The Rider and the Elephant: Achieving Change

The Rider and the Elephant: Achieving Change

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” — Mary Engelbreit

My profession is a bit odd. I have the pleasure of working with teams to develop radical changes which we then try to implement. With no formal authority, the task of convincing teams and partners to change the way they have historically conducted their work can be a bit of a challenge. Let’s be honest, change is not easy. Change makes us uncomfortable and unless we see a clear reason or reward in adapting to change, we tend to avoid it (sometimes we avoid it anyway). I don’t suspect that awareness of this insight is revelation, nor do I think that understanding the necessity of adaptation to change makes it any easier to accomplish. However, there may be some level of benefit in creating a framework for addressing change. We’ve all heard the phrase “I’m my own worst enemy”, but there may be some level of credence to this mindset. Three books (The Happiness Hypothesis, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard and Linchpin) that I have read in the past year have referenced the analogy of ‘The Elephant and the Rider’.



Who is in Control?
Our mind has two voices that compete for control. The Elephant is the voice that reacts to the current situation. It simply looks at what you need or want right now and takes action. The Rider is the analytical voice that relays long term needs and goals. Remember the fable of the grasshopper and the ant? The grasshopper represents the elephant by simply living for the moment and reacting to the situation at hand. The ant represents the Rider by methodically working and saving food for the changing seasons. We hear the guidance of both the rider and elephant throughout the day, but which should we react to? At a glance, people tend to assume that the long term thinking rider is clearly the voice of reason, but it’s not that simple. When confronted with surprise decisions and emergencies the rider prefers to take a few steps back or lock up. The rider wants to visualize and redesign a clear and logical path based on the changes. But in the real world we don’t always have time to walk away and restrategize and even if we did there would most likely be an opportunity cost caused by our delay.
Here are some examples of struggles between the Elephant and Rider that you may be able to relate to.
The alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m. The elephant wants to sleep in this morning swearing that you can exercise after work. Last night the rider put your exercise clothes next to the bed and set the alarm an hour early (and moved it out of arms distance).
You know that you need to follow up on that email in your inbox, but it’s a topic that makes you cringe. The rider says, “I’ll need some time to plan a thorough response”. The elephant says “Let’s at least start on it and get the ball rolling”.
When I am planning my next movie in Netflix, I tend to put methodical and culturally innovative movies in my queue. On my way home from work Friday the elephant wants to watch an action movie where lots of things explode. Too late, it’s already shipped; the writer wins that battle.
It’s 3:00 in the afternoon and you need a snack. The elephant wants something out of the vending machine with sugar and caffeine. If the rider didn’t convince you to stock your desk with healthy snacks (almonds, granola, Powerbar, etc) ahead of time, you will most likely give in.

Your boss asks if you are willing to start a new project in the next week (on your existing workload of course). The writer says that you need time to plan things out and to wait until some of your current work is complete so that you can make a perfect impression. The elephant knows that you are thinking too far ahead and realizes that the best thing to do is take a deep breath and say…”Absolutely!”

Direct the Rider, Motivate the Elephant, and Shape the Path.

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. To direct the rider, create a crystal clear vision of the outcome. This includes when or how much, along with a specific set of actions and tactics to get there. Remember the concept of “Beginning with the end in mind” (Habit #2 of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

Motivate the Elephant.
What looks like laziness is often exhaustion. Make your audience feel the need for change. Analytical appeals don’t cut it. Knowing is not enough. Get beyond the knowing and make it possible for people to feel the impact. Win the heart and the mind follows.

Shape the Path.
What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. Make it easy to embrace the change. Keep things simple. Provide support groups. Create training. Pair people up with mentors. Create peer pressure and social proof. Behavior is contagious.1


1: http://sourcesofinsight.com/2010/05/06/direct-the-rider-motivate-the-elephant-and-shape-the-path/