A Duke University study showed that on average, 40% of our actions throughout the day are habit. In other words, our actions are hardwired in our brains, so we do not have to think of each step in each action. The challenge is that our brain can’t tell if a habit is good or bad for us.
We all want to change our habits from time to time. The mistake we make is to attempt to change too many habits at once. For example, we decide to get to work early, exercise, cut out sugar and spend more time with family and friends. All are valuable habits to adopt yet attempting to do all at once is a definite path to failure.
In the book, The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg explains that changing just one habit, which he calls a “Keystone Habit” leads to a chain reaction of other positive changes over time.
The potential of a keystone habit is that it can encourage other related behavior pattern changes that will combine to establish a more complete, productive performance. Regular exercise is a good example – once a person established a core, consistent exercise pattern, and it produces positive results – e.g. loss of weight, increased energy, satisfaction from achievement, etc, it will trigger other healthy choices and behaviors such as more nutritional eating, procrastinating less, sleeping more soundly and more attention to other healthy habits. It builds like a chain reaction.
The culture of a company revolves around its values, established and demonstrated by its top leaders. The importance of clearly defining and showing off these values is more critical than ever in today’s world. According to Charles Duhigg, success is based not so much on strategic decisions, but on the habits and values within the organization.
There is three-element habit loop that we all experience daily. We have a 1) Cue, 2) Routine habit, and 3) Reward.
For example John’s cue was interacting with someone he wanted to impress. His routine habit was then to talk solely about himself and his accomplishments. His perceived award was to gain admiration, and thus in his mind, building relationships.
Our cues and rewards will typically remain the same. So our key to changing habits is to change response to the cue. For example, John changed his routine response (habit) to the cue of interacting with someone new to asking more questions and listening more deeply. While his reward remained the same, he built relationships and gained admiration.
Let us start with our daily tasks. A person, a team or even the whole company can adopt really solid and positive habits. Duhigg expresses that the “ The biggest opportunity for a company to grow and improve overall is by implementing or re-adjusting habits.” The one habit that can have a huge impact on your company is called a keystone habit, most commonly known as the company’s culture.
The keystone habit should have a chain reaction benefit. This means by being consistent, the habit solves indirectly other issues inside the company. An example of a powerful keystone habit is Employee Well-Being Program – when done right, it can influence the overall culture of your company with a significant impact on performance and productivity.
When employees are healthier, they are more productive. When the culture of the workplace promotes healthy choices, the environment has more positive energy. When employees begin to reach goals they set in their own wellness as part of the overall well-being program, the pattern of working to achieve a goal can translate into productivity goals being reached. Success breeds success. A business with an effective wellness program can see increased profitability across the board, including lower health coverage costs, as the culture of the workplace becomes one of teamwork and high morale.