culture
SHIFTING THE THOUGHT PROCESS
The Power of Habit lists specific steps we can all take to break bad
habits and develop new ones. The first step is to clearly understand
that habits, for the most part, are a good thing. Habits are critical to
our survival as they decrease the amount of mental energy we need to
spend on day-to-day activities – like brushing our teeth or driving to
work. In fact, researchers at Duke University found that more than 40
per cent of our daily actions are based on habits, not decisions.
However, when you realize a habit needs to change, what should
you do? Duhigg leans on scientific research to explain how bad
habits can be replaced with good ones. He describes “the golden
rule” of habit change, which includes the following three steps:
1. Understand the “cue” or trigger that sets off a behaviour.
2. Identify the “reward” that you get from the behaviour.
3. Insert a new “routine.”
So, for example, you snack too much in the afternoon at work.
Think about the cue for that behaviour. When the clock strikes
2:00 p.m., is that the cue to go to out for tea and a cookie? What
reward does this trip offer? Does it eliminate boredom or satisfy
your hunger? Now you need to insert a new routine to change this
habit. So instead of going to a coffee shop, go for a walk or grab an
apple when the clock strikes two.
ORGANIZATIONAL HABITS
Like people, organizations can also change bad habits to improve
their results. This may seem like a daunting task, but it actually
doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, Duhigg states that by focusing
on just one key habit, the culture of an organization can
drastically improve. For example, a local Canadian cleaning company
was struggling to retain their cleaning staff. The job itself was
unglamorous and the employees were feeling unappreciated.
So, rather than developing a fancy retention strategy, the
president focused on changing one bad habit. His managers
and supervisors needed to eliminate all disrespectful behaviour
within the firm. For two years, he trained his people to be
respectful to one another. Every level of the organization was
taught what respect looked like and was encouraged to demonstrate
respect daily.
Wondrous things started to happen. Not only were retention
issues minimized, but employees became engaged like never before.
For example, they started a carpool program to address long
commutes. They even began offering colleagues shifts if they knew
someone needed extra money for an upcoming wedding or a baby
on the way. This case study shows that one change can literally
transform a culture.
As a human resources practitioner or executive, consider what
new habits you need to develop. Where can you help your leaders
to stop what is not working and develop more effective habits?
How can your team use “the golden rule” to be more effective? All
habits can be changed. With a plan and a dose of willpower, anything
is possible. n
Vanessa Judelman is president of Mosaic People Development.
We can help
you put it all
together.
Creating and maintaining
a psychologically healthy and
safe workplace can seem daunting,
but it doesn’t have to be.
The Psychological Health and Safety section of our
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health website can
help you get started, assess your current situation,
or take the next step.
All tools and resources are free. Use them to help
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50 ❚ MAY/JUNE 2015 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL