The rider and the elephant...
Using Chip & Dan Heath’s ‘Switch-when
change is hard’ and " The Happiness
Hypothesis" by J . Haidt and Steve Harrisons
tool for making it all useable to find good
injections to core conflicts
For things to change , somebody
somewhere has to start acting
differently.
For things to change , somebody
somewhere has to start acting
differently.
Maybe its you , maybe its your
team or your client.
For things to change , somebody
somewhere has to start acting
differently.
Maybe its you , maybe its your
team or your client.
Picture that Person or People.
A useful Meta4 to think of is that of the elephant
and the rider.
From " The Happiness Hypothesis" by J . Haidt
A useful Meta4 to think of is that of the elephant
and the rider.
From " The Happiness Hypothesis" by J . Haidt
A useful Meta4 to think of is that of the elephant
and the rider.
From " The Happiness Hypothesis" by J . Haidt
Our rational side is it's Rider.
A useful Meta4 to think of is that of the elephant
and the rider.
From " The Happiness Hypothesis" by J . Haidt
Our rational side is it's Rider.
Our emotional side is the Elephant.
Perched atop the elephant the rider holds the
reins and seems to be the leader. BUT the
riders control is so precarious because the
rider is so small compared to the elephant.
Perched atop the elephant the rider holds the
reins and seems to be the leader. BUT the
riders control is so precarious because the
rider is so small compared to the elephant.
Anytime the 6 ton elephant and the rider
disagree about direction for long..... the rider is
going to lose in the end....
The weakness of the elephant: lazy,
skittish , looking for instant gratification,
the quick payoff.
The weakness of the elephant: lazy,
skittish , looking for instant gratification,
the quick payoff.
The strength of the rider: The ability
to see ahead, think long term
beyond the moment.
The strength of the rider: The ability
to see ahead, think long term
beyond the moment.
The weakness of the elephant: lazy,
skittish , looking for instant gratification,
the quick payoff.
The strength of the rider: The ability
to see ahead, think long term
beyond the moment.
Emotion and logic often play a big part
in our personal dilemmas...
Emotion and logic often play a big part
in our personal dilemmas...
Be healthier
STOP SMOKING
Happy & Whole
Cope with stress
KEEP SMOKING
Emotion and logic often play a big part
in our personal dilemmas...
Logic tells us we
should stop..We
know its bad.
Be healthier
STOP SMOKING
Happy & Whole
Cope with stress
KEEP SMOKING
Emotion and logic often play a big part
in our personal dilemmas...
Logic tells us we
should stop..We
know its bad.
Be healthier
STOP SMOKING
Happy & Whole
Cope with stress
KEEP SMOKING
But our lazy/ skittish
nature prefers
instant gratification
HOWEVER.....
The strength of the
elephant: Getting
things done, energy &
drive.
HOWEVER.....
The strength of the
elephant: Getting
things done, energy &
drive.
The weakness of the rider:
Over analysis , over thinking
things. Spinning its wheels.
The weakness of the rider:
Over analysis , over thinking
things. Spinning its wheels.
HOWEVER.....
The strength of the
elephant: Getting
things done, energy &
drive.
The weakness of the rider:
Over analysis , over thinking
things. Spinning its wheels.
And again emotion and logic often play
a big part in our personal dilemmas...
Growth
Happy & Whole
Change
?
Security
Don’t change
And again emotion and logic often play
a big part in our personal dilemmas...
Emotional
elephant give us
drive and
energy...
Growth
Change
Happy & Whole
Security
Don’t change
And again emotion and logic often play
a big part in our personal dilemmas...
Growth
Happy & Whole
Change
?
Security
Don’t change
But with too many choices/
risks the rider is confused
and lost and drives
elephant in circles
And again emotion and logic often play
a big part in our personal dilemmas...
Emotional
elephant give us
drive and
energy...
Growth
Happy & Whole
Change
?
Security
Don’t change
But with too many choices/
risks the rider is confused
and lost and drives
elephant in circles
And again...
Secure future
Save Money
Happy & Whole
Have fun today
Go out
And again...
Rider tells us we
should be sensible./
sees big negatives..
Secure future
Save Money
Happy & Whole
Have fun today
Go out
And again...
Secure future
Save Money
Happy & Whole
Have fun today
Go out
The elephant desires
instant gratification
And again...
Rider tells us we
should be sensible./
sees big negatives..
Secure future
Save Money
Happy & Whole
Have fun today
Go out
The elephant desires
instant gratification
Both common sense and TOC tell us that we must
satisfy both the needs of the rider and the needs of
the elephant when we look for a good solution...
Both common sense and TOC tell us that we must
satisfy both the needs of the rider and the needs of
the elephant when we look for a good solution...
Growth
+
Security
= Good solution
But how to ensure we don’t get angry (emotional) or
lost (in logic) along the way...
Growth
+
= Poor solution...?
Security
We must shape the path and appeal to the better
qualities of both our rider (logical) and elephants
(emotional) needs...
We must shape the path and appeal to the better
qualities of both our rider (logical) and elephants
(emotional) needs...
Security
Growth
Growth
Security
So to change things, we need to :
1. DIRECT the rider &
2. MOTIVATE the elephant &
3. SHAPE the path
And when we do all 3 well, change
happens .
When looking to tackle your core dilemma it might be
useful to look for injections/ solutions/ideas that tend
to drive the positive traits of our rational AND
emotional sides. The drive, the energy AND the
logic, the foresight ...
When looking to tackle your core dilemma it might be
useful to look it terms of things that tend to drive the
positive traits of our rational AND emotional sides.
The drive, the energy AND the logic, the foresight ...
And avoid the negative aspects like laziness,
confusion....
When looking to tackle your core dilemma it might be
useful to look it terms of things that tend to drive the
positive traits of our rational AND emotional sides.
The drive, the energy AND the logic, the foresight ...
And avoid the negative aspects like laziness,
confusion....
1. Direct the Rider
2. Motivate the Elephant
3. Shape the Path
Here’s some tips about how to do each...
Direct the Rider
Motivate the Elephant
Find & Follow Investigate
the Bright what’s working
and clone it.
Spots
Find the
Feeling
Don’t think big
picture, think in
Script the
terms of
Critical Moves
specific
behaviours
Shrink the
Change
Point to the
destination
Change is
easier when
you know
where your
going and why
its worth it
Grow your
People
Shape the Path
When the
situation
changes, the
behaviour
changes. So
change the
situation.
When behaviour
Break down the
is habitual its
change until it
free…it doesn’t
no longer
Build Habits tax the rider. Look
spooks the
for ways to
elephant
encourage habits.
Knowing
something isn’t
Tweak the
enough to
cause change. Environment
Make people
feel something.
Cultivate a
sense of
identity and
instil the growth
mindset
Rally the
Herd
Behaviour is
contagious. Help
it spread.
Here’s some tips about how to do each...
Direct the Rider
Motivate the Elephant
Find & Follow Investigate
the Bright what’s working
and clone it.
Spots
Find the
Feeling
Don’t think big
picture, think in
Script the
terms of
Critical Moves
specific
behaviours
Shrink the
Change
Point to the
destination
Change is
easier when
you know
where your
going and why
its worth it
Grow your
People
Shape the Path
When the
situation
changes, the
behaviour
changes. So
change the
situation.
When behaviour
Break down the
is habitual its
change until it
free…it doesn’t
no longer
Build Habits tax the rider. Look
spooks the
for ways to
elephant
encourage habits.
Knowing
something isn’t
Tweak the
enough to
cause change. Environment
Make people
feel something.
Cultivate a
sense of
identity and
instil the growth
mindset
Rally the
Herd
Behaviour is
contagious. Help
it spread.
Here’s some tips about how to do each...
Direct the Rider
Motivate the Elephant
Find & Follow Investigate
the Bright what’s working
and clone it.
Spots
Find the
Feeling
Don’t think big
picture, think in
Script the
terms of
Critical Moves
specific
behaviours
Shrink the
Change
Point to the
destination
Change is
easier when
you know
where your
going and why
its worth it
Grow your
People
Shape the Path
When the
situation
changes, the
behaviour
changes. So
change the
situation.
When behaviour
Break down the
is habitual its
change until it
free…it doesn’t
no longer
Build Habits tax the rider. Look
spooks the
for ways to
elephant
encourage habits.
Knowing
something isn’t
Tweak the
enough to
cause change. Environment
Make people
feel something.
Cultivate a
sense of
identity and
instil the growth
mindset
Rally the
Herd
Behaviour is
contagious. Help
it spread.
Here’s some tips about how to do each...
Direct the Rider
Motivate the Elephant
Find & Follow Investigate
the Bright what’s working
and clone it.
Spots
Find the
Feeling
Don’t think big
picture, think in
Script the
terms of
Critical Moves
specific
behaviours
Shrink the
Change
Point to the
destination
Change is
easier when
you know
where your
going and why
its worth it
Grow your
People
Shape the Path
When the
situation
changes, the
behaviour
changes. So
change the
situation.
When behaviour
Break down the
is habitual its
change until it
free…it doesn’t
no longer
Build Habits tax the rider. Look
spooks the
for ways to
elephant
encourage habits.
Knowing
something isn’t
Tweak the
enough to
cause change. Environment
Make people
feel something.
Cultivate a
sense of
identity and
instil the growth
mindset
Rally the
Herd
Behaviour is
contagious. Help
it spread.
Any thoughts?
Gratefully received at
callumjfindlay@googlemail.com