Book Summary | Catalyst : The ultimate Strategies on how to win at work and in life

Book : Catalyst : The ultimate Strategies on how to win at work and in life

Author: Chandramouli Venkatesan

Catalyst: The ultimate strategies on how to win at work and in life is based on experience of the author while working in few reputed organisations.

Foundations & Pillars: This book shares the about authors experience in dealing career aspirations and management.  Typically  everyone aspires to be very successful in their career and wants to grow very fast and climb the ladder of success. Career is broadly divided into two halves, where in 95% of the time people are successful  in the first halve and only 5% of the people are successful in second halve. Career success – easy in the first half, difficult in the second half.  The major factors for success depends upon  (i) The nature of the organization, (ii) The Impact of the boss and supervisors (iii) The preparation required to succeed at each level. Success in the second halves of career is largely a function of the foundation & pillars built in the first halves. 

Algorithm & Target Measure Review Reflect: The author uses “Algorithm & TMRR” ( Target Measure Review Reflect) more frequently, you can find in every sixth page .  Many people post  or tweet messages, experiences etc. in the digital space of Facebook, LinkedIn etc., but few gets noticed and gets shared. This is because an algorithm is inbuilt which tracks the likes and dislikes and prioritize these. Similarly in career growth the algorithm is built with IQ and EQ and therefore career growth is related to Real individual Growth which includes Environmental Aspects. Personal productivity is converting this algorithm into output. To increase the  productivity focus needs to be within the circle of influence.

Learning Cycles : Successful people seems to have participated in more major learning cycles then less successful & successful people seemed to have extracted more experience and real individual growth out of the learning cycles they participate in than less successful people. Career cannot be linear and it should be managed.  A good career management as three fundamental principles –(i) focus on depth over width (ii) Complete major learning cycles (iii) get out there when you can. While doing career planning identifying a good boss is very important. A hint to identify a good boss, may be through a good company – may be company’s rating in talent market, reputation of hiring quality talent.

Decision Making for Quitting  & Joining:  2X2 matrix for decision making to quite – Current organisation – What is good & What is bad | Future organisation – What can be good & What can be bad. Motivation is through hopping on a hobby and leadership is function of Position, Content & Values.

Book Summary | The Tyranny of Metrics - Jerry Z Muller

Book  : The Tyranny of Metrics

Author – Jerry Z Muller

Performance measurement is the buzz word and the time we conceive to funeral we keep measuring. The metrics used may be different based on the status or lifestyle, however we measure. Is it the right measure, will all these measure meaningful everyone has their own opinion on that. Metrics and measurement has become dominant in our life.

The Tyranny of metrics is an introspect on the application of metrics, when it is linked to the performance of pay may lead to gaming. The author provides examples on the metrics that were used in Military, Academics, schools and corporate,

where the dominance of metrics has boomeranged. Greater attention and metrication of the measures linking to performance reward has become gaming. Many of the times, we remember a great quote “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it” however we forget that it could be a game based on metrics fixation. Because we life in the age of measured accountability of reward for measured performance. But the identification of accountability with metrics and transparency is unreliable. Many a times, with the data flow from lower level to upper level there will be too many screening and analysis the real meaning of the metric gets lost or the decision maker will be biased as the true data on the metric doesn’t flow. The metric fixation is the seemingly irresistible pressure to measure performance, to publicize it, and to reward it, often in the face of evidence that this just doesn’t work very well. In 1986 the American management guru, Tom Peters, embraced the motto, “What gets measured gets done,” which became a cornerstone belief of metrics. Some of the common flaws of the measurement systems are

·         Measuring the most easily measurable.

·         Measuring the simple when the desired outcome is complex

·         Measuring inputs rather than outcomes.

·         Degrading information quality through standardization.

·         Gaming through creaming

·         Improving numbers through omission or distortion of data

The problem is not measurement, but excessive measurement and inappropriate measurement—not metrics, but metric fixation. The key components of metric fixations are

·         the belief that it is possible and desirable to replace judgment, acquired by personal experience and talent, with numerical indicators of comparative performance based upon standardized metrics;

·         the belief that making such metrics public (transparent) assures that institutions are actually carrying out their purposes; 

·         the belief that the best way to motivate people within these organizations is by attaching rewards and penalties to their measured performance,

Goal displacement through diversion of effort to what gets measured. Goal displacement comes in many varieties. When performance is judged by a few measures, and the stakes are high, people will focus on satisfying those measures—often at the expense of other, more important organizational goals that are not measured. The result is that the metric means comes to replace the organizational ends that those means must to serve.

Checklist for when and how to use metrics ?

o    What kind of information are you thinking of measuring?

o   How useful is the information?

o   How useful are more metrics?

o   What are the costs of not relying upon standardized measurement?

o    To what purposes will the measurement and to whom will the information be made transparent?

o   What are the costs of acquiring the metrics?

o   Ask why demanding performance metrics.

 “Measurement is not an alternative to judgement: measurement demands judgement: judgement about whether to measure, what to measure, how to evaluate the significance of what’s been measured, whether rewards and penalties will be attached to the results, and to whom to make the measurements available”. Identifying, measuring, and discussing good quality metrics with your staff is key to being able to manage your organization effectively. If we focus on this Metric,  will it drive the desired  behaviour. 

A good book to read, and if you don’t like to read every chapter read the last chapter – which provides great summary of the book !!

Book Summary | Give and Take - A Revolutionary Approach to Success

Give and Take – A Revolutionary  approach to success

Author – Adam Grant

Organisations are driven by people and success of the organisation depends upon people.  Peoples skills and behavior is based on Give and Take to aspire and create meaningful and sustainable changes to their environment. Give and Take reveals the surprising forces behind success and the steps to enhance ownership through encouraging behavior.

In Give & Take – the author categories people by the fundamental styles of social interaction into Givers, Takers and Matchers. All these three different distinct characters are required to achieve the organisational mission. However each of these characters have distinct behavioral and psychological attitudes  that the author narrates with examples and coordination required between these attributes to achieve the goals.  According to conventional wisdom, highly successful people have three things in common; Motivation, ability and opportunity. Success depends heavily on how we approach our interactions with other people. Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make; do we try to claim as much value as we can or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return? Takers have a distinct signature they like to get more than what they give. 

Givers prefer to give more than they get.  Across occupations, it appears that givers are just too caring, too trusting and too willing to sacrifice their own interests for the benefits of others. Givers succeed in a way that creates a ripple effect, enhancing the success of people around them.  

Successful givers have unique approaches to interactions in four key domains; Networking, Collaborating, evaluating and influencing. Givers have a track record of generously sharing.  The ability to imagine other people perspectives, rather than getting stuck in our own perspectives, is a signature skill of successful givers in collaborations. Takers want to be admired by influential superiors, so they go out of their way to charm and flatter. As a result powerful people tend to form glowing first impression of takers. The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.  Matchers tend to build smaller networks than either givers who seek actively to help a wider range of people. Many  matchers operate based on the attitude of “I’ll do something for you, if you’ll do something for me.Matchers are better equipped to inspire self-fulfilling prophecies.  

The type of person you are at work has a huge impact on your future success. According to Grant, givers are the people that achieve the greatest success.

https://www.amazon.in/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/1780224729/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1547289470&sr=8-1&keywords=give+and+take

Book Summary | How We Die : Reflections of life's Final Chapter

Book : How We Die: Reflections of Life's Final Chapter 
Author: Sherwin B. Nuland


Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die... However even with the technological advancements, improvement in healthcare and life expectancy so far nobody has been successful in defeating the death. We live today in the era of the art of dying, but on the art of saving life, and the dilemmas in that art are multitudinous. Death is not a confrontation, it is simply an event in the sequence of nature's ongoing rhythms. No death but diseases is the real enemy, diseases the malign force that requires confrontation. Everyone wants to know the details of dying, though few are willing to say so, whether to anticipate the events by thoughts of life's ending. To most people, death remains hidden. 
When we attain old age and we die in old age and for burial we need a death certificate, which a medical officer needs to produce. In the death certificate, the doctor never mentions that the death is due to old age, but he do uses medical term as the reason for the death. How we die; reflection of life is about death in old age and the reasons behind this. The author a medical professional lists that we experience dying due to stoppage of circulation, the inadequate transport of oxygen to tissues, the flickering out of brain function, the failure of organs, the destruction of vital centers as the common reasons for death at old age. 

Modern dying takes place in the modern hospital, where it can be hidden, cleansed of its organic blight, and finally packaged for modern burial. Hope lies not only in an expectations of cure or even of the remission of present distress. For dying patients, the hope of cure will always be shown to be ultimately false, and even the hope of relief too often turns to ashes. 

The greatest dignity to be found in death is the dignity of the life that preceded it. 

A book to read about the causes of death in the old age. 

https://www.amazon.in/How-We-Die-Reflections-Chapter/dp/0679742441

Book Summary | In Search of Excellence

Book : In Search of Excellence

Author: Tom Peters & Robert H Waterman

In search of Excellence is a book on research using 7S (Strategy & Structure (hardware), Style, systems, Staff, Skills, and shared Values (software)) framework of McKinsey as the authors were working with McKinsey. The book was first published in 1982 and thought that was striking the mind is after 22 years is it makes relevant to today’s competitive and technology companies.   To identify the rational of the excellence companies the author had chosen over 43 companies out of the Fortune 500 and held them up as defenders of excellence, measured by six financial yardsticks such as Compound asset growth, Compound equity growth, Ratio of market value to book value, Return on capital, Return on equity and Return on sales to validate the secrete behind driving excellence. The best part is even today these companies are doing well and there are case studies shard in the book. However one drawback is the analysis and comparison of these shortlisted companies are not been reported.  My key insights from the book are

·         Quality and Service are invariable hallmarks. The excellent companies require and demand extraordinary performance from average man. Service, Quality, Reliability are the strategies aimed at loyalty and long term revenue stream growth. Three themes in an effective service orientation

1.      Intensive, active involvement on the part of senior Management

2.      A remarkable people orientation

3.      High intensity of measurement and feedback  

·         Excellent companies has the ability to manage ambiguity and paradox. Excellence companies had gotten to be the way they are because of a unique set of cultural attributes that distinguish them from the rest. The excellent companies have developed cultures that incorporated the values and practices of the great leaders.

·         Tools are biased towards measurement and analysis. Paralysis through analysis syndrome. Tools didn’t substitute for thinking. Intellect didn’t overpower wisdom. Analysis didn’t impede action. Rather these companies work hard to keep things simple in a complex world.

·         Eight attributes of excellent, innovative companies are

1.      Bias for action, for getting on with it

2.      Close to customer

3.      Autonomy and entrepreneurship

4.      Productivity through people

5.      Hands-on, value driven.

6.      Stick to the knitting

7.      Simple form, lean Staff

8.      Simultaneous loose tight properties

·         Good mangers make meanings for people, as well as money. Treating people – not money, machine, or minds as the key natural resource. Majority of businessmen are incapable of original thought because they are unable to escape from the tyranny of reason. Gamesmanship replaces pragmatic action. Mangers job is decision making. Make the right calls. Make the touch calls. Managers job is to keep things tidy and under control. Get the incentives right and productivity will follow. Three items – inventories, profits and sales – form a crucible for managers.

·         The exclusively analytic approach run wild leads to an abstract, heartless philosophy. To be narrowly rational is often to be negative. Today’s version of rationality does not value experimentation and abhors mistakes. The excellent company response to complexity is fluidity. The rational model causes us to denigrate the importance of values. Fluidity, chunking and experimenting are interestingly abetted by the character of the excellent companies’ formal system.

·         Managing process is an interactive flow of three variables; Path-finding, decision making and implementation.

·         Our control systems are designed under the apparent assumption that 90 percent of the people are lazy. Association with past personal success apparently leads to more persistence, higher motivation, or something that makes us to do better.

·         Negative reinforcement will produce behavioural change, but often in strange, unpredictable, and undesirable ways. Positive reinforcement causes behavioural changes too, but usually in the intended direction. Two ways to accomplish shift – First we attempt through positive reinforcement to lead people gently over the time to pay attention to new activities.  Secondly the reinforcement should have immediacy. Third system of feedback mechanisms should be account to achievability. Listening carefully, frequently speaking with encouragement and reinforcing words with believable action.

·         Excellent companies tap the inherent worth of the task as a source of intrinsic motivation for their employees.  Excellent companies know to manage Paradox. Excellent companies are learning organisations. Human needs in the organisation are

1.      People need for meaning

2.      People need for modicum of control

3.      People need positive reinforcement to think of themselves as winners in some sense

4.      Degree to which actions and behaviors shape attitudes and beliefs.

·         Small group is the most visible of the chunking devices. Small groups are quite simply the basic organisational building blocks of excellent companies. The true power of the small group lies in the flexibility.

·         Five fundamental attributes of companies close to the customer

1.      Astute technology manipulations

2.      Pricing skill

3.      Better segmenting

4.      A problem solving orientation

5.      Willingness to spend in order to discriminate.

·    Excellent companies have 5 attributes of communication system that seems to foster innovation

1.      Communication systems are informal

2.      Communication intensity is extraordinary

3.      Communication is given physical supports

4.      Forcing devices

5.      The intense, informal communication system act as remarkable tight control system.

• ·         Excellent companies do acquire; but they acquire and diversity in an experimental fashion.

https://www.amazon.in/Search-Excellence-Americas-Companies-Essentials/dp/0060548789

Book Summary | It's Your Ship

Book: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy - It’s Your Ship 

Author: Captain D Michael Abrashoff.

 

The book contains practical lessons from his experience of transforming the USS Benfold, previously one of the worst performing ships in the US Navy.  His management techniques provide a unique collection of best practice, which can be used with as much success in the business world as they have had in the military. Whether it is Armed Forces or the Organisations, all leaders face common challenge of getting the most out of the crews (Employees). This depends upon the three variables – The Leader’s needs, The organisation’s atmosphere, and the crew’s potential competence. This is where the book provides the leadership examples of overcoming through 11 practices of leadership tested at Benfold. Leadership lies in simple things – common-sense actions that ensure high morale and increase the odds of winning.  Leaders must be willing to put the ship’s performance ahead of their egos.

Chapter I – Take Command

Top reasons for people quitting the organisations  | Not being treated with Respect or dignity | Prevented from making an impact on the organisation | Not being listened | Not being rewarded with more responsibility and compensation is the fifth reason for quitting.

• -       The key to being a successful Leader is to see the ship through the eyes of the Employees
• -         Empowering means defining the parameters in which people are allowed to operate and then setting them free. As a leader empower the people to take decision and whenever the consequence of a decision had the potential to kill or injure someone, waste taxpayers money, or damage the ship, make leader to be consulted.

Chapter II – Lead by Example

• -          A leader will never accomplish what he or she wants by ordering it done.
• -          It’s funny how often the problem is Leader.  
• -          Never forget your effect on people: Mediocre leaders don’t even take the trouble to know their people.  Enthusiastic leader, will have enthusiastic workforce.
• -          Leaders know how to be held accountable
• -          Obey even when you disagree.

Chapter III – Listen Aggressively

• -          See the ship through the crew’s eyes
• -          Find round people for round holes
• -          Use the power of word magic –

Chapter IV – Communicate purpose with Meaning

• -          Make your crew think we can do anything
• -          Open up the clogged channels
• -          After creating a great band, Defend It
• -          Freedom creates Discipline

Chapter V – Create a climate of Trust

• -          Never pit dog against dog – Internal bickering and posturing does nothing for the bottom-line.
• -          Even the worst screw-up may be redeemable
• -          Welcome the bad news messenger – Mid level managers should be the one to survery the grey areas and provide directions.
• -          Protect your people from lunatic bosses – Helping your boss when he or she needs you badly is a pretty good investment.
• -          Trust also makes money

Chapter VI – Look for Results not Salutes

• -          Help knock down the barriers
• -          Let your crew feel free to speak up – Facts are facts and deserve attention not retribution.
• -          Free your crew from tip down its
• -          Nurture the freedom for fail
• -          Innovation knows no Ranks
• -          Challenge your crew beyond its reach

Chapter VII – Take Calculated Risks

• -          Bet on the people who think for themselves
• -          Take a chance on a promising sailor
• -          If a rule doesn’t make a sense, Break it

Chapter VIII – Go beyond Standard operating Procedure

• -          Keep your priorities in Focus
• -          Stay ahead of the competition
• -          Push the envelope for Innovation
• -          Go for the obvious, it’s probabaly a winner
• -          Don’t work harder, work smarter

-          Innovation and progress are achieved only by those who venture beyond Standard operating procedure.

Chapter IX – Build up your people

• -          Little things make big successes
• -          Trust people., they usually prove you’re right
• -          Expect the best form your crew. You will get it
• -          Build a strong, deep bench
• -          Counsel continuously and Honestly

Chapter X – Generate Unity

• -          Forget diversity. Train for unity
• -          Deal out punishment strictly but fairly  - First take background and circumstances into consideration before passing judgement. Second help wrongdoers become better citizens.

Chapter XI – Improve your people’s Quality of Life

• -          Fun with your friends makes a happy ship
• -          In heavy times, lighten up
• 
  

 https://www.amazon.in/Its-Your-Ship-Michael-Abrashoff/dp/145552302X

Book Summary | Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World

Book Name :  Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World 

Author: Zig Ziglar 


Today we live in a smart world where kids are more smarter, faster and technologically advanced than parents. Today the kids are more sensitive. Today although technology has advanced, this also had lead to growing negativity in the world and kids are victims of the same. Therefore raising them in a positive way becomes necessary.  This book was first published in 1985 and still the content is relevant to todays digital world.

# To raise positive kids we’ve got to use many essential ingredients – Love, Discipline, Forgiveness and many other qualities all wrapped in any abundance of care and commitment for our children’s eventually well-being. 
# Attitude building is highly important and the author suggests the three gems for building attitude: Faith, Hope & Love:
Faith: Faithfulness is an attitude; It speaks of the qualities of trust, reliability and loyalty. Faith is the unifying principle of life, its gives life meaning and definition and direction. Faith is the attitude of man that results in his ability to believe in the future and to work towards tomorrow. Faith is the first step and in s unifying principle that gives us a sense of confidence. Faith is your response to Gods ability. 
Hope: Hopefulness is a attitude; expectations, confidence, inspiration and enthusiasm. Hope is the fruit of faith. Hope with believably is one of the greatest gift you can give your child. Hope through spiritual relationship with god, produces an attitude of enthusiasm. Faith opens the door to inspiration and hope powers the forward trust of aspiration. 
Love: Love describes the most lasting, most precious and valuable spiritual attitude that bears the slid gold fruit of commitment, sacrifice and honesty.

# The way you think is the way your perform

# When we positive input, we have positive output and when we have negative input, we have negative output

# Those who can make you believe absurdities can make your commit atrocities

# Great music can lift a person to heights of accomplishment and inspire marvelous contribution to society

# Honesty is a marketable commodity

# We fail our children if we say Don’t do as I do, but do as I say

# When you find something good tell your child specifically what you found that you like. Applaud your child.

# Applause is the best motivator, we’ve found to make children feel good about performing and about themselves. Motivation is something you do on a regular basis

# To raise your children as positive winners, you need to frequently assure them that they are winners. Tips for positiveness: 
1. Make mealtime, when humanly possible the most casual, relaxing experience of the day
2. Limit your child intake of junk food
3. Provide a healthy breakfast
4. Use common sense principles
5. Be patient
6. Be a good example
7. Encourage healthy snacking
8. Parents must forgo the temptation to constantly repeat to their children what they accomplished when they were in school
9. We need to teach our children and remind them often that nobody can make them feel inferior without their permission and they need to be taught not to give that permission to any one
10. Since your personality is judged by the way others perceive you, the way you teach your child to communicate and come across is extremely important for every phase of his life
11. Select your children jobs or choose the house coarse that have definite starting and stopping points
12. Encourage your children to carefully choose their friends
13. Encourage your child’s character
14. Learning how to read is most important
15. To build your child’s self-image, teach him manners
16. Emphasize the development of a craters, imagination, teach your child to “see”
17. Develop a healthy self-image and to establish a positive loving environment
18. Help your child develop pride in being an important part of something worthy and noble that is bigger than any one individual
19. Build your self image by starting the day looking yourself in the eyes and making the commitment to do and be your best that day.
20. If your child has a physical problem that contribute to a negative self-image, explore your options.

Successful parents raising positive kids need to see, their kid as finished, competent, positive adults 

https://www.amazon.in/Raising-Positive-Kids-Negative-World/dp/0785264787

Book Summary | The Magic of Thinking Big

Title : The Magic of Thinking Big

-    Author : David J Schwartz

The book was first published in 1959, the book appears on many "must read" lists, and is sometimes quoted by modern authors. I enjoyed reading the book. Inspirational to really push yourself past your comfort zone to be successful. The 3 areas of focus are career, family, and social.  I have developed the crux of the book as ready reckoner. Although at the end of the each chapter, the author has summarized. I think this book is worth refreshing and relooking at times.  The author also provides some framework on how to avoid excuses, build confidence, build enthusiasm and lastly the magic of thinking big.  

A person is a product of his own thoughts. When you believe in yourself, then good things start happening. Mind is a ‘thought factory’. It is the busiest factory producing countless thoughts in a day. Developing the power of belief.  The author classify People into 3 groups; First Group: Those who surrender completely; second Group: those who surrender partially; Third Group: Those who never surrender.  People who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people are strictly average or mediocre at least in terms of accomplishment.  And there are always excuse for not being successful. Every failure is the diseases in its advanced form though Excuse. Thoughts, positive or negative grow stronger, when fertilized with constant repetition. Thinking yourself to success must be to vaccinate yourself against excuseitis.   The author has analysed the reason for excuse and they are commonly due to the 4 reasons and provides remedy to overcome the excuses.  

Excuse 1: But My health isn’t good | remedy: Refuse to talk about health; refuse worry

Excuse 2: But you’ve got to have brains to succeed | remedy: Never underestimate your confidence; remind yourself several times and put your intelligence to creative positive

Excuse3: It’s no use; I am too old or too young | Remedy: invest in future; compute how much productive; look present age positively

Excuse4: But my case is different; I attract bad luck |Remedy: Accept the law of cause and effect; don’t be a wishful thinkers.

Success means winning. Belief in greatest driving force, the power behind all the great books, plays and scientific discoveries. Disbelief is negative power. Doubt disbelief, the subconscious will fail, the not really wanting to succeed is responsible for most failures. Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life.  The magic of thinking big is about, Think Success, Remind yourself regularly your better than you think so and Believe Big. Big ideas and big plans were often easier. The magic of thinking big is through 3 step framework

1. Provide the content – What to do
2. Supply a method – How to do
3. Meet the acid test – Get results.

Magic of thinking Big comes through Confidence. Confidence has a common meaning of a certainty about handling something, such as work, family, social events, or relationships. The book provides key insights to building Confidence and practise that needs to be followed to think and act confidently:

•        Deposit only positive thoughts in your memory bank
•       Withdraw only positive thoughts from your memory bank
• .      Get balanced view to other fellows
• .      Develop an understanding attitude.

To "think confidently, act confidently" practice the following needs to be practiced         

•  Be a front seater 
• Practice making eye contact 
•  Walk 25 percent faster 
• Practice speaking up     
• Smile Big

To build confidence we need to be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm can make things 1000% better, three steps to create enthusiasm are

• 1. Dig into it deep
• 2. In everything you do, life it up
• 3  Broadcast good news

To think big use words and phrases that produce big, positive mental images.4 ways to think big vocabulary

1.       Use big positive, cheerful words and phrases to describe how you feel

2.      Use bright cheerful, favourable words and phrases to describe other people

3.      Use positive language to encourage others. Complement people personally at every opportunity

4.      Use positive words to outline plan to others

Believe it can be done: When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and help you find the ways to do it. Become receptive to ideas. Be an experimental person. Be progressive, not regressive 

Bottom-line 
A must read book that touches many aspects.  

Book Summary | SWITCH : How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Book Name: Switch: How to change Things when Change is Hard

Author: Clip and Dan Heath

Change is constant and managing the change is challenging. Every day we embrace change, some are simple and some are difficult. The big changes may be from marriages, new homes, new technologies and new job duties. But change is hard, to manage the change the several frameworks exists. An interesting anecdote that the author brings in the book, that probably never taken seriously is about the tamed elephant. The elephant is large, strong, intelligent and often sometimes dangerous animal.  The rider or the manhout rides on the elephant, motivates it to ensure the task is completed.  The rider is characterize the rational, the elephant characterizes the emotions. When there is clash between the rational and emotions leads to change. 

The rider Provide clear understanding of the goal and the benefits. What looks like resistance is often lack of clarity. Motivating the elephant is Create emotional engagement to provide inherent motivation. What looks like laziness is often willpower exhaustion. And shape the path Change the environment to create the behaviour you want. What looks like a people problem is often an environment problem.

The book Switch: How to change things when change is hard provides a three point framework to lead the change

I. Direct the Rider: 

- Find the bright spots
- Script the critical moves
- Point to the destination

II. Motivate the Elephant:
- Find the feeling
- Shrink the Change;
- Grow your people

III. Shape the Path:
- Tweak the environment
- Build habits
- Rally the herd

The book consists of good case studies on driving change management. Change can only be brought when behavior is changed through feelings. To change someone's behavior, you've got to change that person's situation. 

The author narrates research examples such as Popcorn studies, food perception, companies poor purchase habits, milk experiment, Health care improvement, fighting malnutrition,etc.