"Very often, when people look like they are resisting change, it may be that they are just clueless about how to change."
Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in organizations or in our own lives? For the November 2010 Executive Briefing we talk with the co-author of the bestselling book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard. Chip Heath explains how schools can learn to make changes once we understand that our minds are ruled by two conflicting systems — one rational and one emotional — that compete for control. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. Heath provides a variety of great examples for how schools can effectively institute change and his “Three Steps to Change” offers a clear path for school leaders to follow when looking to make changes. The following is an abridged version of our interview with Chip Heath.