made to stick

Made to StickWhy Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

June 16, 2009

About Chip and Dan HeathChip, a Ph.D. psychologist, is a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. His research into urban legends and conspiracy theories – ideas that are wrong but so annoyingly sticky that they just won’t go away – led to a course entitled, “How to Make Ideas Stick.”

Dan, a Harvard MBA, works as a consultant at Duke Corporate Education. A former researcher at Harvard Business School, he is a cofounder of Thinkwell, an innovative new-media textbook company.

The Heath Brothers pay tribute to Malcolm Gladwell, the best-selling author who made “stickiness”

a defining phrase in his book, The Tipping Point. Gladwell focused on what makes social epidemics leap from small groups to big groups. “Our interest,” say the Made to Stick authors, “is in how effective ideas are constructed.”

Made to Stick is a national bestseller. Publishers weekly says it offers “an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of "stickiness"—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable. It’s fun to read, solidly researched and deserves wide readership.”

Sticky Ideasare understood, remembered and create some kind of change – in opinion, behavior or values.

Question:What are some examples of situations where it is important for you to make an idea stick?

Principle 1: SimplicityFind your core message and share it in a compact way.

Question:How do you find your core idea?

Principle 2: UnexpectednessGrab peoples attention.

Question:How do you get your audience to pay attention?

Principle 3: Concreteness Ensure that the idea means the same thing to everyone in the audience.

Question:How do you make your ideas clear?

Principle 4: CredibilityMake people believe your ideas.

Question:How do you get people to buy into your ideas?

Principle 5: EmotionsTap into something people care about.

Question:How do you get people to have passion around your ideas?

Principle 6: StoriesPrompt people to act via inspiration.

Question:How do you get peopleto embrace your ideas?

Frequently Asked QuestionsDo I need to subscribe to the BBC? How do I subscribe?Yes, we would like to get to know you! To subscribe, visit our website and click on “Business Book Club”.When is the next session?The next session is July 21st. The book is Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon Mackenzie.Where can I order books?You can find each book on our website. Your purchases are processed through Amazon.What if I wish to recommend a book for the BBC?We always love new ideas! Please let us know your suggestions. If you are an author, please submit a review copy for consideration.What does The Meyvn Group do?The Meyvn Group is an organizational development advisory firm. We specialize in human resources consulting, training & development and business coaching. Learn more about us on our website.How can I contact you with additional questions?Contact us by phone at (515) 299-0983 or email at [email protected]

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