Balancing reason and emotion as you lead transformation. There are many lessons we can learn from their examples and conceptual frameworks.

1. THE ELEPHANT, THE RIDER AND THE PATH - A
TALE OF BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
BY: DR. MOHAMED GAMAL
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mohamed-gamal-mba

2. INTRODUCTION
 When we start a change effort we often
conduct great deal of analysis. We gather
data, we look for different alternatives, we do
all sorts of rational evaluation, we develop
plans and processes for how this
transformation will take place, and we think
about strategic options for the future, we
examine consequences of these options
before making decisions. That is often the
way most of us take when planning change
efforts.
By Dr. Mohamed Gamal Hamed
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3. INTRODUCTION
 But making transformation happen is more
than about the intellect, reason and analysis.
It is clearly about management emotions too.
So, how you do that? And how can you
shape and alter the environment to help
produce substantive and lasting change? To
answer these questions we are going to have
to look at the work of Chip Heath and Dan
Heath (Stanford University, Teacher of
organisational behaviour and leadership).
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4. INTRODUCTION
 We will take a look at a book called “Switch...
How to make change happen when change
is hard”. They look at the issue of balancing
reason and emotion as you lead
transformation. There are many lessons we
can learn from their examples and
conceptual frameworks.
By Dr. Mohamed Gamal Hamed
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5.  We have to know first that there are two
systems that work in the brain
simultaneously. We have rational site that is
deliberate and analytical. And there is the
emotional side that is about pain and
pleasure.
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6.  It is about instinct not necessarily about
reason and analytics. Jonathan Haidt wrote
about this and gave us a metaphor when he
talked about the elephant and the rider. The
elephant is the emotional side. It is the large
and difficult to control. And the rider is the
rational side.
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7.  The rider has a plan but he sit on the top of
an animal that is tough to guide and direct.
And that what the brain is like in some ways
and metaphor is helpful in thinking about how
change must happen in an organization.
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8.  Think about what happens if the elephant
and the rider disagree? Who is going to
lose? I am sure you can conclude as the
Jonathan Haidt concluded that the small rider
is going to lose. That is to say the rational
side of the brain will be overwhelmed by
emotions at times.
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9.  The elephant wants short time instant
gratification, while the rider looks at much more
long term planning. So the elephant can be a
problem for us. Be it can choose or drive us to
choose short term pleasure over long term
good. But the rider needs the elephant too, the
elephant is not just a problem the elephant has
energy and drive and ambition and wants to get
things done at so the riders wants to tap on
these emotions because it will be helpful and
getting change executed.
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10.  But of course the rider can get exhausted
from battling the elephant for too long. And
that is a problem in the change process.
By Dr. Mohamed Gamal Hamed
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11.  There is interesting dilemma because in one
hand in order to get resources and get
approval in time we have to show that we
done all the analysis about the organization.
In fact people are looking to our analysis to
see if this is legitimate and we see that we
studied the issue and we gathered data and
we engaged in fact in problem solving.
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12.  As managers in organizations in all kind find
it rough (analytics and spread sheets
analysis compiling costs and benefits) we
have to put in the process of decision
making. But in order to persuade the people
we need more than that. We need to tap on
the emotional side.
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13.  So how do you produce change?
 The Heath model is simple it takes about
three fundamental practices.
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14.  1. Directing the rider: that is to put crystal
clear direction for the people in the
organization.
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15.  2. Motivating the elephant: Motivating their
emotions.
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16.  3. Shaping the path: working on the environment to make it
ripe for change. Sometimes the situation is tough not the
people. So you should work the context to make it more
conducive to the transformation. That is if we change the
situation, we can change the people behaviour.
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17.  It is a powerful idea we need to keep in mind.
That situation drives our behaviour in
powerful ways. No matter what is the
personality, desires and goals situation
decides how we act. And leaders can change
how we act by modifying the situation.
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18. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 1. Our emotions can overwhelm our
rational thought, while relying solely on
rational behavior can “overanalyze and over
think things.”
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19. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 2. There are better ways to make a change than
probably what most think. Most likely they are plain and
simple but you have to set forth a goal to achieve this
change. One can’t say, “Hey I want to lose weight soon” and
just automatically it start to happen. No! One must set
realistic goals.
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20. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 3. What seems like a people problem is over and over
again a situation problem. “In our lives, we embrace lots of
big changes- not only babies, but marriages and new homes
and new technologies and new job duties.”
 So that means that it is quite possible for people to change.
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21. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 4. What looks like laziness is often exhaustion. The
Elephant and Rider are usually on two different sides and
the rider is trying to persuade the Elephant often exhaust
your mind.
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22. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 5. We are all have a habit of making the
default plan because that was the first plan
prearranged.
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23. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 6. Make sure your goals are specific. If not
then you may go in circles when trying to
achieve them. Small steps are best way to
achieve any big dream in your life. Too big
step can end up being overwhelming and
finally you gave up.
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24. THE SEVEN THINGS MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW
FROM SWITCH
 7. The doors of large goals are paved with small wins.
Remember to praise yourself when completing a little step
towards your goal, it will help motivate you.
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25. THANK YOU
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26. By Dr. Mohamed Gamal Hamed
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