INTHEBLACK April/May 2024 - Magazine - Page 52
WORK SMART
Stack the deck
Behavioural change can be very challenging, but it is
possible to elicit such change in the workplace using
the simple, effective technique of “habit stacking”.
Words Beth Wallace
READ
an INTHEBLACK
article on using
behavioural
economics to
change habits
52 INTHEBLACK April/May 2024
BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE IS HARD,
according to research, especially when it
comes to maintaining the change long-term.
While people often try to implement
a new habit, such as flossing their teeth
or regular exercise, they can be derailed
by lack of consistency and overambitious
or vague goals.
Habit stacking is a behavioural change
strategy that has been linked to sustainable
habit forming. With habit stacking, people
“stack” a new behaviour they are trying to
adopt onto an existing habit, which helps
them remember to do it.
Habit stacking has been popularised
in recent years by habit experts such as
BJ Fogg, founder of Stanford University’s
Behavior Design Lab, James Clear, author
of Atomic Habits (2018), and SJ Scott, author
of Habit Stacking (2014).
Dr Gina Cleo, habit researcher and author
of The Habit Revolution, says, “Habit stacking
is a simple yet valuable tool for making positive
lifestyle changes.
“By ‘piggybacking’ the new habit onto
an existing one, you take advantage of the
neural pathways and automaticity already
associated with the existing habit. This makes
it easier for your brain to adopt the new
habit and increases the likelihood that you
will repeat it.”
For example, if a person needs to remember
to take medication every day, they could habit
stack it to their morning coffee routine.
To practise mindfulness, they could take five
deep breaths before turning on their computer.
“When you put your head on your pillow
at night, you could think of one thing you are
grateful for,” Cleo says.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CUES
To get started with habit stacking, Cleo
recommends defining a clear and specific goal.
Then, choose a cue or trigger that naturally
occurs before or after a habit that is already
in place. Cues can include the time of day,
location, preceding event/action, an emotion
or a social situation.
“Make the cue obvious and easy to recognise,”
she suggests. “When it comes to execution,
keep the new habit simple and manageable.
Gradually increase its complexity once it has
been firmly established.”
While the location and time for performing
the new behaviour will be determined by
the cue, it is important to consider whether
it provides the appropriate setting, says
organisational psychologist Dr Michelle Pizer.
“For example, first or last thing in the
day can be easier than the middle of the
day, unless you have a predictable job,”
Pizer adds.
Likewise, the cue should occur at the same
frequency as the desired behaviour. “If I set
a goal to do some stretches every time
a meeting finishes, it’s not going to be a
particularly effective habit stack unless I have
regular meetings,” Pizer explains.
HABITS THAT STICK
There are many ways to use habit stacking
at work to improve productivity, nurture
relationships and deliver a number of other
benefits, Cleo says. “For example, check emails
after your morning coffee, create meeting
agendas when scheduling meetings, or plan
the next day when you finish work.”
Habit stacking can also support continuous
professional development.
