 m 0 g 0 5 I 8 L 0 5 2bJ
PfODN CH&O@ TONOffOW.
~0vlC0. 1. Shr|nK the change sc ycu can start tcday. . |! ycu can't start tcday,
set an acticn tr|gger !c| tcmc|rcw. J. MaKe ycurse|! acccuntab|e tc scmecne.
|et ycur cc||eagues cr |cved cnes Kncw what ycu'|e try|ng tc change, sc thei|
pee| pressu|e wi|| he|p ycu.
PfODN POQ KQ S&O@, T W OVf WOfK.
~0v/C0. 1 . |i nd a b||ght spct that shcws i t can wcrK. There's nc situat|cn that's
OO pe|cent !a||u|e. |iKe a sc|ut|cns!ccused therap|st, |ccK !c| the !|ashes c! suc
cess. .T|n| c! B|| | Parce||s and the way he prcds p|ayers !c| sma|| v|ctc||es |n
practice. Can ycu eng|nee| a success that ccu|d change ycur team's attitude! J.
Scme pecp|e p|cbab|y 00 th|nK it wi | | wcrK. Cawe cut a !|ee space !c| them
where they can caIa|yte the change w|thcut !acing d||ect cppcsiticn.
PfODN KOOW WH&T SHOUO D OOO@, DUT N OOT
OOO@ T.
~0v/C0 1. Kncwing isn't encugh. Ycu've gct an E|ephant prcb|em. .Ti nK c!
the 5M| nute Rccm Rescue. Starting sma|| can he|p ycu cve|ccme dread. What
|s the mcst tr|v|a| th|ng that ycu can dc||ght at th|s mcmentthat wcu|d
rep|esent a baby step tcward the gca|! J.|ccK !c| Path sc|uticns. hcw can ycu
tweaK ycu| env|rcnment sc that ycu'te !crced tc change! 4. Behav|c| is ccn
tag|cus. 6et scmecne e|se invc|ved w|th ycu sc that ycu can |e| n!crce each
cthe|.
PfODN XOU OOOT KOOW N QOQ. 1H BDSOUT H&T
CHBO@.
~0v/C0. hcw many c! ycu| pecp|e a|e ma|||ed cr have a chi|d! Whatever ycu'|e
p|cpcs|ng |s a less dramatic change. (And, by the way, |eread the sect|cn cn the
|undamenta| Attr|buticn Errc|. Ycu'|e ccmmitt|ng |t.)
Zb4 V f C 0 R @ B S I & C S
PfODN POQ Wf XCTO &T fST, DUT THO W H T SON
fOU@H Q&ICHS &OO OST NONOIUN.
~0v/C0. 1. |ocus on bu||d|ng hab|ts. When you c|eate habits, you get the new be
havio| "!o| !|ee (think o! the standup meetings), and you'|e |ess ||ke|y to back
s||de. . Motivate the E|ephant by |em|nding peop|e how much they've a||eady
accomp||shed (|ike putting two stamps on the|| ca|wash cards). J.Teach the
g|owth mindset. Eveq success |s go|ng to |nvo|ve |ough atches. Reca|| the l0E0
examp|e, wh|ch wa|ned peop|e not to pan|c when the go|ng got tough.
PfOD N TS UST TOO NUCH.
~0vlC0. 1 . Sh|ink the change unti| |t's not too much. 0on't g|ve the E|ephant an
excuse to g|ve up. .Stad deve|op|ng the g|owth m|ndset. P|og|ess doesn't a|
ways come easi |yach|eving success |equ||es some !a||0|es a|ong the way. 0on't
beat you|se|! up when those !a||u|es occu|.
PfODN bVfOO SNS IO &@f IH&T W OO TO CH&O@,
DUT OOTHO@S H&QQOO@.
~0vlC0. 1. Remembe|, what |ooks ||ke |es|stance |s oRen |ack o! c|a||ty. M|ne|
County |es|dents |ea||y sta|ted moving when the high schoo| studenu sc|ipted the
c|it|ca| move o! spend|ng !0pe|cent mo|e money |n Mine| County. . 0on't !o|get
the Pth. A|e the|e obstac|es to change Ihat you can |emove! J. Can you !ind a
b||ght spot that can sene as a mode| !o| the ||ght behav|o|! T|nk o! the mothers
in the ietnamese vi||age. Tey a|ways wanted the|| k|ds to be beRe| nou||shed, but
they d|dn't change unt|| two th|ngs happened. (! ) They |ea|ned exact|y what to do
!|om the b|ightspot moms (e.g., use b|ine sh|imp and sweet-potato g|eens), (2)
S|ng the success o! the b||ghtspot moms made them hope!u| and |eady to move.
N0XI bI05
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WBDS|IB'
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c rcad tons oI books on changc whc wrtng Suitch. Hcrc C
somc oI our Iavortcs, n no particuar ordcr.
!heHainess]othesis, by|onathan Hadt sycho-
ogy, hosophy, Happncss| . Hadt camc up with thc Lc-
phantlKdcr anaogy that wc usc n Suitch. I you want to
bc happcr and smartcr, you shoud rcad his book.
Mindset, by Laro wcck sychoogy, ndivdua
changc] . f you Iound our dscusson oI thc growth mnd-
sct (in Lhaptcr 7)ntcrcsting, thcn pcasc go to thc sourcc.
Lvcryonc shoud own ths book.
!heHearto/Change, by|ohn Kottcr and an Lohcn
Busncss and organzatona changc] . Lur Iavortc book
of !ottcr`s, ths book w bc uscfu I you arc tryng to
changc a bg organzation.
b8 K e t o m m e n d I o n 5 o f A d d I o n l K e d n g
Mind/essEating, by brian ansnk Oictingj . Oo you
want to osc a Icw pounds, or arc you just curious about
why cvcryonc csc is gctting Iattcr: Jhis book s hcd wm
ccvcr rcscarch kc thc popcorn study wc dcscrbcd in thc
hrst chaptcr.
" !udge, by Kchard hacr and Lass Sunstcin Occision
makng and pubic poicyj . Jhc authors arguc that pcopc
can bc "nudgcd to makc bcttcr dccsons, and thcy pro-
posc somc grcat lath soutions.
OneSmadSte Can Change XurLq,by Kobcrt Nau-
rcr ndivdua and organzationa changcj . I you ikcd
thc chaptcr on shrinkng thc changc, this is your book.
Naurcr shows how sma stcps can cad to grcat changc.
" Dioorceusting, by Nchcc cincr-Oavis Kcaton-
shpsj . ^nyonc n a rcationshp can bcncht Irom this
book by a practtioncr oI soutions-Iocuscd thcrapy.
" !nuencer, by Kcrry attcrson ct a. Soccta and orga-
nzationa changcj . hc authors bchnd Crucia/Coniersa-
tiomwrotc ths cxcccnt book on bchavor changc.
" Cn/eashingChange, by Stcvcn Kcman Govcrnmcnt,
Lrganizationa changc] . Kcman rcvicws his cxpcricncc in
cadng procurcmcnt rcIorm in thc Icdcra govcrnmcnt. !I
you'rc ooking Ior a changc book thars rigorous and ml oI
data, chcck out this onc.
N0 6S
ChapterOne
ogLotu- or dozcns oI ccvcr studics oI cating bchavior, scc
rian Vansink (200), Minduss Eating, Mcw York: antam Icll.
Jhc popcorn study is on pp. !I .
5 ClnUy. Sacs statistics comc |rom this MJ oninc magazinc.
http.l/wcb.mit.cdulinvcntliowlnanda.html (acccsscd |unc 20,
200). Most o| thc salcs camc through Manda's own wcbsitc. Ac-
cording to thc articc, Manda "was somcwhat takcn by surprisc
whcn thc dcvicc attractcd a grcat dca o| attcntion ahcr its dc-
scription was postcd, aong with dozcns o| othcr studcnt proj-
ccts, on thc Mcdia Lab wcbsitc. Scvcra trcnd-watching bogs and
wcbsitcs such as Lngadgct took notc o| thc Clocky conccpt and
soon had introduccd thousands oI potcntial customcrs to thc dc-
vicc through photos and nks onlinc. Gauri Manda rcccivcd an
Ig Mobc rizc in Lconomics in 2005 Ior "thcorcticay adding
many morc hours to thc workday.
7 ouaU Mdt. Scc Haidt (200), Ihe Hainess Hothesis:
Findir:g Modern Iruth in ncient wisdom, Mcw York. asic
2/O N o I e $
Books, cspccaIy pp. 35. Hadt rcvcws mctaphors prcscntcd
by Buddha, Iato (ncIudng thc guotation wc ncIudc) , and
rcud and thcn prcscnts hs own mctaphor. c Iovc hs LIc-
phant/Rdcr mctaphorparticuIarIy thc obvous mbalancc in
physcapowcrbctwccnthctwo-andwc'rcgratctuI tohm lor
Icttingususcthcrc.n Ihe Hainess Hothesis, adtlocuscs
noton changc but rathcr on undcrstandngwhatwc can carn
aboutbcnghappytromthcntcrsccton otccnturtsol wisdom
andmodcrnpsychoogy. lyouwantto bchappicrandsmartcr,
rcadhsbook.
I 0 bct-contro s & ausUbc rcsourcc. Jhc papcrswccircin
thisscctonarctromancxcitngarcaotrcscarch, startcdinthcIast
hhccnycars.JhccIasschrstpapcr,whchncIudcsthcchocoIatc-
chipcookcstudy, sRoy Baumcstcr, LIcn Bratslavsky, Mark
Muravcn, and Lannc M. Jicc ( I 8), "Lgo Lcplction. s thc
^ctvcScItaLimtcdRcsourcc:}oua/ o/Persona/: and Socm/
Pscho/og, /4, I 252~265. Jhcsad-movc studyspartotMark
Muravcn, Lannc M. Jcc, andRoyBaumcistcr ( I 8), "oct-
Lontro as Lmitcd Rcsourcc. RcguIatory Lcpcton attcrns,"
}oua/ o/Persona/i and Socia/ Pscho/ogy, 4, 77478. Jhccx-
pcrimcnts that show thc scI|-control probcms nduccd by too
manychoccsarcdcscrbcdnKathIccn L.Vohs,RoyBaumcis-
tcr ct a. (2008), "Makng Lhoccs mpars oubscgucnt oct-
LontroI. ^ Lmtcd-Rcsourcc ^ccount ot Lccison Makng,
Sct-Rcgulaton,and^ctvcntatvc,"}ourna/ o/Persona/i and
Socia/ Pchougj; V9, 88388. nthcwcdding-rcgstrystudy,cx-
pcrimcnta particpants spcnt onIy twcIvc mnutcs scttng up a
simuIatcdrcgstry,yctthatshortamountoltimcwa ssumcicntto
sapthcrscl-controI.Gvcnthatrcabridcsspcndmonthschoos-
ingnvtations, pIaccscttings, rcccptionvcnucs, andmusc sts,
itsnowondcrthatsomc turnintoBrdczIIas.
I 3 424knd ot oVcs. |on Stcgncr`s storyandthcguotatonsarc
lrom|ohn Kottcr and Lan S. Lohcn (2002), Ihe Heart o/
Change, Boston. HarvardBusncssSchooIrcss,pp.230.
I 5 I%miorthcstoryolthcdcvclopmcntotthiscampagn,scc
Stcvc Booth-ButtcrhcId and BII Rcgcr (2004), "Jhc Mcssagc
Lhangcs BcIctand thc Rcst sJhcory. Jhc ` I M or Lcss' MiIk
N o t e $ 2/J
LamagnandRcasoncd^ction,Pre:enti:e Medicine, 39, 58! -
588. Jhc actual study is dcscribcd i nBII, Rcgcr, Margo G.
ootan,StcvcnBooth-ButtcrhcId,andHoliSmth( ! 998)," ! M
or Lcss. ^ Lommunty-Bascd utrton Lampagn, Pul/ic
Hea/th Reorts, 1!3. 4! 0-4! 9.
! 9 In2004,DonaldBerwid.Bcrwick`s ! 00,000Ivcscampagnis
thcsubcctotacascstudyprcparcdbyLhp`scoIIcagucsatStan-
tord Lnvcrsity`s Graduatc SchooI otBusincss. Scc Hayagrccva
Rao andLavdHoyt(2008),"nsttutctorHcaIthcarc mprovc-
mcnt.JhcLampaigntoSavc ! 00,000Lvcs, StantordGraduatc
SchooI otBusincss Lasc StudyL- IJ. or addtionaI insght nto
this casc, chcckout an articIc by Rao and Robcrt Sutton (Scp-
tcmbcr 2008), "JhcLrgonomicsotnnovaton, 1he McKins
Quarter[. http.// .mcknscyguartcrIy.com/Jhc_crgonom-
ics_oI_nnovation_2! 97 (acccsscdMay ! 7,2009).
ChapterTwo
27 InI990,)erryStein.JhcVctnamstoryscompiIcdtromvar-
ioussourccs.^artcIcbyLavdLorscy(Lcccmbcr2000),"os-
tvc Ocviant, Fast Coman, p. 42, hrst ntroduccd popuar
audcnccs to|crryandMoniguc Stcrnns work onpostivcdc-
viancc. Cthcr dctais arc tromjcrry Stcrnins prcscntaton atthc
Bostoo Locgc Lcntcr tor Lorporatc Soca RcsponsbIty n
^pril 2008 andtromntcrvicwsol|crryStcrnnbyLhip Hcath
inMarchand^prI2008 andotMoniguc StcrninnMay2009.
2/ Wewerele orphs."Mostotthcdrcctguotatons nthis
scctonarctrom Lorscy, "ostivc Lcviant."
28 Brightspots.Stcrnn`stcrmtorthcscoutIicrssositi:e d:iants,
whch s bascd on astatstca anaIogy. cturc a statisticaI bcII
curvc on whch most pcopc havc outcomcs around avcragc.
Stcrnio was ooking tor pcopIc on thc postvc taiI otthc bcII
curvc.
^though thc positvc dcviancc mcthodoIogy ponccrcd by
Stcrnnsvcryuscm,wctoundthatthc"dcvancctcrminoIogy
tcndsto bcconmsingoroh-puttingto pcopcwhoarcn`ttaml-
iarwrhstatistics,sowcuscthc"brgt-spotstcrmnoogy. Latcr
272 N o t e $
nthischaptcr,wc carrythctcrm lright son ovcrto othcrsitua-
tonsthatnvoIvccccptona postvcpcrtormancc.
jcrry Stcrnn dcd n ovcmbcr 2008. Hs work vcs on
throughthcworkotMonigucStcrnnandthcositvcLcvancc
ntiatvc atJuns Lnvcrsity. !oranovcrvcwotthcargcnum-
bcr otdomans nwhichpositvc dcvancc mcthods havcpro-
duccd substantaI changc, scc thc bbography ot work at
http.// .postvcdcviancc.org/matcriaIs/bib_subj .htmI. osi-
tvc dcvianccwas onc otthc "dcas otthcYcar" hghIghtcdby
Neu Xrk Hmes Magazine in2008.
J2 EmoryUniversity's School ofPublic Health. Scc \. Agncs
Jrnh Mackntosh, Lavd R. Marsh, and Lrk G. Schrocdcr
(2002), "Sustancd ostvc Lcvant LhId Larc ractccs and
JhcrLhcctsonLhIdGrowthinVictam,Food and Nutrition
Bu/letin, 23. ! 6-25.
JJ "Schoolstink"saidBobby. Bobbysstorystrom]ohn|. Mur-
phy ( ! 994), "orkngwithhatorks. ^ Soution-ocuscd
^pproach to SchooI Bchavor robIcms, Schoo/ Counse/or 42,
59-+6.
J4 Solutions-focusedbrieftherapy. ^ rcIatvcIy ncw thcrapcutic
approach,soIutons-tocuscdbrctthcrapy(SBJ)wasponccrcd
bythcrapsts at thcaIoAIto Mcnta Rcscarchnsttutc, whcrc
StcvcdcShazcrandnsoo Kim Bcrgddthcrtraining. LcShazcr
and Bcrg arcknowntor thcr cmphassonsoutons andonthc
MracIc Qucston, which wc consdcr Iatcr. S!BJhas bccn ap-
pIcdmmanydhcrcntarcnas.aIacc|. GngcrchotLcct-
crn Rcscrvc kccps a st oI S!BJ studics on his wcbstc.
http.// .gngcrich. nct/SBJ/200/_rcvicw.htm.!orhs200/
rcvcwotthctcraturc,GngcrchaccumuIatcdaIstotI 50stud-
cs, most conductcd sncc I 99/, that nvcstgatcd thc chcct ot
S!BJon bchavor. S!BJhas bccn appIcd to day-io-daystua-
tons such as coupIcs thcrapy, buIIying at schooI, andhow kids
pcrtorm n math. taIso has bccn uscd with cvcn morc scrious
probIcms. domcstic voIcncc ohcndcrs, prsoncr, substancc
abuscrs,ndvduastoundguityotL\,andsucdcprcvcnton
programs. SccStcvcdcShazcr,Yvonnc Loan, HarryKorman,
JcrryJrcppcr,LrcMcLoIIum,andInsooKmBcrg(200/),More
N o I e $ 2/3
than Miracus Ihe State o/the rt o/ So/ution-Focused BriIher-
ay cw York. aworth rcss, Q. I 57.
J5 MarriagetherapistMicheleWeiner-Das.hc guotattons tn
thts scctton and thc got cxamQc arc trom ctncr-Lavts, Di:one
Bustin (! 992),cw York: oImon & ochustcr, QQ. ! 5-!8. hIs Is
onc oI thc most InsIghttu and QractIca books on changc wc
tound In any domatn. Lvcn tt your rcattonshtQ ts goIng wc,
you bcncht trom rcadtng thts book.
J6 MiracleQumtion.hts vcrston ot thc gucstton ts trom dc ohazcr
ct a., More than Mirac/es, thc book that brought dc ohazcr and
bcrg, thc toundcrs ot otb, togcthcr wIth tour othcr cxQcrtcnccd
soutIons-tocuscd thcraQtsts to tak about currcnt QractIcc. otb
thcraQtsts tyQtcay rccord thctr counscIng scsstons, wtth thcIr
ctcnts QcrmtssIon, tor usc tn tratntng ncw thcraQtsts and rchn-
Ing thctr own tcchntguc, and thcsc authors sQcnt ttmc rcvtcwtng
vIdcotuQcs ot thcraQy scsstons and askIng onc anothcr, hy dtd
you ask that thcrc: Kcadtng More than Mirac/es ts thc thcraQy
cguIvacnt ot sIttIng around rcvIcwIng gamc taQcs wtth ouQcr
bow-wtnntng tootba coachcs. ts a grcat cxQcrtcncc tor a thcr-
aQtst or counscor.
J6 BriCade.hc mo counscIng scssIons by brIan Ladc arc dc-
scrtbcd tn athryn ohInc (Narch 24, 2002),Lmon, gct haQQy,
Sun HeraH, Q. J8.Pso scc Ladc and ttam udson, Bri
Cuide :o Bri Ihera ( ! 99J),cw York: orton.
J7 ManwU adrimingproblem.hc cxamQc ts trom thc Har-
:ard Menta/ Hea/th Letter (ocQtcmbcr ! , 2006),ooutton-tocuscd
thcraQy (mcthods ot QsychothcraQy) .
4 7r. hc 7oaIr cxamQc ts dcscrtbcd tn KIchard ascac and
)crry btcrntn (Nay 2005) , Your LomQanys occrct Lhangc
cnts. Har:ard Business Re:ieus, QQ. 7J8! .
45 Learn Engish at home. Lo to httQ:// .cngtsh-at-
homc.com/vocabuary/cngtsh-word-tor-cmottons/ (acccsscd
Nay /, 2009).
46 Bad is stronger than good. hts rcvIcw QaQcr ts unusuay
ong, thorough (2JJ rctcrcnccsl), and dcQrcssIng. occ Koy
baumcIstcr, cn bratsavsky, Latrtn tInkcnaucr, and athccn
L. Nohs 200!), bad s otrongcr than Lood, Re:ieu o/ Cenera/
Z74 N o t e $
Pscho/og, 5, J2J-J70. hc hna summary guoi atton ts on
p. J55.
47 Marcus Buckingham. ntcrcstcd rcadcrs coud start wtth thts
book: bucktngham (2007),Co Put Iour Smngths to wrk: Pou-
eq/ Stes to chieoe Outstanding Permance, cw York: 1rcc
rcss.
48 A husband forgot his wife's birthday. or an cvcn trcaktcr
word, tmagInc that thc husband had torgottcn a but onc ot hts
wttcs ast tourtccn btrthdays, yct shc, bcIng a brIght-sQot ah-
ctonado, was energized bccausc shc kncw succcss was Qosstbc.
48 Solvingproblemsversusscalingsuccesses.Pnothcr domatn tn
whtch QcoQc havc madc Qrogrcss toowtng brtght sQots ts thc
hcd cacd PQQrccIattvc ngutry (A),whtch tocuscs on anayztng
succcsscs rathcr thm taturcs. or Instancc, an AQractIttoncr who
ts tnvcsttgatIng customcr-scrvIcc Qrobcms woudnt ask, hat
can wc do to mtntmtzc cIcnt angcr and comQaInts nstcad,
shcd ask, hcn havc customcrs bccn most Qcascd wtth thctr
scrtcc, and what can wc aQQy trom thosc momcnts ot succcss:
om rattcnmakcr, a Qracttttoncr ot A,says, ostttvc stortcs,
unIkc data or Ists, sttr tmagtnatIons and gcncratc cxcttcmcnt
about thc comQany and what tt ts caQabc ot accomQtshIng In
thc mturc. occ om rattcnmakcr (2005),Lhangc hrough
PQQrcctattvc nguIry, tn Managng Change to Reduce Resistance,
boston. arvard ustncss ochoo rcss, QQ. 49-5B, thc guota-
tton ts on Q. 55.
ChapterThree
49 Chronichippain.hc study that showcd Qhystctans wcrc morc
tkcy to rctcr a QatIcnt to surgcry whcn controntcd wIth two
mcdtcatton oQtIons ts Lonad P. Kcdcmctcr and Ldar ohahr
( 995),Ncdtca Lcctston Naktng tn oItuattons hat Lhcr Nu-
ttQc Ptcrnattvcs, }ourna/ o/ the merican Medical ssociation,
2Z. J02-J05.
50 Decisionparalysis. oomc ot thc anguagc I n our dIscusston ot
dcctston Qaraysts hrst aQQcarcd tn a coumn wc Wrotc tor Fast
Coman (ovcmbcr 2007), Anaysts ot araysts, httQ. //www
N o I e $ 2/5
.tastcompany.com/ magaznc/ ! 20/ anayss-ot-paraysis.htm (ac-
ccsscdMay !7, 2009).
50 Shoppingislotmoretiring.Kcscarchcrshavcshownthatthc
tocuscddccsonsyouhavc tomakcwhcyou`rc shoppngactu-
ay dcpctcyoursct-contro. hatsaps yourcontro is notthc
tmcyou spcndshoppng,t`sthcnumbcrotchoccs youhavcto
makc.JhatmustbcwhyLcccmbcrsarcsobadtorovcrndugng
ntoodanddrnk.SccKathIccnL.Vohs,Koy BaumcstcrctaI.
(2008), "Makng Lhoccs mpairs Subscgucnt Sct-Lontro.A
Lmtcd-KcsourccAccountotLccsonMakng,Sct-Kcguaton,
andActvcnitatvc,}ourna/ o/Persona/i and Socia/ Pcho/og,
91 88J-898.
50 SceneI, 2, J.SccShccnaS.ycngarandMarkK.cppcr(2000) ,
"hcnLhoccsLcmotvatng. Lan CncLcsrcJooMuch ot
aGoodJhing:}ourna/ o/Persona/i and Socia/ Pscho/og;; 79,
995-! 006. Scc Shccna Scthi-ycngar, G. Hubcrman, and
|ang(2004) ,HowMuchLhoccsJooMuU: Lontrbutons
to 40! k) Kctircmcnt ans, n C. S. Mtchcl and S. \tkus
(cds.),!emion Design and Structure: Neu Lessons ]m Beha:iora/
Finance (pp. 8J-97),Cxtord.Cxtord\nvcrstyrcss.Jhc dat-
ngstudy s Kay sman, Shccna S. ycngar, E. Kamcnca, and
tamarSmonson (2006), "GcndcrLihcrcnccsnMatcScccton.
LvdcncctromaSpccdLatingLxpcrmcnt, Quarter[ }oua/ o/
Eonomics, 12!(2), 67J-697. ShccnaS. ycngar`s bookHou W
Choose: Ihe Sultot o/Lq (Mc York.Jwcvcubishcrs)scom-
ngoutaroundMay20! 0,andyoushoudooktorit.
52 Barry Schw SccSchwartz (200J), Ihe Paradox o/ Choice:
wh More Is Less, cwYork: Lcco,p.2.
54 AmericaLaunaLogsuca(A ).Jhccascot thcBrazianrai-
roadsdcscribcdnLonadM. SuIl,AndrcLcbcnSva,andcr-
nando Martns _anuary ! 4, 2004),merica Latina Logistica,
Harvard BusncssSchooLasc 9-804- ! J9,Boston.HarvardBus-
ncssSchoorcss.
60 FoodJramid.Jhcood yramd graphc and data arc trom
thcstchttp.//mypyramd.gov/pyramd/ndcx.htm.
62 c cncaI Parb. Scc Michac Bccr, KusscA. Lscnstat, and
Bcrt Spcctor 990), Ihe Critica/ Path to Coorate Reneua/.
2/b N o t e $
boston. Harvard busncss SchooI rcss. Jhc contrast bctwccn
outcomcgoasandbchavoralgoassonp.244.
6J I I0parentswhohadabusedtheirchildren.JhcrcsuItsotthc
study arc dcscrbcd n Mark Lhamn, janc ! SIovsky, bcvcrIy
undcrburk ct aI. (2004), "arcnt-LhId ntcracton Jhcrapy
wth hyscaIIy ^busvc arcnts. Lmcacy tor Rcducng uturc
^buscRcports,}oua/ o/Comu/ting and c|inica/ P;choug 72,
500-50. Mostotthcguotatonsarctromanntcrvicwbctwccn
Lhp Hcathand bcvcrIy undcrburknCctobcr2008.
67 MinerCounq.JhcstoryotthcrcvtaIztonotMncrLountys
bascdontwosourccs. ( I) ntcrvcwsbc~ccn Lhp Hcath, Kndy
arry, and KathyLa!Ics n May2008and May 200'I and (2) an
artcIcbyjonathan Lg (March27,2005),``A armcrsLwndc,
Jowns Makcbcsto!Vhat`sIn, Street }oua/ Lg`sartcc
s cspccaIy ntcrcstng bccausc hs cdtors orgnaIy scnt hm to
wrtc a "turn out thc Ights story about thc astycars otMncr
Lounty. butthccommuntyddntknowthat,andrcsidcnnsharcd
wthhmthcrcmarkabIcchangcsotthcprcvoustcwycars.Lgwas
mprcsscd, and thc storyhcwrotcwas guardcdy optmstc, not
thcbIcaktachcdorignaIycnvsoncd. Hscdtorswcrcsoshockcd
byhsoptmstctonc thatthcy rcjcctcdhs hrsttcw drahsbccausc
hsstorywassot tromwhat thcyhadbccncxpcctng.
ChapterFour
7J Crysml]ones.|oncs`s storys tromatranngmanuaItoryoung
tcachcrs who arc gong to tcach n somc otthc toughcst schooI
dstrctsnthccountry. |oncss storysdcscrbcdon pp. 26, 50-
5 I , andthcothcrgoaI s guotcd on p. J7ot1eaching a Leader-
shi (2008),ashngton, LL.Jcach or ^mcrca.
75 BHG.Scc|amcs L. LoIns and|crry. orras ( I 994),Bui/t to
Last: Succesq/ Halits o/visiona Comanies, cw York.Harpcr
busncss.JhccxampcsotbH^GsarctromjamcsL.Lonsand
|crry1. orras Scptcmbcr-CctobcrI996) ,"buIdngYourLom-
pany`sVsion, Har:ard Business R:ieu, pp. 65-77.
76 LuraEsserman. orLsscrmans story, sccVctoraLhangand
|chrcytchcr(200J),"LauraLsscrman (^) ,StantordGraduatc
N o t e $ 11
Schoo|otBusncss Lasc StudyCB-42^. Quotatonsnotnthc
cascstudyarctrom ntcrvicws that Lhip Hcathconductcdwth
Laura Lsscrman and McrcdthcMcndcIsohninMay2009.
82 "I5%Wonequity."SccMichacIBccr, RusscI^.Lscnstat,
andBcrtSpcctor( I 990), Ihe Crinca/ Path to Organiotiona/ Re-
neual Boston. HarvardBusincssSchooIrcss, p. 85.
85 ]udySamuelson.JhsLincstromanintcrvicwbctwccnOan
Hcathand|udySamucIsonnMay2009.
87 BP's"No mholm." Industryhistory, guotations, and thcdc-
scriptonotBs"NodryhoIcs"goaIarctromntcrvicwsbyLhip
HcthwthctcLaIIaghcr,|imarnsworth,andanVannn2005.
94 ]adRivkin.JhcturnaroundotthcShcarson Lchman rcscarch
dcpartmcntis dcscribcd n^shish Nanda, Bors Groysbcrg, and
Laurcnrusincr_anuary25, 2006),Lehman Brothers )Rise o/
the Equi Research Deartment, Harvard Busincss Schoo Lasc
Study9-906-0J4, Boston. HarvardBusincss SchooI rcss.
ChapterFive
I 02 RobynWaters, Target.atcrss story is trom an intcrvicw by
Lhip McathwthRobynatcrs inNovcmbcr200d.
I05 In He Hea o[ cbaoge. Scc|ohn KottcrandLanS.Lohcn
(2002), Ihe Heart o/ Change, Boston. Harvard Busncss SchooI
rcss, p. X Jhcguotcaboutthcadvantagcs otanaytcaItooIss
onp. I 2.
I 08 HopeLab Re-Mission.Jhcbackstoryotthc Rc-Msson gamc
istroman intcrvcwbyLhp Hcathwith HopcLab rcscarch d-
rcctorStcvc Locnovcmbcr2008.Jhc HopcLab cIinicaItcst
otthc Rc-Misson gamc s dcscrbcd n amcIa M. Kato, Stcvc
Loc, ^ndrcw S. BradIyn, and Brad H. oock (2008), '`A
VdcoGamcImprovcs BchavoraI Cutcomcsin^doIcsccnts and
Young^duItswthLanccr.^RandomzcdJraI,Pediatrics, 122.
c505-c5I 7. Jhc doubing otodds tor a 20 pcrccnt incrcasc in
companccsndicatcdby|canL. Rchardsoncta.(! 990),"Jhc
LhcctotLompIianccwithJrcatmcntonSurvival^mongaticnts
with Hcmatologic Maignancics, "}oua/ o/ C/inica/ Onco/og,
8(2),556-564.
Z7B N o I 0 5
I I 0 "Where'dyu5ndsirdumbpeople?"Scc M. A. Cusumano
and R. Scby ( I 995), Microso Secreu, Mcw York. Frcc Prcss.
Jhc Microsoh usability tcst ab is dcscribcd on p. J7.Jhc prob-
cm o| programmcrs having morc advanccd machincs than thcir
customcrs is dscusscd on p. J47
! I J Fake Weatherman. Scc Pctcr orkcnau and Ancttc Licbcr
( I 99J),"Convcrgcncc o| Strangcr Katings o| Pcrsonaity and In-
tcligcncc with Scl|-Ratings, Partncr Ratings, and Mcasurcd In-
tcigcncc, }ourna/ o/ Persona/i and Socia/ Pscho/og, p,
546-55J. Jhc corrclaton bctwccn sc|-ratings and mcasurcd IQ
was . 29,accounting |or 8 pcrccnt o| thc variancc. Jhc corrcla-
tion bcwccn strangcr ratings and IQ was .J8,accounting |or ! 4
pcrccnt o| thc variancc. Strangcrs thus did about 66pcrccnt bct-
tcr than pcoplc thcmscvcs.
I !4 We'realllousyself-evaluators.Jhc rcscarch studics on sc|-
cvaluation and thc cxampcs o| positivc ilusions arc summarizcd
in Oavid Ounning, Chip Hcath, and ]crry Sus (2004),"Fawcd
Scl|-Asscssmcnt: Implications |or Hcath, Lducation, and thc
Vorkpacc, Pscho/ogica/ Science in the Pul/ic Interest, p, 69-
I 06. Oavid Ounning also has somc intcrcsting rcscarch on what
hc cals thc unskilcd and unawarc phcnomcnon. Jhc worst
sc|-cvauators arc pcoplc who ack skl. For instancc, pcopc
who don`t havc a scnsc o| humor arc most likcy to think thcir
bad okcs arc |unny, and pcopc who ack skil in grammar arc
most ikcy to conhdcnty ignorc a usc|ul corrcction. Vhcn thc
rcscarch camc out, dozcns o| ncwspapcr articcs appcarcd ilus-
trating thc "unskilcd and unawarc phcnomcnon with a discus-
sion o| workpacc bosscs, a topic not covcrcd in thc origina
rcscarch articc.
I I 5 AttilatheAccomtt. Sm Sitkn, who is now a pro|cssor o|
managcmcnt at Oukc Lnivcrsity`s Fuqua Schoo o| usincss, tod
this story U Chip Hcath in May 2009.
I ! 9 Intheabsenceofadire threat." Scc Oavid ^. Garvin and
Mchacl A. Robcrto (Fcbruary 2005),"Changc Jhrough Pcrsua-
sion, Har:ard Business Re:ieu, pp. !-8, rcprntcd n Harvard
usincss Schoo Prcss (2006),Har:ard Bminess Re:ie on Leading
Ihrough Change ,pp. 85-I04), oston. Harvard usincss Schoo
N o I e $ 2/9
Ircss. Jhc "dirc thrcat quotc is on p. 86, thc "dcathbcd quotc
is on p. 87.
I ! Rdbottom.Scc Ruth Mwcl ( ! 86), Breakthrough: what to
Do when oho/ism or Chemica/ Deenden Hits C/ose to Home,
Ncw ork. allantinc ooks, thc conlcrcncc incidcnt is on pp.
4-5.
I ! Thebmngpladorm.Scc Nlliam E. Smith and Hccn Gbson
(|uy ! 8, ! 88), "Oisastcr ` Scrcamng ikc a anshcc, ' Ime,
http.// .timc.comltmc/magainc/articc/O,I 7! ,67! 7,00.
htm (acccsscd May 28, 200).
I 20 GmgapGmRoss. Scc Oavid Mamct ( ! 84), Cungar C/en
Ross: PL. Ncw York. Grovc Ircss.
I 2! WhatGoodArePositiveEmotions?Scc arbara L. Frcdrckson
( I 8), "hat Good ^rc Iostvc Emotons! Re:ieu o/Cenera/
Pschology, 2, 300-3!. Among thc studics Frcdcrickson citcs:
Ooctors cxpcricncing postivc cmotions sovc a tricky mcdica
dicmma morc hcxiby and quick!y. Studcnts in a positivc mood
dcvisc morc innovatvc soutons to a tcchnca chacngc. Ncgo-
tiators in a positvc statc ol mind arc morc succcssn: and crcativc
ncgotiators, thcy hnd "wn-win solutons morc ohcn. Iostivc
cmoton also makcs it cascr lor pcopc to makc conncctons
among dissmiar idcas, and it makcs thcm lcss likcy to slip into
an "us vcrsus thcm mcntaity. Al ol thcsc tcndcncics-hcxiblc
probcm soving, innovativc solutions, lcss potical inbghting-
would bc vcry uscml in a changc stuaton.
Chapterbw
I 24 Astudyofhotel maids. Scc Aia |. Crum and Ellcn |. Langcr
(2007), "Mind-Sct Mattcrs. Excrcisc and thc Iaccbo Edcct, P-
cho/ogi.a/ Science, 18, I65-I 7I .
I 26 Car-washloyaltym. Scc |. L. Nuncs and 7. Orczc (2006),
"Jhc Indowcd Irogrcss Ehcct. How ^rtihcia ^dvanccmcnt In-
crcascs Ehort, }oua/ o/Consumer Research, 2. 504-5!2.
I 27 50percentof themoneymtheb@.Jhis practicc was discusscd
n an intcrvcw bctwccn Chip Hcath and |an Alhcri, ol thc
^ssociation ol Fundraising Irolcssionas, in Fcbruary 200.
2BO N o t e $
A!hcrt says that thts moncy Is usuay raIscd tn what |und-ratstng
QrotcssIonas ca thc gutct QcrIod bctorc thc camQatgn ts an-
nounccd QubIcy. tstortcay thc amount was 30 Qcrccnt, but
somc rcccnt camQagns ratscd as much as 70 Qcrccnt. Phcrt says,
P thts ts cacuatcd to gIvc donors thc assurancc thc camQatgn
wI succccd.
! 29 ShrinkUc chg.housands ot studtcs tn Qsychoogy tndtcatc
that QcoQc do bcttcr whcn thcy havc htgh sttuattona sct-
conhdcncc, or sct-cmcacy. coQc wtth hIgh sct-cmcacy Qcrtorm
bcttcr on sQorts, acadcmtc, and work tasks, thcy Qcrscvcrc ongcr;
and thcy rcbound bcttcr whcn thcy cncountcr a sctback.
ow do you buId thts kInd ot sct-cmcacy: Nost rcscarch
on sct-cmcacy ts corrcatIona so tt cant dtstIngutsh (a) sct-
conhdcncc as a mtndsct that L bc grown trom (b) sct-conhdcncc
that artscs tor othcr rcasons. Ntchac )ordan may rcQort htgh sct-
cmcacy In trytng a ncw sQort, but that sct-cmcacy may bc duc to
hts Qhystca abtIttcs, not to hts mtndsct. hc ttcraturc on sct-
cmcacy suggcsts a couQc ot ways to butd scI-cmcacy as a
mtndscttor cxamQc, by cxQcrtcnctng Qcrsona succcss tn a dtt-
hcut sttuatIon or by scctng a roc modc cxQcrtcncc succcss. hosc
soutIons, howcvcr, may bc css avaIabc tn a tImc ot changc whcn
Qcrsona succcss and roc modcs arc tn short suQQy.
5omc rcscarch sucsts that shrtnktng thc changc may QrovIdc
a good gamc Qan tor butdtng sct-cmcacy. A bandura and Lac
ochunk trtcd to tcach subtractIon skts to ccmcntary schoo kIds
who had bccn Idcntthcd as havtng gross dchcIts tn artthmcttc.
Ln an InItta| 23-gucstton subtractton tcst, mo-thtrds ot thcIr kIds
got css than onc Qrobcm corrcct. hc rcscarchcrs dcvcoQcd
scvcn moducs to tcach kcy subtractIon skts (such as how to bor-
row trom thc ncxt coumn). Lach moduc outIncd a QrtnctQc,
gavc two cxamQcs, and Qrovtdcd stx Qagcs ot Qrobcms to bc
workcd by thc stuOcnts. P ktds wcrc brought tn tor scvcn 30-
mtnutc, sct-Qaccd scssIons wIth no coachtng trom a tcachcr. Lnc
grouQ was gtvcn a btg, dtstant goa ot comQcttng thc scvcn mod-
ucs by thc cnd ot thc scvcnth scsston. Anothcr grouQ was gIvcn
a cosc-by, shrtnk-thc-changc goa ot comQctIng onc moduc
durIng cach scssIon. Ln thc hna tcst, thc Qroxtma-goas grouQ
N o t e $ 2BJ
solvcd 8! pcrccnt ol thc probcms, and thc dista-goas groups
sovcd only 45 pcrccnt. Latcr, ahcr thc study scssions wcrc ovcr,
kids wcrc givcn a lrcc play pcriod and two scts ol cxcrciscs to cn-
tcrtain thcmscvcs-somc subtraction problcms and somc "solvc
thc codc puzzlcs. Jhc kids with distant goas did ony onc sub-
traction probcm on avcragc. ut thc kids who buit scll-cmcacy
through proxima goals-cvcn though thcy initialy hatcd math
just as much-sovcd lourtccn subtraction problcms on avcragc
during thc lrcc play pcriod. Strctch goals (or H^Gs) may bc
hnc whcn you arcady havc strong scl-cmcacy. ut andura and
Shunk`s study suggcsts that whcn yourc buiding scll-cmcacy, you
might want to shrink thc changc. Scc ^bcrt andura and Oac
H. Scbunk ( !8!), "Cultivating Compctcncc, Scll-Elhcacy, and
Intrinsic ntcrcst Jhrough Proximal Scll-Motivation, }ourna/ o/
Persona/i and Socia/ Ps,cho/og, 41, 586-58.
!30 5-Minute Room Rescue. Chcck out http.// .hyady. nct/
pagcs/ILYIaq.asp (acccsscd Occcmbcr I7, 2008) .
! 3I Personal5nanceguruDave Ramsey. Oavc Ramscy dcscribcs
thc Farrars' situation and his dcbt-hghting tcchniqucs in Ramscy
(2007), Ihe Iota/ Mon Makeo:er Nashvic, Jhomas Ncson.
Jhc Farrars' story is on pp. ! I 6-! I 7. Ncvc ookcd at a ot olh -
nancia pans by various gurus, and Ramscy's strikcs us as thc
most consistcnt with thc psychoogica principcs ol changc wc
rcvicw in Suitch. Ramscys own cxpcricncc is on pagc 3, and thc
"motivation is morc important tban math quotc is on p. ! !4.
! 37 Steve Kelman. . . procmement reform. Scc Stcvc Kcman
(2005), |nuashing Change 7Stud o/Organiotiona/ Reneua/ in
Co:ement, Nashington, OC. rookings Institution Prcss. Kcl-
man disputcs thc classic assumption in thc organizationa changc
itcraturc that pcopc rcsist changc. Hc argucs that in many situ-
ations thcrc is a pcnt-up dcmand lor changc that mcrcy nccds to
bc "unlcashcd by top cadcrs, hc makcs a compcing-and in-
spiring-argumcnt that this is thc casc. Jhc chocoatc-chip
cookic milspccs is on p. 4. Jhc "sct othcr changcs in motion
quotc is on p. 83. Jhc story ol thc crcdit card and past pcrlor-
mancc pcdgcs is on pp. 82-88. Jhc ^ gradc lrom thc rookings
Institution is on p. 4.
2B2 N o t e $
!38 $J20billionindiscetionarypurchases.Jhc doar amount is
lrom Kcman, un/eahing Change, p. 3. Jhc comparson s lrom
thc Statistica/ Xlstract o/ the |nited States, 20042005.Nashng-
ton, OC, L.S. Ccnsus urcau. Jabc 642 rcports thc 2002 out-
put ol "computcr and ccctronic products" as $! 3.9 biion and
thc output ol "motor vchiccs, traicrs, & parts as $! ! .3 bl-
on. So thcrc's actualy room clt ovcr.
! 4I A racu scau rangngom0to0.Scc aso thc discusson ol
thc mracc sca!c n Stcvc dc Shazcr, Yvonnc Ooan, Harry Kor-
man, Jcrry Jrcppcr, Eric McCoum, and lnsoo Kim crg (2007),
More than Mirac/es: Ihe State o/ the Xrt o/ Solution-Focused Bri
Iheray Ncw York. Haworth Ircss, pp. 6!72. Jhcrc's a grcat
cxampc ol thc scaing qucstion in practcc n thc casc study ol Lcc
thc dock managcr in Scott O. Micr and Insoo Kim crg (!5),
Ihe Mimcu Method X Rdica/[ Neu Xroach to Prolum Drink-
ing, Ncw York. Norton, pp. 35.
! 42 Tradpatients'self-reportedprogess.Cncc thc 0 to !0 scac is
sct up, it bccomcs casicr lor clicnts to noticc and start taking
about cvcn sma mprovcmcnts toward thcir goal. Nhcn a thcr-
apst idcnthcs a substantia changc on thc scalc-say, a hal-pont
improvcmcnt toward thc goalthc thcrapist will ask, "How
dd you do it! Jhcrapists arc traincd U bc pcrsistcnt in asking
thc hou qucstion scvcra timcs. "lt's important to bc pcrsistcnt
cvcn il, and ohcntimcs partculary [ thc ccnt sccms to bc strug-
gng a bit at hrst to lormuatc an answcr. Jhc qucstion impics
thc cicnt did somcthing that was hcplu, things didnt gct bct-
tcr without a rcason. Somc thcrapists cal this proccss ositi:e
lLming. Jry it wth your kids whcn thcy makc an mprovc-
mcnt. Scc discussion around p. 63 ol dc Shazcr ct al., More than
Mirac/es.
! 43 NFLcoachBm Parcells. Scc i Iarccs (200! ) , `'Jhc Jough
Nork ol Jumng Around a Jcam," rcprntcd n Harard Business
Re:ieu on 1urnaround (pp. ! 05! !4), oston: Harvard usincss
Schoo Ircss, thc quotation is on pp. ! ! I-! !2.
!44 UCLcoach]ohnWooden.Quotcd in Robcrt Maurcr (2004),
One Sma Ste Can Change Iour Lq: Ihe Kizen w , Ncw York.
Norkman, p. ! ! .
N o I e $ 2B3
! 44 Smallw!ns.Scc cck (!84), "Sma!l ns. Rcdchnng thc Scalc
ol Social Probcms," Xmerican Pscho/ogit, 9( I) , p. 46.
!45 DavidAllen.Scc ^lcn (200I), Cetting Ihings Done, Ncw York.
Vkng Pcngun, p. 23.
! 46 A-Anon. Scc ^l-^non Famly Groups ( I 5), Hou Xl-Xnon
wrks /r Fami/ies and Friend o/ Loho/ics, Vrgna cach, V^:
A-^non Famly Groups, thc quotaton s on p. 73.
!47 GeorgekissedPaula.Scc Mchcc cncr-Oavs (I 2), Di:orce
Busting, Ncw York. Smon & Schustcr, p. 2.
ChapterSeven
! 4 ColIegestudentPaul Buder.Jhc lacts ol thc utlcr story arc
lrom an ntcrvcw Oan Hcath conductcd wth utcr n Cctobcr
2O08. For a short vcrson ol thc story and a photo ol utcr, go
to http.llrarcconscrvaton.orglaboutl pagc. php!subsccton-Hs
tory (acccsscd May 28, 200).
! 52 Pride mpaigns. lnlormaton about Rarc's Prdc campagns s
avalabc on Rurc's wcbstc: http:llwww.rarcconscrvaton.org. Rarc
now locuscs morc on protcctng prccous arcas, such as rccls and
lorcsts, than on prcscrvng partcular spcccs. ut Rarc conscrva-
tonsts contnuc to work on prccous arcas by rayng thc pubc
around what thcy cal a "charsmatc spcccs" that symbozcs spc-
cbc arcas that nccd protccton. For nstancc, thc Napocon wrassc
bsh was thc charsmatc spcccs n thc watcrs surroundng thc Jo-
gan Isands olIndoncsa, whch contan 262 spcccs ol coral and
countlcss othcr spcccs that dcpcnd on thc coral.
I53 ]amesMch. . . identitymodel.Scc March ( !4), X Primer
on Decuion Making: Hou Decuiom Haen, Ncw York. Frcc Prcss,
cspccaly ch. 2, whcrc March provdcs a bcautlu contrast ol
conscqucncc-bascd dccson makng and dccson makng
through dcntty. For a ongcr trcatmcnt ol ths topc, scc Chp
Hcath and Oan Hcath, Made to Stick: wh, Some Idea Sur:i:e
and Others Die. Ncw York. Random Housc, 2007, pp. ! 82-!,
ncudng thc story ol thc hugcly succcssh "Oon`t Mcss wth
cxas" antlttcrng campagn, whch was a tcxtbook appcaton
ol dcntty.
4 N o t e $
! 54 Concernedabout therapidturnoramongits nurses. For
morc on ths story and on ^pprccatvc Inqury, scc Jom Krar-
tcnmakcr (2005), "Changc Jhrough ^pprcciativc Inquiry, n
Managing Change to Reduce Resistance (pp. 4-58), oston. Har-
vard usincss Schoo Prcss. Jhc Nood quotaton is on p. 57. Jhc
mprovcmcnt sratisrics arc lrom Oana Nhtncy, ^manda
Jrostcn-oom, and Oavid Coopcrrdcr (2003), Ihe Pouer o/ X-
reciati:e Inqui: 7Pactica/ Cuide to Positi:e Chang., Ncw York.
crrcrt-Kochlcr, pp. 4-5.
! 56 Brasilata. ackground inlormation comcs lrom thc ras-
ara wcbstc (acccsscd Fcbruary I 3, 200). Rcvcnuc in 2007
was 384, I 02,000 raziian rcas, pcr ths pagc. http.ll
. brasiata.com.brlcnlhnancas_rcsurados.php. Jhc numbcr ol
dcas pcr nvcntor is lrom http.// . brasara.com. brIcnl
projcto_historco.php. For thc car-bumpcr insprcd can, go ro
hrtp.l/ .brasilata.com.br/cnlprod_! 8un_b.php. For rhc
cncrgy-saving idca storics, go to htrp.//www. brasilata.com.brlcnl
projccto_atos_rclcvanrcs.php. Al convcrsons bcrwccn L.S. do-
ars and razan rcas wcrc cacuarcd on Fcbruary !3, 200.
! 58 CitizensforSafeDriving.Scc |onathan L. Frccdman and Scotr
C. Frascr ( I 66) , "Compliancc Nithout Prcssurc. Jhc Foot-in-
thc-Ooor Jcchnquc, }oua/ o/ Perona/i and Socia/ Pscho/-
ogy, 4, !5~203. Jhis study starrcd a wholc hcd that invcstgatcs
"loot-in-thc-door tcchniqucs. Most ol thcsc tcchniqucs sccm to
work bccausc thcy lorm (or rc-lorm) pcopc`s idcnrity. For an in-
sghtlu analysis ol thcsc tcchniqucs, undcr thc abcl "commit-
mcnt and conssrcncy, scc Robcrt Cadini (2000), Inucnce
Science and Practice, 4rh cd., Ncw York. ^yn & acon, ch. 3.
For thc "Cncc [rhc homc owncr] has agrccd . . . ` quotc, scc
Frccdman and lrascr, "Compliancc Nrhout Prcssutc, p. 20I.
! 63 "Fixedmindset". . . "growh mindset."Jhis quz and a rhc
hxcdlgrowrh-mndscr matcra comc lrom Carol S. Owcck
(2006), Mindet: Ihe Neu Pscho/ogy o/ Success, Ncw York. Ran-
dom Housc. Jhc quiz is on p. ! 3. Evcry tcachcr, coach, managcr,
and parcnr should rcad Owcck's book.
! 66 The brain is like a muscle. Scc Lsa S. lackwc, Kai
H. Jrzcsnicwski, and Caro S. Owcck (2007), "Imp.cit Jhcorcs
N D I 0 5 ob
ol lntclgcncc Ircdct ^chcvcmcnt ^cross an ^dolcsccnt Jran-
ston. ^ Longtudnal Study and an lntcrvcnton," ChiH De:e/-
oment, /, 246263.
!67 Dramatic transformations. Jhc quotaton s lrom Owcck,
Minden, p. 5.
!68 "Failuremthemiddle."Scc Rosabcth Moss Kantcr (Novcmbcr
23, 2003), Leadershi /r Change: Endunng Ski// /r Change Ma-
ters, Harvard usncss Schoo Notc -304-06, oston. Harvard
usncss School Ircss, p. ! ! , bascd on hcr 200I book E:o/:e! Suc-
ceeding in the Digm/ Cu/ture o/ 1omoow oston. Harvard us-
ncss School Prcss.
! 68 "Three steps fo~ard and two steps back." Scc Mchcc
Ncncr-Oavs ( ! 2), Di:orce Busting, Ncw York. Smon &
Schustcr, p. 2! 2.
I70 AmyEdmondson.Scc Edmondson (2003), "Framing lor Lcarn-
ng. Lcssons n Succcssml Jcchnology Impcmcntaton," Ca/qr-
nia Mnagement Re:ieu, 45, 3454. Jo protcct hcr rcscarch
partcpants, Edmondson uscd pscudonyms lor thc hosptals and
thc mcdcal pcrsonncl.
I 7! Recover Elly inthreeweeksinsteadoftwo months.Jhc
MlCS rccovcry statistcs arc lrom arbara Kuhn Jmby
and Nancy E. Smth (2006), Introductor Medica/-Surgica/
Nursing, th cd., Ncw York: Lppncott Nams & Nkns,
p. 53?.
I 73 A famousstoryaboutIBM. Scc Pau . Carrol ( !3), Big
B/ues, Ncw York. Crown, thc quotaton s on p. 5 I .
I73 MollyHoward. Oan Hcath ntcrvcwcd Moy Howard n ^u-
gust 2008. Jhc Prncpa ol thc Ycar award s dcscrbcd n Ocl
]oncs (March !6, 2008), "LS^'s Jop Prncpa Coud Jcach
CECs a Jhng or Jwo, " |S 1od, http.l/ .usatoday.com/
moncyl com pancsl managcmcn tl2008-03- ! 6-pr nc pal-
advcc_N.htm (acccsscd Fcbruary 6, 200). Howard tod Hcath,
"Compancs L pck and choosc thc raw matcrals. Pubc cdu-
caton acccpts al. Nc arc a zcro-rcjcct busncss. Jhats a bg, bg
dhcrcncc. "
tt N o t e s
ChapterEight
! 80 Edwards Deming. Scc Ocming ! 82) , Out o/ the Crisis.
oston. Massachusctts lnstitutc ol Jcchnoogy Ccntcr lor ^d-
vanccd Enginccring Study. Jhc hrcs story is on p. 325.
! 80 FundamentalAttributionError. Scc Lcc Ross ( l 77), "Jhc
Intuitivc Psychologist and His Shortcomings. Oistortions in thc
^ttribution Proccss, in L. crkowitz (cd.), d:ances in Eer-
imenta/ Socia/ P;ycho/ogy (vol. ! 0) , Ncw York: ^cadcmic Prcss.
Echocs ol thc Fundamcntal ^ttribution Error arc lound in thc
convcntiona wisdom ol many hcds. Markctcrs tak about hnd-
ing thc right psychographic lor a consumcr good. Hcath psy-
chologists talk about thc importancc ol targcting pcopc who
arc "rcady to stop smoking. Human rcsourccs pcoplc talk about
gctting thc right pcopc on thc bus. Changc cxpcrts talk about
cassi|ing thc thrcc typcs ol pcopc in any change chort. c-
icvcrs, Fcncc Sittcrs, and Rcsistcrs. ut social psychology is
hcd with cxampcs that show situations trump pcrsonal at-
tributcs. For cxampc, thc lood-drivc study discusscd in scction
2 ol this chaptcr says that you'rc thrcc timcs bcttcr-od with a
lood-drivc Rcsistcr with a map than with a truc cicvcr with-
out onc.
! 80 Marriage therapistMicheleWeiner-Davis. Scc Ncincr-Oavis
( ! 2), Di:orce Busting, Ncw York. Simon & Schustcr, p. 42.
Jhc kind ol thinking lostcrcd by thc Fundamcnta ^ttribution
Error habccn shown to hurt marriagcs. Rcscarch has shown rhat
coupcs cxpcricncc morc distrcss whcn thcy insist on attributing
thcir rclationship problcms to traitikc charactcristics ol thcir part-
ncr that arc gobal and stabc. Jhcsc attributions cad to morc
ncgativc convcrsatons and scrious hghts whcn coupcs try to
work through thcir probcms. Scc Norman Epstcin, Oonad H.
aucom, and \ynn ^. Rankin ( I 3), "Jrcatmcnt o Martal
Conhict. ^ Cognitvc-chaviora ^pproach, C/inica/ Pcho/og
Re:ieu, 13, 45-57.
! 82 Distinguish"saints"om"]erks."Jhc lood-drivc study is dc-
sctbcd n l. VOss and R. E. ^sbcU (\\), 1br 1rrson andtbr
N o t e $ 2B7
Situation: Persecti:es o/ Socia/ Pscho/o, Ncw York. McGraw-
Hil, pp. !32-!33 .
, ! 84 PeterBregman.Jhc sourcc oI this account is rcgman's blog,
Jhc Easicst Nay to Changc Pcopc`s chavior' (March ! ! ,
200), http.//bogs.harvardbusincss.org/brcgman/200 /0 3/ thc-
casicst-way-to.htm, and an intcrvicw bctwccn Chip Hcath and
rcgman in May 200.
! 87 Bec)Richards. . . "medicationvmu."Jhis story is bascd on
an intcrvicw bctwccn Chip Hcath and ccky Richards in |unc
2008 and a conlcrcncc prcscntation by Richards at thc EACCN
coaborativc in San !rancisco in Apri 2008.
! ! "Sterile cockpit' rule.Scc http./lcn.wikipcdia.org/wiki/Stcric_
Cockpit_Ruc (acccsscd |uly 23, 200). Jhc ruc was dcvcopcd by
thc F^ in !8! ahcr invcstigations showcd that somc aircrah
crashcs during thc ! 70s wcrc causcd whcn hight crcws wcrc dis-
tractcd Irom thcir instrumcnts by idc chattcr in thc cockpit.
! ! TheITgoup. . . "sterilecockpit."Scc Lcsic A. Pcrow (! 7),
Finding Iime: Hou Cooratiom, Indi:idua/, and Fami/ies Can
Benet ]om Neu wrk Practices, Ithaca, : Comc Lnivcrsity
Prcss. Jhc quotations about thc rcsults oI thc "quict hours cx-
pcrimcnt arc on p. !26. Pcrow conductcd this study Ior hcr grad-
uatc schoo disscrtation. ^an outsidcr to thc company, and ony
a studcnt at thc timc (shc's now a scnior prolcssor at Harvard),
Pcrlow was rcsponsibc lor a simplc intcrvcntion that thc division
vicc prcsidcnt dcclarcd "a ncw bcnchmark"!
!3 AmandaTucker.Jhis story is bascd on an cxampc Juckcr rc-
countcd in May 200 in a StanIord Graduatc School ol usincss
class on "How to Changc Jhings Nhcn Changc !s Hard. Lscd
with hcr pcrmission.
!7 HaddonMatrb. !or an ovcrvicw ol thc Haddon Matrix, scc a
prcscntation oninc produccd by thc San !rancisco Ocpartmcnt oI
Hcaui which in turn draws on work by Caroyn !owcr at |ohns
Hopkins Lnivcrsitys oombcrg Schoo ol Public Hcath) .
http./lwww.ccsIcdu/Rcsouros/!aculty/jcskinnc/ documcnts/HAO
2Compctc.pdl (acccsscd |unc ! 4, 200). Cur thanks to Caroyn
!owlcr and Eric Jash Ior thcir insights on thc Haddon Matrix.
B N o t e $
! Rackspace.Jhc Rackspacc story and quotatons arc lrom two
ntcrvicws bcrwccn Oan Hcarh and Graham Ncston, conductcd
Cctobcr 2007 and !cbruary 200. Rcvcnuc growth data lrom n-
rcrna company data wcrc suppcd to rhc aurhors.
ChapterNine
203 MikeRomano.Mkc's namc and a lcw irrccvant dccas wcrc a-
tcrcd to protcct his dcntry. Jhc inlormaton comcs lrom an in-
tcrvicw bctwccn thc sodcr and rcscarch assstant Elainc artlctr
n |anuary 200.
204 TheWhiteHousewassotroubled.Jhc casc srudy ol drug usc
by sodcrs bclorc and ahcr thc Vcrnam Nar is n Lcc N. Robns,
|ohn E. Hczcr, and Oarlcnc H. Oavs ( I 75), "Narcotc Lsc n
Southcasr Asa and Ahcrward," rchi:es o/ Cenera/ P.chiap 32,
55-6! .
208 J6percentolthesuccesslchanges. Scc Jodd Hcathcrton
and PatrcaA. Nchols ( I 4), "Pcrsonal Accounts ol Succcssml
Vcrsus !acd atrcmprs ar Llc Changc," Persona/ip and Socia/ P-
cho/ogy Bu//etin, 20, 664675.
20 PeterGollwiuer.Gowtzcr`s summary ol hs work on trggcrs-
Golwtzcr cals thcm "mpcmcnraton ntcntons"-can bc
lound n Gowtzcr ( I ), "!mpcmcntaron !ntcnions. Strong
Ellccts ol Smpc Pans, merican Pscho/ogist, ,4, 43-b03.
Most ol thc studics dcscrbcd n rhs sccron arc rclcrcnccd n rhar
articc. Jhc quotaron abour "passng conrro U thc cnvronmcnr"
s on p. 45.
2! I Recoveringomhip- orknee-mplacementsurgery.Scc Shcna
Crbcl and Pascha Shccran (2000), "Morvatona and Voltona
Proccsscs n Acron !ntaron. A !cd Srudy ol thc Roc ol Im-
pcmcntation !ntcntons, }oua/ o/ /ied Socia/ Pgchoug, 30,
780-77.
2! 2 Recentmeta-study. Pcrcr M. Gowtzcr, Pascha Shccran, and
Jhomas L. Ncbb 2005), "!mplcmcntaton ntcntions and
Hcarh chavors," n M. Conncr and Norman (cds.), Predict-
ing Hea/th Beha:ior: Research and Practice uith Socia/ Coginon
Mode/ (2nd cdton). uckngham, LK: Cpcn Lnvcrsry Prcss.
N o t e $ t
2I 5 Stand-upmeedng.Scc Villiam G. Pagonis with |cmcy I. Cruk-
shank , I 2) , Mo:ing Mountains: Lessom in Leadrshi and Lo-
gistics }om the Cu[ Wr oston. Harvard usincss Schoo Prcss,
thc quotation is on pp. I 85I 86. For thc usc oI stand-up mcct-
ings in soItwarc dcvcopmcnt, scc http://cn.wikpcdia.org/
wiki/btand-up_mccting (acccsscd May 27, 200). Agilc pro-
grammcrs disdain thc typica IJ styc oI dcivcring a whoc pro-
gram a! at oncc (and typicay latc). Instcad, thcy colaboratc on
a scrics oI quick prototypcs, cach oI which rcccivcs customcr
input, in thc hopc oI catching probcms cary and prcvcnting
costy rcwork latcr.
2I 7 Twocupsofsoupchday. Scc arbara ]. Ros, Iianc S. Roc,
Amanda M. cach, and Panny M. Kris-Ethcrton (2005), "Pro-
vision oI Foods Oihcring in Encrgy Ocnsity Ahccts Iong-Jcrm
Vcight Loss, Olesip Research, 13. I 052I060.
2I7 NatieEIder. Oan Hcath intcrvicwcd MataIic Eldcr in August
2008.
220 ThehumbIechecklist. Parts oI thc scction on chcckists origi-
nay appcarcd in our Fast Coman coumn (March 2008), "Jhc
Hcroic Chcckist, http.// . Iastcompany.com/magazinc/
I23/hcroic-chcckist. html.
220 HoIyGraiI ofchecklists. Scc AuI Gawandc ,Occcmbcr 0,
2007) , Jhc Chcckist. II Somcthing So Simplc Can JransIorm
Intcnsivc Carc, Vhat Esc Can It Oo Neu Xrker. pp. 86I 0I .
22I CheckIistseducatepeopIeaboutwhat's best.Vcrc not advo-
cating thc kind oI chcckists that arc associatcd with somc qua-
ity improvcmcnt proccsscs~Ior cxampc, thc caboratc proccdurc
manuas compicd Ior lSC 000 ccrtihcation. Jo cducatc pcopc
about what`s bcst and to hclp thcm avoid bind spots. a chccklist
has to bc simpc cnough that pcopc wil actuay use it. Jhc prc-
night chcckist Ior a 747 is css than onc pagc long. II your
chcck|ist rcquircs morc than onc shcct oI papcr, you nccd to sim-
pi| it.
222 ChronicpkingprobIem.For thc parking study, scc C. Gct-
tys ct a. ( I 87), Evauation oI Human Act Gcncration Pcr-
Iormancc, Organizationa/ Beha:ior and Human Decision
Poces.es, 39,235 .
Z9O N o t e 5
225 "bd onmemiion-criticalelemenu."Oan Hcath n-
tcrvcwcd Or. Pronovost n |anuary 2008.
ChapterTen
226 A streamofsmoke.Scc Iatanc and Oarcy ( I 68), "Group ln-
hbton ol ystandcr Intcrvcnton n Emcrgcnccs, " }ourna/ o/
Persona/ip and Socia/ Pcho/og 10, 2I 5-22I . Iatanc and Oar-
cy's work on bystandcr nonntcrvcnton s onc oI thc ccvcrcst
strcams ol rcscarch n socal psychoogy. ccaus'c t`s a classc, pro-
lcssors ol soca psychoIogy tcach t oltcn, and thcy rccommcnd
to thcr studcnts a smplc tcchnquc to ovcrcomc nonntcrvcn-
ton: Pont to somconc d gvc that pcrson a spccbc nstructon
such as " Iou ca I . It`s not that pcopc arcn't wng to hcp.
It's just that thc Rdcr s caught n an nhntc oop, tryng to ook
at cvcryonc csc Ior cucs about how to bchavc, and thosc cucs
arcnt comng.
227 Obesiqucont@ous.Scc Nchoas A. Chrstaks and |amcs H.
!owcr 2007) . "Jhc Sprcad ol Cbcsty n a Iargc Soca Nct-
work ovcr 52 Ycars," Neu EngLnd}oua/o/Medicine, 357570
57. Jhc quotaton s Irom Gna Koata Qunc 25, 2007), "Study
Says Cbcsty Can c Contagous," Neu Krk Hmes. c on thc
ookout lor Chrstakis and !owcrs book Connected: Ihe Suris-
ing Pouer o/ Our Socia/ Netuorks and Hou Ih Shae Our Li:es,
Ncw York: Lttc, rown and Company (200).
227 Drinking is contagious. Scc Mchac Krcmcr and Oan Lcvy
(2005), "Pccr Ehccts and Acoho Lsc Among Colcgc Studcnts,"
Norkng papcr, Harvard Lnvcrsty.
22 Guestsatthe hotelreusetheirtowels. Scc Noah }.Goldstcn,
Stcvc |. Martn, and Robcrt . Caldn (2008), Xs!50 Scientq-
ca/[ Pro:en ws to Be Persuai:e, Ncw York: !rcc Prcss, ch. I .
22 GerardCachon.Chp Hcath ntcrvicwcd Gcrard Cachon n ^u-
gust 2008 and May 200.
255 Designated driver. Statstcs arc lrom Harvard Lnvcrsty`s
Schoo oI Pubc Hcalth, http:ll .hsph.harvard.cdulrcscarchl
chclharvard-acoho-projcctl (acccsscd |unc I4, 200). Jhc
Grant Jnkcr quotatons arc lrom Nkki !nkc (Occcmbcr 2,
N 0 I e $ 29J
I 88), "A Crusadc on Orunkcn Oriving, Los ngeus 1imes,
p. 5!.
234 "Sugar-drelationships.Statistics about cross-gcncrationa
rcationships arc Irom Popuation RcIcrcncc urcau (2007) , d-
dressing Cross-Cenerationa/ Sex: Desk Re:ieu o/ Research and Pro-
gram. Jhc Amcrican tccns statistic is on p. I6, thc statistic Ior
sub-5aharan AIrica is on p. .
237 Fam.Vc cd thc workshop that dcvcopcd thc Fataki idca and
thc hrst thrcc radio commcrcias. A vidco oI Chip Hcath taking
about thc work on thc day thc hrst radio spots wcrc rccordcd is
on Ihe NeusHour uith }im Lehrer wcbsitc: http.// .pbs.org/
ncwshour/bb/aIrica/ uly-dcc07/aids_I -30.html. Oan Hcath
was, at that momcnt, Photoshopping a prototypc oI thc hrst Fa-
taki biboards.
242 Lou Gerstner. . . "Culture. . . H the game." Scc Louis
N Gcrstncr ,2002), who Sas E/ehants Cant Dance?, lcw York.
Harpcrusincss, p. I 82.
242 KatherineKellogg.Jhanks to Kcogg's carch work, this is
onc oI thc most closcy obscrvcd changc cIIorts in thc cntirc or-
ganizationa bchavior itcraturc. Scc Kathcrinc C. Kcogg
(2008), "Mot Faking It: Making Rca Changc in Rcsponsc to
Rcguaton at Jwo Surgca Jcachng Hospitas, Vorking
papcr, MIJ
ChapterEleven
25 I Skateboarmngmonkey. Parts oI thc scction on Amy Suthcrand
and cxotic-anima training originaly appcarcd in our Fast Com-
an coumn April 2008), "Your oss !s a Monkcy," http://
. Iastcompany.com/magazinc/ I 24/your-boss-s-a-monkcy.htmI
(acccsscd |unc I4, 200).
25 I "WhatShamuTaughtMe."!hc Neu Iork 1imes articc is Irom
|unc 25, 2006, and can bc Iound at http.// .nytimcs.com/
2006l06/25/Iashion/25lovc.htm (acccsscd May 7, 200) . Aso
scc Amy Suthcrand 2008), what Shamu Dught Me lout Lq,
Lo:e, and Marriage: Lessons r Peo/e }om nima/ and Iheir
1rainers, lcw York. Random Housc. Jhc "vcrba grooming
Z9Z N o t e$
quotation and othcr dctais arc Irom an intcrvcw bctwccn Oan
Hcath and Amy Suthcrand in |anuary 2008.
253 Psychologist Alan Kdin. Scc Kazdin (2008), Ihe Kzdin
Method /r Parenting the Deant ChiU \th No Pill, No Ihera
No Contest o/ \/h, cw York. Houghton Mimin. Jhc quota-
tions arc |rom p. 34.
253 Change isn'tanevent; it's H process.Chip Hcath thanks o
rockman |or tcaching this idca.
254 StevenKelman.Cn pp. 2224, Kclman cxplains vhy mcrc cx-
posurc and cognitivc dissonancc may causc pcoplc to rcsist
changc. Jhcn, in an insightm anaysis on pp. 23I 27, hc shows
how thc samc Iactors makc changc hard to stop oncc thcy gct
going. Scc Kcman (2005), |n/eashing Change Stud o/Orga-
niotiona/ Reneua/ in Co:ement, Vashington, L\: rookngs
Institution Prcss.
PC K 0 0Wl 6 0 g 06!lS
Somc rcadcrs gavc us Iccdback on an cary drah oI thc tcxt. You
hcpcd us scparatc thc whcat Irom thc chaII and aso savcd us
Irom a maor Loc| mscuc. Jhank to Hans van ^!cbcck, Lssa
K. ^cn, Iancc ^ndcrscn, Lassc ^ndcrson, Nark Oyar, ^cx
Lstrada, Brucc ucr, Lsa Hoash, Jom |anscn, Brctt ]cnks, Anc
Kcnncdy, Kay Kmcr, Kcn Kozck, Kuss Krcgcr, Kon Nsak,
Jimothy |. Norcau, Shashank atc, ^ndrc azza, |oannc Quan,
|ohn Sankovch, Sam Scars, Kara Shcarcr, Nikc Short, |m Spna,
Happy cbbcrman, and atty ams.
^ spcca thanks to somc pcopc who gavc us n-dcpth advcc
on thc manuscrpt. rcd and Brcnda Hcath, Bran Lanahan,
|ustn LsoIsky, Nark Schuctcr, Sm Stkn, and Lcnn
Sommcr.
^ spcca thank-you to |on Haidt Ior sharng hs anaogy wth
us. ,magnc thc horror oI a Iramcwork caIng Ior pcopc to d-
rcct thc rchcctvc systcm and "motvatc thc unconscous sys-
A c k h o wl e d g M e h t $
tcm.) Jhanks to Lhps studcnts n thc "How to Lhangc Jhings
hcn Lhangc s Hard coursc at StanIord Ior hcIpng rchnc thc
Iramcwork (and showng us how to tak about brght spots and
hndng thc Iccng), and to thc pcopIc who artcndcd Oans work-
shop at akc orcst Lnvcrsty (and a shout-out to BiII Oavs Ior
making that happcn) . Jhank you to LIanc BartIctt Ior hcr rc-
portng on thc Nkc Komano story.
c work wth such wondcrIuI partncrs and Ircnds-wc can-
not thank you cnough. Bob Sahan, Oavid Ldsky, and Lhris Ls-
ckoski and thc tcam at Fast Coman; Lcs Jucrk and Jom
ciIsscn and cvcryonc at Brghtoght, Kcvn SmaII and hs tcam
at KcsuItSourcc, and Nark ortcr and Liz Hazcton at ortcr
lK LtcrnaI grattudc to Lhrsty Ictchcr(Ior makng us authors
and Ior "Swtch) , as wcI as hcr tabuIous tcam at Ictchcr Lo.
Jhc tcam at Broadway Books has bccn incrcdbIc: Jara
LiIbrdc, Ncrcdth NcLnns, hitncy Lookman, Songhcc
Km, and Kobcrt Sck. ^nd a spccaI authoraI ovc Icttcr to
NchacI laIgon and our cdtor, Kogcr SchoII-you'rc thc bcst.
^nd hnaIy, no thank-you wouId sccm adcquatc Ior aI that
our IamIy has donc to support us, but wcI thank thcm anyway.
Nom, Oad, and Susan, and our wvcs, Susan and ^manda.
accidcnt prcvcntion, I 78,
2I 3I4
action triggcrs, 20I2, 248
addiction, 2038
airinc industry, 02
Acoholics ^nonymous ,A),
l 46
^LL (Amcrica Latina Logistica),
5457, G0
Alcn, Oavid, 4546
Amazon, I8J84, I
ambiguity, 53, 57, 82, 0
^mgcn, 6!7
anaysis paralysis, 3233, 4445,
8I , 262
ancmia, drug |or, 67
animal train:rs, 25054
Apprcciativc Inquiry (A), I 55,
274
| 0 06 X
approximations, cccbration o|,
252-53
Attia thc Accountant, I I 5I8
am|ord, Oavid, 2
bchavior.
automatic (habits), I I , 2078,
2I 5I7
i n changc, 4, 7I8, I 56
as contagious, 22728, 232
cucs to, 22526, 2282
parcnting, 25657
situation vs., I 808I
wcakng thc cnvironmcnt, I 83
bchaviora goals, 6263
bchaviora script, 3, 6
chring, ^cxandrc, 54-57, 60
29b I h d e X
crg, Insoo Kim, 35
crwick, Oonad, ! 24
HAG (ig, Hairy, Audacious
Goa), 75~76
big problcm, sma soution, 44-
47
ackcrry addiction, 24O-4!
ackcI, Lisa, !65
obby (disruptivc ninth gradcr),
33-34, 42-4, 45, 7!
ooth-uttcrhcld, Stcvc, ! 5-!6
orkcnau, ctcr, ! ! 3-!4
(ritish ctrocum), 87~3
brain.
cmotional sidc, 6
instinctivc sidc, 6
B likc a muscc, !75
rationa sidc, 6, 7
randstattcr, Vcronika, 2O
rasiata, ! 56-58, ! 6! , 255, 257
razi:
backout syndromc in, ! 57-58
railroads in, 5457, 67
brcast canccr, 76-8! , 85
brcast cxams, 2! 2
rcgman, ctcr, ! 84-85
ric| Famiy Jhcrapy Ccntcr,
Milwaukcc, 35
bright spots:
obby (disruptivc ninth
gradcr), 33-34, 42-44, 45,
7!
to dircct thc 8dcr, 28, 33, 45,
8, 25
in drug salcs, 4!-42, 43
|ocus on, 4! , 45, 48, 8
positivc dcviants, 27! -72
qucstion o|, 4!
i n soutions-|ocuscd thcrapy,
3-4!
in Victnam, 28-32. 33, 3,
258
rown, Jim, !68-6
rycc, Oavid, 2O0, 2O!
uckingham, Marcus, 47
budgct cuts, ! 34-36
burning pat|orm, ! ! -2!
utcr, au, !452. ! 53, ! 56
Cachon, Gcrard, 22932
Cadc, rian, 36-37, 38
Calcioari, Iuiio, 55
Calaghcr, ctc, 87, 9!
Callics, Kathy, 6
canccr, tccns with, ! 07-! O, ! ! 8
Cardoso, Fcrnando Mcnriquc, 54
changc.
action pan |or, 4O
bchavioral |caturc o|, 4, !7-! 8,
! 56
ccar dircctions |or, !6, ! 7
in dctails, 53
cmotions involvcd in, 5, !4
and cxhaustion, !2
|aiurc o|, 7, !68-6
|ccing, !48
in habits, ! ! , 2078
hard vs. casy, 4
how to makc, 25
and idcntiq, ! 54, 156
individual dccisions to, 56
motivation to, 262-63
l a d e X JJ
pattcrns in, 255, 25758
pcopc probcm vs. situation
probcm, 3, 4, I 8, I 80, I 83
as proccss, 25354
rcsistancc to, 4, I 5, I 7, 53,
2664
scc-|cc, I 067
smal changc, big impact, 44
snowbaling chcct, 254, 255
and unccrtainty, 53
charitabc gihs, I 82-83
Charcs, Gabrie, I 5 I
chcckist, 22024
cid abuscrs, 6367
chidproo caps, 7
Christakis, Michoas, 227
Ccy, Mara, I 303I
Cisco Systcms, 22I22
carity, ack ol I 5, I 7, 53
Cinics, 578
ackcrry addiction, 2404
budgct cuts, I 3436
cnd uscrs, I I 0I2
cxpcnsc rcports, 58~5
sa|cty poic, 2I 3I 4
short-tcrm thinking, 8385
studcnts on timc, I 8687
Cocky, 56, 257
cognitivc dissonancc, 255
Cohcn, Oan, I2, 056
Coc, Stcvc, 08, 0
cocgc crcdits, 20I0
Coins, ]im, 7576
conhdcncc, I 686, I 7576
conscqucnccs modc, I 53
Coyotc, Wc L., 237
crisis, importancc ol I I
Crum, Alia, I 2426
customcr scrvicc, I -202
Oarcy, ]ohn M., 226
Oavis, Kathccn, I 55, 56
Ocbt Snowba, I 3233
dccision, prcoading, 2I 0
dccision making, modcIs ol
I 5354
dccision paralyss, 505 I , 56
dc|catism, 6
Ocoi ttc Consuting, 05
Ocming, Ldwards, I 80
dcsignatcd drivcrs, 23334
dcstination, ccar, 2223
dcstination postcards, 76, 82,
8587, 8
dict, Jtt cating habits
Oircct thc Rdcr, I7, I , 25
anaysis paraysis, 3233
obby (disruptivc ninth gradcr),
3334, 4244, 45, 7
razian raroads, 5457
brcast canccr cnic, 768I
bright spots, 28, 33, 45, 8, 25
chid abuscrs, 63-7
Cinics, 585, 8385
critica movcs, 450, 56, 8
dccision paraIysis, 50-5 I , 56
dcstination, 73, 8, 25
Food Pyramid, 6062
hcath carc changc, 23
manutrition in Victnam, 27
32, 33, 45
Mincr County rcvival, 677
s I h d 0 X
Oircct thc Ridcr (cont.)
no dry wcls, 875
script thc critica movcs, 4,
54, 8, 25
soution Iocus, 44, 48
soutions-Iocuscd thcrapy 54
4
Xoair, 4I-2, 45
you'l bc third gradcrs, 7576
drivcr cducation, I 6
Ouchcnnc smilc, I 22
Owcck, Caro, 64, 6568
cating habits.
changing, I 5I7
and "Iood pcrccption, 2
portion sizc, I 25
rcscarch on, 5, 780,
2I 6I7
sclI-contro in, 6, I 2
in Victnam, 25
Ldmondson, ^ny, 707I , I 72
Lihc Jowcr, 254
Ldcr, Matalic, 2 720
Lcphant:
disagrccmcnt with Ridcr, 8
and hopc, 4I , 47
and intcrprctation, I 4
Motivatc thc Llcphant, I 7, I
strcngths oI, 8
wcakncsscs oI, 78
Lcphant and Ridcr, 7
cmotions.
in thc brain, 6
oI Llcphant, 7, 8, I 7
cading to changc, 3, I 4
ncgativc vs. positivc, 4546,
2022, I686
cnd uscrs, I I 0-I2
cnvironmcnt, shihing, 262
Lpogcn, 67
Lsscrman, Iaura, 76-8I , 85, 5
cxpcctcd valuc, 8
cxpcnsc rcports, 585
|aurc:
culturc ol I74
cxpcctation oI, I 62, I6
carning cxpcricncc, 6,
7275
Fakc Vcathcrman, I 54
Fansworth, |im, 8, 0
Farrar, Stcvcn and ^nanda,
I 5I52
Ficdlcr, Icslic, 47
hnancia adviscrs, 5I 54
Find thc Fccling, I I 82I , I+8,
75, 25
Cinic, I I 0I2
Fakc Vcathcrmcn, I I 5I4
Massachusctts OYS, I 5 8
positivc ilusion, I I 4I 5
pos
[
tivc psychoog, 2I~25
Jargct, I 07, I 5
tccn canccr, 07 0
work govc shrinc, I25, 25,
I 07, I 8
hrst stcp, cccbration oI, 250
5-Minutc Room Rcscuc, 50
5I , I54, I56, I I5
t M U A
Fly Lady, I 303I , I 34
Food Iyramd, 6062
|oot n thc door" tcchnquc,
I 560
Fracnkc, Fred, 5
Frascr, Scott, I 586I
Frcdrickson, arbara, I 2I22
Frccdman, |onathan, I 586I
"|rcc spaccs, " 24648
Frcud, Sgmund, 6
Fundamcntal Attributon Lrror,
I 808I , I 85, I 4, 223,
248, 252
Fundcrburk, cvcry, 6366
Garzarcl, Llanc, 4
Gawandc, Atu, 2202I
Gchron, Mikc, 236
Gcncntcch, I 42, 43
Gcncral Motors (GM), 2I 3I4
Gcrstncr, Lou, 242
Gbson, Mc| I
goas.
&V 8687, 2, 3
bchavioral, 6263
cmotonal, 82
gut-smackng, 8I
smal succcsscs, I 4346
SMARJ, 8?
withn immcdiatc rcach, I43,
I45
Golwtzcr, Ietcr, 20I 2
GI Invcstmcntos Limtcd, 54
57
Grow Your Icopc, 25
conhdcncc, I 686, I 7576
dccson modcls, I 5354
cxpcctation o|aiurc, I 62, I 6
hcart surgcry, I 7072
idcntity, I 5862
innovators, I 5658
mndsct, I 6376
nursc turnovcr, I 5456
prdc campaigns, I 5253
St. Lucia Parrot, I 452
schoo dcntity, I 7375
Gu| Var, 2 I 5I 6
gut-smacking goas, 8I
habts, I I , 5253, 25
action trggcrs, 20I 2
addction, 2038
bchavoral autopot, I I , 207
8, 2I 5I 7
chcckist, 22024
catng, I-3, I 2, I 5-I7,
I 780, I 23, 2I 6I 7
i n ccmcntary schoo, 2I 720
instant, 2I 2
mcntal, 208
tcam, 2I 5
Haddon matrx, I 78, I
Hadt, |onathan, Ihe Hainess
Hothesu, 7
Hamn, Harry 233
Hardy Lcmcntary School, 2I 7
20
hcalth carc.
brcast canccr cnc, 768I
hcart surgcry, I 7072
3OO I h d 0 X
hcath carc (cont.)
intcnsivc carc, 2202I
manutrition, 2732
mcdica inrcrns, 24248
mcdication administrarion,
I870
nursing proIcssion, I 5457,
I 870
proccss improvcmcms in, I
24
tccn canccr, I 07I 0
Hcaly, Gai Annc, I I6, I I 8
Heart o/ Change, The (Kotrcr and
Cohcn) , I2
hcart surgcry, I 7072
Hcarh, !rcd, I 36
hip-rcplaccmcm surgcry, 450,
57, 2I II2
hopc, I4I, I47, I 68
HopcLab, I 07I0, I I 8
hotc maids, I 24-26, I 27-2,
257
houscccaning, I 23I
Howard, Moy, I 7375
Howard, South Oakota, rcviva,
677I , 254
husbands, training o[ 25I53
hypcrbolc, I 20
IM, I 73, 242
idcntity modc, I 5357, I 58,
I 606I
IOLC, I686
inccntivcs, I 85
industria saIcty, I56
injury prcvcnrion, I 7-8
insrincts, in rhc brain, 6
Insritutc Ior Hcathcarc Improvc-
mcnt (IH), I -24
inrcnsivc carc, 2202I
invcntors, I56-58, I 6I , 255, 257
invcsrmcnr rcscarch, 47
|chcrson County High School,
I 7375
|oncs, Crysra, 737, 8I , 3
juvcnilc jusricc systcm, Massa-
chuscrts, I I 5I 8
Kaiscr South Hospir:J, I 870
Kantcr, Rosabcth Moss, I 68
Kazdin, Alan, 253
Kccp thc Switch Going:
anima rraincrs, 25054
mcrc cxposurc chcct, 25455
parrcrns ol changc, 255, 257
58
rcinlorccmcnr, 25253
snowbaling chcct, 254, 255
Kclogg, Kathcrinc, ?42, 245,
246, 247
Kclman, Stcvcn, I 374I , 234,
254
art] I 0I
Kottcr, |ohn, I2, I056
l n d e X 3O!
Langcr, !IIco, I 24-26
Latanc, bbb, 226
carnng lramc, I 7I -72
Lcbcr, Anctrc, I I3-I 4
Lovclacc HosptaI 5ystcms, I 54-
56
oyalry cards, I 26-27
Manu/cturing and Ser:ice Oer-
anons Management
(MSOM), 22-32
March, |amcs, I 53, I 54, I 60
Massachusctts OY5, I I 5-I 8
MwcI, Kurh, I I
Mc!nroc, |ohn, I 64
mcdcaI inrcrns, 242-48
mcdcaton admnstraton, I 87~
0
McndcIsohn, Mcrcdthc, 78-7
mcntors, 23
mcrc cposurc chcct, 254-55
Mcrosoh Iabs. I I 0-I2, I ! 8
Mcrosoh Cutook, I 5
MC5 (mnmaIly nvasvc car-
dac surgcry), I 70-72
milk, Iow-lat, I 5-I 7, 53, 56, 60
mindsct, hxcd vs. growth, I 63-
6B, I 6, I 72, I 75
Mncr County rcvval, 67-7I , 254
Mochan, Andy, I20
momcntum, lost, 264
Motvarc thc !lcphant, I7, I,
25
Clincs, I I O-I2, I 34-36
hnancaI advscrs, I 3I-34
hnd thc lccIng, ! 8-2I , I48,
I 7', 25
5-minutc room rcscuc, I 30-3I
grow your pcopc, I 4, 25
hcaIth carc changc, 23
hcart surgcry, I70-72
hotcI mad study, I 24-26,
I 27-2
idcntity, I 58-62
nnovators, I 56-58
oyaty cards, I26-27
mainranng, 223
Massachusctrs OYS, I I 5-I 8
mndscr, I 6J-76
ncgatvc cmotons, I 20-2I
nursng prolcsson. I 54-57
postvc psychology, I 2I -23
prdc campagns, I 52-53
St. Lucia Parrot, I4-52
shrink thc changc, I 24, I 2,
25
smaI wns, I 36-4I , I43-46
Jargct, I 0I -7, I I3
tccn canccr, I07-I0, I 8
Mountan Mcdca Ccntcr, I 7I -
72
Murphy, ]ohn ]. .
and bobby, JJ-34 42-44, 45
!xccpton Qucston askcd by,
42-43
solutions-locuscd thcrapy ot
34-4I
^anda, Lauri, 5
nativc solurions, 3I , 32
1 l n d e X
ncgativc, prcdilcction |or, 4547,
263
no dry jo] wcs, 873
nothng`s happcnng, 264
nursng pro|cssion, I 545 7,
I 870
obstaclcs, 26I64
CFPP (Cmcc o| Fcdcral Pro-
curcmcnt Pocy), I 37~4I
oi wcs, 873
Cmidyar, Pam, I 07, I08
onc day at a timc, I 46
"oppostiona dcntty, 247
optimism, I 6
ovcrconhdcncc, 222
Pagonis, Viiam "Gus, 2I 5I6
Papc, Jcss, I 88
Parccs, i, I 4344, I 45
parcnt-child ntcraction thcrapy
(PCIJ), 6367
parcnting, 25657
parkng probcms, 222
Parry, Randy, 67, 7I
Pasca|c, Rchard, 4I42
Path, Shapc thc Path, I 8, I
pccr pcrccption,
_
2628
pccr rcvcw, 230~32
pcopc, conncctng, 23
Pipcr Apha oil pat|orm, I I
2I
paccbo chcct, I 2728
Panncr vs. Oocr, 7
Pato, 6
Point to thc Ocstnaton, 73, 25
brcast canccr cnc, 768I
dcstination postcards, 76, 82,
85-87, 8
gut-smackng goaI, 8 I
how to gct thcrc, 8
nvcstmcnt rcscarch, 47
no dry wcs, 87J
SMARJ goas, 82
you' bc thrd gradcrs, 73~76
Poppc, Patti, 2I 3I4
Porras, |crry, 7576
portion sizc, I 23
postivc dcvants, 27I-72
postivc iusion, I I4I 5
positivc psychoogy, |2I23
pridc campaigns, I 5?~53
probIcm |ocus, 45, 4748
procrastinaton, 263
product dcsign, I 7
Pronovost, Pctcr, 22I , 223
purchasng costs, contro o|, I 2
I 5, I 6
"guct hours," I I
Rackspacc, I 202, 208, 236,
254, 257
Raly thc Hcrd, 25
cucs, 22526, 228-2
dcsignatcd drivcrs, 23334
l h d 0 X 11
lrcc spaccs. 246-48
mcdical intcrns, 2428
MSOM, 2?-32
pccr pcrccption, 226-28
in Janzania, 234-3
Ramscy Oavc, I 3I-34
Rarc (conscrvation organization),
I 52-53, 258
rationa brain, 6, 7
rationaization, 85-87, 8-0
Rcdcmcicr, Oonald, 4-50
Rcgcr, il, 5-I 6
rcinlorccmcnt, 252-53
Rc-Mission (vidco gamc), I 08-
Richards, ccky, I87-0
Ridcr.
anaysis paraysis oI, 33, 44-5,
8I
dccision paraysis ol, 50-5 I
Oircct thc Ridcr, I 7, I
disagrccmcnt wth Lcphant, 8-

ack oI carity in, I 5
probcm-sccking mindsct ol 45
routincs ol. 52-53
strcngths oI 7-8, 32, 8
wcakncsscs ol, 8, 32-33, 8
Ridcr and Ecphant, 7
Rivkin, |ack, 4-6
Romano, Mikc, 203-5, 207,
208, 223, 257
Ross, Lcc, I 80
saIcty poiccs, I 5-6, I 7-8,
2I 3-I4
St. Lucia Parrot, I4-52, I 53,
I 56, 258
msa dancng, I 6I -62, I65
Samuclson, |udy, 83-85
Savc thc Chidrcn, 27-32
school, disruptivc bchavior in,
33-34
school idcntity, I 73-75
Schwartz, arry, The Paradx o/
Choice, 52
Scrpt thc Critical Movcs, 4, 8,
25
bchaviora goas, 62-63, 3, 6
in raziian railroads, 54-57,
67
child abuscrs, 63-67
dccision paraysis, 50-5 I , 56
Food Pyramid, 60-62
hip-rcplaccmcnt surgcry, 4-50
Mincr County rcviva, 67-7I
spcchc instructions, 63-67
status quo, 52-54
scl-contro:
in cating habits, 6, -I 2
cxhaustibc rcsourcc, I 0-I I
naturc oI I I
scI-cmcacy, 280-8l
scI-manipulation, I 3-5
Scigman, Martin, I 2I
Shahr, Lldar, 4-50
Shapc thc Path, l8, I , 23, 25
action triggcrs, 20-I 2
airinc industry, I 0-2
Amazn, I 8384
animal trancrs, 250-54
bu!d habits, I I, 52-53, 203-
8, 25
1- l n d e X
Shapc thc Iarh (cont.)
charitablc donations, !82-83
chcckist, 220-24
Clinics, ! 86-87, 2! 3-!4, 240
4!
!undamcnta ^ttribution Error,
! 80-8! , ! 4, 248
industria salcty, !56
kccp thc Switch going, 250
mcdica proccdurcs, ! 87-0,
242-4
portion szcs, I 2-3
Rackspacc, !-2O2, 254
ray thc hcrd, 25
twcak thc cnvironmcnt, !7,
208, 220, 25
Shazcr, Stcvc dc, 35
Shcarson Lchman, 4-7
short-tcrm thinkng, 83-85
Shrink thc Changc, ! 24, 25
brcak down thc task, !34
hnancial adviscrs, ! 3!34
5-minutc room rcscuc, !2-3!
hotc maid study, I 24-26,
! 272, !34
Ioyaty cards, ! 26-27
miracc scac, I 4!43
onc day at a timc, ! 46
paccbo chcct, ! 27-28
sma wins, I 36-4! , ! 43-46
Stkin, Sim, ! ! 6, ! ! 8
sma wins, ! 364! , ! 43-46,
253, 255
SMARJ goals, 82
smokcrs, quitting, 2O8, 2! 2
smoothing thc Iath, ! 82-83
solution locus, 44, 48
solutions, importcd, 3!
solutions-locuscd thcrapy, 34-4!
cloning bright spots in, 40-4!
Exccpton Qucstion in, 38-3,
42-43
idcnti|ing bright spots in, 3-
40
invcntion ol, 35
in marriagc thcrapy. 35-37
Miracc Qucstion in, 36-37,
! 4!
miraclc scalc in, I 4 |43
sccncs rcplaycd in, 3
Southwcst ^irincs, 57
spccibc intcrvcntions, proposal
ol, 23
status quo, 52-54
Stcgncr, |on, ! 2-I5, 23, !07,
I ! 8
"stcrilc cockpit rulc, I I
Stcrnin, |crry, 2732. 33, 3.
43,
45, 48, 7! , 258
stock-pickng, 4-7
strcngths, making thc most o[
47
studcnts on timc, ! 86-87
Suthcrand, ^my, 25O-52
Swtch, how to makc, 25
Janzana, "sugar-daddics in,
234-3
Jargct, ! O!-7, ! ! 3, | 2! , ! 23
Jcach !or ^mcrica, 73-74
tcam-buiding, 5-6
tccn canccr, !07-!0, I ! 8
tmc shccts, ! 84-85
Jinkcr, Grant, 233
I h d e X 3O5
too much, 264
Jotal Quaity Managcmcnt, 80
Jrzcsnicwsi, Kai, 65
Juckcr, Amanda, I 34, 208
Jwcak thc Lnvironmcnt, 7,
I83, 220, 25
accidcnt prcvcntion, I 78
airinc industry, 02
Amazon, I 83~84
and brcak habits, 208
Fundamcnta Attribution Error,
I 808I , 4
industria sa|cty, I 5-6
mcdication administration,
I 870
portion sizc, I 23
Rackspacc, 202, 208
scl|-manipuation, I 35
timc shccts, I 8485
Lrich, ob, I02
LSAIO, 23
Vandcrby, ]im, 87
Vann, Ian, 0, I
vcrba grooming," 252
Victnam:
bright spots in, 2832, 33, 3,
258
community norms in, 2
manutrition in, 2732, 33, 45,
258
nativc solutions, 3I , 32
swcct-potato grccns in, 30, 42
Victnam Var, 203-
ValMart, I 0 I , I23
Vansink, rian, 2, I 2
Vatcrs, Robyn, 027, I I 3, I23
Vatson, Jom, I73
Vcick, Karl, I44
Vcincr-Oavis, Michcc, 3536,
4647, I 68, I 80
Vcston, Graham, I ~20!
Vhitc, Pamca, 236
Vinstcn, |ay, 233-34
Vood, Susan, I 55, I 56
Voodcn, |ohn, I44
Voods, Jigcr, I64
work glovc shrinc, I 2I 5, 23,
I 07, I I d
Xoair, 4I42
you'l bc third gradcrs, 73-76
Zion, Libby, 242
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