Changeology

Making change for good, by Les Robinson.

Reading

Here are some recommended, and very readable, texts to deepen your adventures in Changeology.

The Heath Brothers

Virtually alone amongst popular authors, the Heath Brothers pay attention to the HOW of implementing change. Their two recommended (and very enjoyable) books are:

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Heath, C. and Heath, D. (2007) New York: Random House.
What makes some ideas travel around the world without needing a marketing budget? I think this is the best book on communication ever written.
Order it from Booktopia.

Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard

Heath, C. and Heath, D. (2010) New York: Random House Business Books.
This focuses on the design of change projects, with inspiring stories and plenty of practical insights.
Order it from Booktopia.

The Heath Brothers website has highly recommended resources based on these books:
http://heathbrothers.com/resources/

The Diffusion of Innovations

Rogers, E. M. (2003) Fifth edition. New York: Free Press. How ideas and products spread. If you’re serious about making change, read this. The authoritative text on how products, ideas and practices spread through societies. Its 550 pages are simply written, effortless to read, and packed with ideas and case studies.
Order it from Booktopia
For a short introduction to diffusion theory: http://www.enablingchange.com.au/Summary_Diffusion_Theory.pdf

Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion

Cialdini, R. (1984) . New York: Quill PreRobert Cialdini is the thought leader in applying social psychology to change projects. The classic popular text on the psychology of marketing. An enjoyable and insightful read that demonstrates Cialdini’s six ‘weapons of influence’. It’s also an excellent introduction to social psychology.
Order it from Booktopia.
For a summary: http://www.influenceatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/E_Brand_principles.pdf
Cialdini on norm appeals: http://www.influenceatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HarvardBusinessSchool-CraftingNormativeMessages.pdf

Tackling Wicked Problems: a Public Policy Perspective

Australian Public Service Commission (2007). A brief and elegantly written summary of the literature on wicked problems. www.enablingchange.com.au/wickedproblems.pdf

MINDSPACE: Influencing Behaviour through Public Policy

Dolan, P. et al. (2010) UK: the Institute for Government and the Cabinet Office.
Written for practitioners, it sets out nine kinds of ‘nudges’ that can influence people’s choices. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/mindspace

The design perspective on change

Two superb resources on the design perspective in change making, both focusing on collaborative methods and packed with case studies:

Human-centred Design Toolkit

IDEO (2009) Second edition.  www.ideo.com/work/human-centered-design-toolkit

The Open Book of Social Innovation: Ways to Design, Develop and Grow Social Innovation

Murray, R., Caulier-Grice, J. and Mulgan, G. (2010) London: The Young Foundation, NESTA. www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/Social_Innovator_020310.pdf

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