We Read For You How to change things when change is hard - JHB

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, our communities, and in our own lives? Join this session of We Read For You How to change things when change is hard - JHB

where Thys Pretorius will present Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, the latest book by Chip and Dan Heath.

Uniting both minds to achieve results

According to the Heaths, the primary obstacle to making lasting changes is a conflict that is built into our brains. 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 Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people — employees and managers, parents and nurses — have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:

The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients.

The home-organising guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping.

The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service.

In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Thys Pretorius

Thys Pretorius has more than 20 years experience in learning, leadership and transformation that spans across industries as diverse as civil engineering, mining, aviation and consulting. His areas of expertise include Behavioural Science, Organisational Development, Change and Transformation and Talent & Performance Management.

Event Details

Date:

16 September 2011

Times:

Light finger breakfast from 07:00, talk from 07:30 – 08:30 (including discussion time)

Venue:

Crimson Conference room, The Forum, Bryanston

Location:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Calendar:

Costs:

Free of charge.

Booking:

Contact the individual below.

Enquiries:

Contact:   Jacky Hector

Tel:         +27 21 918 4370

Fax:       

E-mail:  jacky.hector@usb-ed.com