Switch

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath in their newest book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In his keynote address, Chip Heath will show how everyday people—employees and managers, parents and nurses—have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results, and how you can do the same in your community.