Lore

Switch: The Elephant and Rider Change-Management Framework

A change-management framework, drawn from Chip and Dan Heath's book Switch, built on the metaphor of an elephant (emotion) and its rider (rationality): sustainable change requires motivating the elephant, not just directing the rider. Leaders who only lay out the logical plan for a change — the rider's path — leave the emotional, harder-to-move part of the organization unaddressed. Tamar Yehoshua cites this framework for leading a company through change, such as an all-hands announcement: work explicitly on the emotional motivation for the change alongside the logical case. Complements Authentic, Transparent Change Communication for Unpopular Product Decisions and Overcommunication Tactic for Unpopular Changes on execution of unpopular or disruptive changes.