Most of us accept that change is hard. It’s hard to change an organizational culture that has been set in place for decades. It’s hard to make changes to be more productive at work when old patterns are more comfortable. It’s hard for long-time employees to change when things have always been done a certain way.

We will discuss all of these things and more in the context of The New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath.

We will provide resources and facilitate a roundtable discussion on effecting positive change in the workplace. We will discuss ways to overcome emotional responses to change for the good and the growth of the firm.

Don’t miss this opportunity for professional growth and development as part of the SMPS-TC book club! Cost includes a light lunch. We’ll start with networking, then have a roundtable discussion while we eat.

How it works:

1. Obtain the book in your desired format (see links below for several options for purchasing or borrowing the book).
2. Read the book.
3. Come to the book club discussion on March 15th to discuss the book over lunch with your peers who are likely facing similar work-related challenges with change. Here's a sneak peek of what we'll discuss!
4. Leave recharged with new ideas and inspiration to effect change in your career, your company and your life.

The book is available at several metro-area libraries and online retailers in hard copy, e-book or audiobook formats:

• Authors’ website
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Carver County Library
• Dakota County Library
• Hennepin County Library
• Ramsey County Library
• Scott County Library
• Washington County Library 

Parking

Parking is available in the north parking lot. Please enter through the right-hand side door, the training room is at the top of the stairs.

Who Should Attend:
Firm Principals
Marketing Director
Marketing Manager
Marketing Staff
Business Development Director
Business Development Staff
Communications Coordinator

Learning Objectives:

1. Tools for effecting positive change 
2. Researching and planning changes 
3. Taming our emotions to let change happen

SMPS Domains of Practice (for CPSM)
1 - Marketing Research
2 - Marketing Plan
5 - Promotional Activity
6 - Information, Resource, and Organizational Management

About the Book

Switch asks the question: Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, our communities, and our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick.

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 achieved dramatic results.

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 you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.