THE CATALYST

When seeking to change minds, we tend to try to coax, convince, or push people in the direction we want them to go. Client not buying the pitch? Provide more facts and reasons. Boss not listening to the idea? Give them more examples or a deeper explanation. We think if we just apply more pressure, things will change. But more often than not, this approach backfires. Rather than saying yes, the client stops returning our calls. Rather than going along, the boss says they'll think about it (which is the nice way of saying thanks but no way). Our best efforts to push people one way often leads them to go in the exact opposite direction. This book takes a different approach to changing minds. It's not about pushing harder; it's about eliminating obstacles. Identifying the key factors that cause resistance and overcoming them by reducing friction or removing roadblocks. This book has a simple goal: to reframe how we approach a universal problem. You'll learn why people change their minds and behaviors - and how you can catalyze that process, by lowering the barriers to action. Throughout the book, I'll apply the idea of removing barriers to individual, organizational, and social change. And along the way, you'll see how catalysts have applied these ideas to a range of different situations. How hostage negotiators get people to come out with their hands up and how product managers got people to shop online. How leaders transform organizational culture and how activists ignite social movements. How substance abuse counselors get addicts to realize they have a problem and how political canvassers change deeply rooted political beliefs. We'll talk about changing both minds and behavior. Sometimes concepts that change one also change the other, but other times you don't need to change someone's mind to drive action. Sometimes people are already open to changing behavior, you just need to remove roadblocks and make it easier to happen. This book is designed for anyone who want to change someone's mind. It provides a powerful way of thinking and a range of techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you're trying to change one person, transform an organization, or shift the way an entire industry does business, this book will teach you how to become a Catalyst.