INTHEBLACK April/May 2024 - Magazine - Page 53
“Make the cue obvious and easy
to recognise. When it comes
to execution, keep the new
habit simple and manageable.
Gradually increase its complexity
once it has been firmly established.”
DR GINA CLEO, HABIT RESEARCHER AND AUTHOR
Pizer recalls a former colleague who would
select an article at the end of each day to
read the following morning. “They would put
it on their desk or their chair – somewhere
they couldn’t ignore it,” she says. “Their day
always started with something that interested
them, which related to skills or knowledge they
wanted to build.”
Preparing the environment in this way
increases the likelihood that people will perform
the new behaviour, Pizer adds. “It is like putting
floss next to your toothbrush or laying gym
clothes out the night before a workout,” she
says. “Everything is there, so you don’t forget
to do it.”
CELEBRATE SUCCESS
Another way to incorporate habit stacking at
work is to make use of “doorway moments”,
Pizer says. Before going into a meeting, take a
deep breath and ask, “‘What’s my ideal outcome?
How do I want to show up?’ You can make this
a habit any time you go into a physical or virtual
room to help you focus on the person you’re with
and be fully present,” Pizer explains.
Meetings provide numerous opportunities
for habit stacking. “To build connections
between teams, every meeting could start
with participants sharing one good thing that
happened to them that week or you could end
meetings with a question, such as, ‘What’s your
key takeaway?’”
In all these scenarios, Cleo says, rewards will
play a vital role in making the new habit “stick”.
“A reward can be a mental high-five, a
reflective moment to acknowledge your effort,
or a tick on a habit tracker,” Cleo explains.
“Make sure you celebrate, in some way, every
time you complete the new habit.”
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