Recently, I finished reading Switch by Dan and Chip Heath, and I can honestly say I loved every page of this book.

The main focus of this book is exploring the required methods and mindsets to successfully establishing change in life and in business.

Elephant, Rider, and Path

Throughout the book, change is described from the perspective of 3 simple metaphors describing the folks involved in the change taking place, and their surrounding setting or culture.

The metaphor utilised in Switch was originally from a book known as The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt (I haven’t read this book yet myself, however it’s been added to my eternally growing inventory of required reading!).

I'm so impressed with the metaphor utilised in Switch that I could go on regarding it for hours, but I'll make an effort to reign it in a little for now.

In a nutshell, your personality is made of 2 major components (similar to Freud’s ego and superego) – an Elephant and a Rider sitting on top of that Elephant’s back holding the reigns and attempting to steer the Elephant along.

From time to time the Elephant and the Rider do not always see eye to eye on what direction to travel in - unfortunately the Rider is only zealous enough to pull the Elephant along for a small stretch of time.

According to the metaphor in the book, the "Elephant" portion of our mind tends to look for the path of least resistance. This is the part of us that relies on habits an feelings when decisions need to be made. Our Elephants don't over analyze or calculate - they react by moving in the easiest, most comfortable direction possible.

The Elephant's ruin is that while it consistently depends on emotions, instincts and habits we occasionally need to create changes that don't go hand in hand with those tendencies. It becomes necessary to give our Elephants a boost in the right direction from time to time.

The Rider’s job is to guide the Elephant down the right Path (the third part of the metaphor), even when that path is challenging to travel.

The Rider is our analytic mind – the part of us that can see around obstacles and take a look at the bigger picture.

While the Elephant tends to act without thinking, the Rider has the opposite pattern - he tends to over think and over analyze everything.

The third component to Haidt’s metaphor is the Path – which is simply the environment surrounding a change. Things that effect the Path can include the attitudes of others, social norms, laws and systems - or any other factors that impact the changes we are making.

Seeing The Metaphor In Action

Throughout Switch, Dan and Chip Heath demonstrate effective change with a simple, three part process based on the metaphor described above:

• Motivate the Elephant

• Direct the Rider

• Shape the Path

The book is broken into three sections based on these steps. Essentially, you need to get the Elephant moving, give the Rider a clear destination to travel in (preventing him from spinning his wheels) and shape the Path you’re traveling on to eliminate or avoid obstacles.

There are, of course, finer points within each section, and the different chapters are broken down to illustrate these points.

As you progress through the book, the authors share a multitude of stories surrounding various changes and how this model applies to their success. From individual problems like drug addiction to national issues like government spending, the changes in Switch are as varied as they are inspirational.

Why This Book Works So Well

Let’s be honest – the concepts this book are based on aren’t the kind of thing that sounds spine-tingling to everyone. In spite of that fact, the book remains entertaining from cover to cover.

Switch is written in such a well organized way that the different sections are not only entertaining but compliment each other extremely well - each chapter being reinforced by those that came before it.

There are also plenty of humorous asides scattered throughout the book, so it keeps the text from becoming mundane.

Despite the variety of changes that are depicted in the book, Dan and Chip Heath do a great job of connecting the dots between different situations.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that this book is loaded with moments that leave you thinking "Yup. I totally do that…"

All in all, this a great read for anyone who has a habit they don’t like, or something they think they need to improve in their life or their business (which I think covers pretty much all of us ;) )