| |
 Print
The Rider, the Elephant, and the Path – an Analogy for Change
7-12-2017
We all have some thing in our lives that we want to change. A habit that doesn’t serve us. A way of thinking that’s limiting. A situation that wears us down and leaves us demoralized. A spot where we know what we are doing isn’t working any longer, if it ever did. We want to do things different, but between the desire and results we sabotage ourselves.
Chip and Dan Heath have a simple, but powerful, approach to rethinking how to make change, not only in ourselves, but in those around us. In their book “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard” they present a rider-elephant-path analogy. In short, if we want change we can “direct the rider, motivate the elephant, and shape the path”.
The Heath brothers draw inspiration from “The Happiness Hypothesis” written by Jonathan Haidt. Haidt explains, “our rider is conscious reasoning – the stream of words and images the hogs the stage of awareness. The elephant is the other 99 percent of mental processes – the ones that occur outside of awareness but that actually govern most of our behavior.” The rider and the elephant have a complex relationship. The rider, our rational planning and analyzing part, likes to believe he’s in control – steering our course of action through willpower and determination. Haidt explains, “because we can see only one little corner of the mind’s vast operation, we are surprised when urges, wishes, and temptations emerge, seemingly from nowhere. We make pronouncements, vows, and resolutions, and then are surprised by our own powerlessness to carry them out.” Meanwhile our six-ton elephant side “the gut feelings, visceral reactions, emotions, and intuitions that comprise much of the automatic system” runs effortlessly and endlessly. To exacerbate the situation, our path is often unclear with hidden hazards, detours, and pitfalls along the way.
It’s important to recognize that instead of controlling the elephant, the rider serves it. The rider can judge what is beneficial to the elephant and direct it accordingly. It can coax, distract, reward, or punish the elephant without having to engage in a direct contest of wills that leave the rider depleted and the elephant rampaging wildly. The rider looks into the future while the elephant lives in the moment. Both our rational and emotional side has intelligence and value. The key is to get the rider and the elephant to move together towards a mutually desired destination.
Direct the rider. “What looks like resistance is usually a lack of clarity. If the rider doesn’t know where to go, they spin the elephant in circles. Direct the rider with a crystal-clear vision of the outcome and a set of specific actions to get there.” Strategies to do this include: finding the bright spots by replicating what is already working; showcasing the destination by making goals clear and visible; and, scripting the critical moves, actions, and tasks.
Motivate the Elephant. “What looks like laziness is often exhaustion. Facts and analytics data do not move the elephant. Without a compelling and personally relevant goal, the elephant will eventually become unmotivated, worn out and stop walking. Break the goal down into smaller pieces until it no longer spooks the elephant.” Try: finding the feeling by showing the urgency and importance of reaching the goal; shrinking the change through breaking things down into manageable pieces until you no longer feel confused or paralyzed and creating quick wins and a sense of success; growing your people and yourself by building a sense identity around your goals and the type of person or organization you are becoming.
Shape the Path. “What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. Remove escape routes in the environment. Agree on simple rules of engagement in the office. Also promote certain desired behavior by mentors or champions. Behavior is contagious. Create behavioral automatisms or daily routines.” Work on: tweaking the environment by changing the situation and stimuli that trigger automatic reactions; replacing negative habits with positive ones; rallying the herd as behavior is contagious so spread your desired behavior to others and use peer pressure to your advantage.
Relying only on the rider to maintain control and direction is exhausting. It requires constant supervision so that we never get to relax and enjoy the ride. By harnessing the power our elephants, the emotions, habits, and automatic reactions we all have, and through shaping a path that is smooth and safe we can make the changes needed to get the results we desire.
Zainab Dhanani can be reached at z_dhanani@yahoo.ca
Footnotes:
|