Reset

How to Change What's Not Working

By: Dan Heath

Narrated by: Dan Heath

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY OPRAH DAILY, ADAM GRANT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE MAGAZINE, AND MORE • A revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working—in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives—by identifying leverage points and concentrating resources to achieve our goals.

Changing how we work can feel overwhelming. Like trying to budge an enormous boulder. We’re stifled by the gravity of the way we’ve always done things. And we spend so much time fighting fires—and fighting colleagues—that we lack the energy to shift direction.

But with the right strategy, we can move the boulder. In Reset, Heath explores a framework for getting unstuck and making the changes that matter. The secret is to find “leverage points”: places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. Then, we can thoughtfully rearrange our resources to push on those points.

Heath weaves together fascinating examples, ranging from a freakishly effective fast-food drive-thru to a simple trick from couples therapy to an inspirational campaign that saved a million cats.

In Reset, you’ll learn:
-Why the feeling of progress can be your secret weapon in accelerating change
-How leaders can uncover and stop wasteful activities
-Why your team’s motivation is often squandered—and how to avoid that mistake
-How you can jumpstart your change efforts by beginning with a “burst”

The book investigates mysteries: Why the middle is the roughest part of a change effort. Why inefficiency can sometimes accelerate progress. Why getting “buy-in” is the wrong way to think about change.

What if we could unlock forward movement—achieving progress on what matters most—without the need for more resources? The same people, the same assets…but dramatically better results. Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset.

Critic reviews

"A management consultant and fellow at a Duke University leadership center narrates with a relaxed friendliness that works well with his conversational writing and frequent ad-libbed comments. His clear voice and lighthearted approach to this subject matter make his field of interest—organizational effectiveness—sound inviting. He shares a method he uses for diagnosing functional problems in all types of work and social groups. It involves dissecting the flow of activity and finding out where the obstacles are and where opportunities can make things work better. From hospitals to animal shelters and fast food restaurants, his stories are exciting to hear—like a radio mystery that unfolds slowly, keeping listeners in suspense. As a practical lesson in how to understand complex systems and make strategic changes, this is a top-shelf instructional guide."

Thoroughly Understandable & Challenging

The organization of fhe content & supportive stories & illustrations / materials made it simple to follow & imagine possible applications in my situations.

Highly Recommend!

This was a great read that investigated systemic problems within organizations. A few things that stood out was the concept of "Go and see the work" because when there are several layers between the decision-makers and front line employees in an organization, there can be a severe disconnect between what happens in a boardroom compared to what's going on during the day to day operations and many executives are aloof in this area.

Another thing that stood out was considering the goal of the goal. You can succeed at reaching your metrics or KPIs but fail at your mission, especially when it comes to chasing perfection in the from of perfect ratings.

Lastly, The 10th chapter stand out because it offers concrete proof that micromanagement is a waste of time and energy on all sides of an organization.

Highly recommend!

Every manager should read this book

this book is great. The book should be titled "what my former company should have done, but they didn't so they got purchased by a competitor and everyone lost their jobs" . well i guess thats too long for a title.

Fantastic information

I love all the ideas presented about how to reset and push on leverage points. And engaging your teams in the work of changing.

As usual . . . Truly helpful work

I own almost every Heath book, and for good reason. Both Chip and Dan Heath are great storytellers, effective researchers and efficient communicators. Reset is another truly useful book. Now to apply it!