Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash
Before we can answer this question, “How do businesses create better habits?”
You first have to really buy in to why we need better habits to begin with.
I write about goal setting a lot and the key to great goals is to break them down into attainable steps, and if you consistently do the steps, then you should reach your goals.
This process helps create attainable goals and develop a plan at the same time.
However, to be able to consistently do the steps that you create, to reach your goals, you have to create habits.
We often focus on breaking bad habits instead of creating good habits, so because of this approach habits get a negative connotation and people often don’t like to focus on them.
Every January we try to assign habits a new name, “resolutions,” hoping that will help.
This conversation is for another time.
The ability for a person to create positive habits will directly determine their ability to execute the steps they need to take on a consistent basis, that will in turn help their team reach their business goals.
Habits + Action Steps = Achieved Goals
In my opinion, the only way for this equation to work is to ensure that each one of the business’ team members are supported to be able to create personal habits.
Because, if a team member’s personal habits are not good then they will not be able to develop and maintain healthy habits at work.
To illustrate this I’m going to use the analogy of a sports team.
Players have to be in top physical and mental shape so that they can be there best when it’s time to perform.
So, if a pro athlete decided to stop eating right, working out and practicing his skills then will he be able to “turn it on” at game time?
Absolutely not!
Just like the pro athlete has to make a personal commitment to keep his body and mind in top condition to perform his contracted duties at a game time, each business’ team members need to commit to doing the same.
Is there someone on your team that calls in sick or has a personal conflict that causes them to not perform well or not at all?
Now, I’m not going to pretend to know all the reasons why people constantly get sick or have personal conflicts. There are certainly a lot of legitimate reasons for this that you need to navigate with empathy and compassion.
However, I am talking about the person that doesn’t have chronic illness or challenging family issues.
We are just talking about the person who is able to control their personal habits that will consistently put them in a great position to perform at work.
In this situation, you can probably trace back the lack of work performance to poor choices that have created bad habits.
Everything we do matters.
Just like Newton’s 3rd law of motion says,
This is why when you throw a rock into a still body of water you will see a ripple go on for several minutes and over several feet.
This is called the “Ripple Effect” and it applies to every choice that we make.
It all starts with each team member making a personal commitment to excellence so that they can also make a commitment to their team members at work.
Sticking with the pro sports team analogy, the next thing that needs to be put in place to have a winning team is a great coaching staff.
A team can have all the player talent in the world but that will not be enough to consistently win games and championships.
Talent must be organized through great strategy and encouragement. People, by nature, need others to strengthen themselves to be their best.
In business, the coaches are the Managers, Team leads, VPs, and Owners.
They all need to commit to personnel training, development and support.
Training is the base level technical aspect of the job.
Development is the ongoing improvement of their technical skills.
Support is giving them what they need to be successful. For example, Leadership, budget/tools and coaching.
True and healthy accountability goes both ways, Leaders to team members and vice versa.
This simply means that everyone is committed to each other to do their best by engaging 100% in the planning and execution processes so that the business will grow.
Unhealthy accountability is when no-one trusts each other to do what they are hired to do so the leaders are constantly looking for incriminating evidence against their direct reports.
In turn, the team members are looking to do the bare minimum and sometimes are undermining the leadership's authority.
So, everyone needs to be committed to do their best and the right things to help each other grow and the business.
If this is not possible then it’s time for them to go. Life is too short to battle bad attitudes and uncommitted people. And, if you let these types of people stay in your business it will be short as well.
Creating better habits within a business is essential for its growth, productivity, and overall success. Habits, whether they pertain to individual employees or the organization as a whole, can greatly influence the workplace culture and the achievement of strategic objectives.
The first step in creating better habits is to set clear and specific goals.
To do this, the leadership must establish a strong and compelling vision for what they want the business to achieve and how they will empower the team to set relevant objectives to achieve the goals.
Ensure that the desired habits align with the company's values and mission.
When employees see that their habits contribute to the organization's broader purpose, they are more likely to embrace and sustain those habits.
In other words, keep the story of the problems that you exist to solve for your customers/clients consistently in front of your team. Everyone wants to be a part of a grand story that is bigger than themselves.
As we established already, leaders play a pivotal role in habit formation.
They must model the desired behaviors and habits for their teams. When employees see their leaders practicing these habits consistently, they are more likely to follow suit.
Remember, that your actions speak louder than your words. So, if you are saying one thing but doing another, your team members will not take you seriously and start to lose hope in the story you are trying to tell.
Provide employees with the necessary education and training to develop the skills and knowledge required to form and maintain the desired habits.
Training programs can range from technical skills to soft skills like time management and communication.
Intentionality is key here.
If training and development is not prioritized and planned for then people will not take these sessions seriously.
Especially the soft skills training because these skills take time and don’t always have immediate impact.
Also, just like the coach of the pro team analogy, this point will also ensure that your team members have the necessary resources and tools to develop and maintain better habits.
This might include investing in technology, additional staff training, or helping improve work-life balance.
I mentioned this step in a previous blog, “How Does Leadership Increase Productivity?”
The reason it’s so important is because people need regular feedback to give them confidence that they are not wasting time on meaningless tasks.
Also, positive feedback and recognition for efforts made toward forming better habits can reinforce the desired behaviors.
For example, celebrating achievements, both big and small, can motivate employees.
John E. Jones III says,
However, to provide great feedback and recognition you must Implement systems to track progress.
To get this done you will need to determine your Key performance indicators (KPIs) to help assess whether the desired habits are being adopted and whether they are contributing to the organization's goals.
Then, you have the ability to do institute bonuses, promotions, awards, etc. that align with the organization's economic and mission goals.
You need a culture of continuous improvement.
Habits can become stale, and businesses need to adapt to changing circumstances. Your team needs to be empowered to always be able to suggest and implement changes to existing habits when necessary.
Everyone likes to know that they have the power to create change.
So, set up systems for your team to input, ideas, and suggestions. When employees feel like they have a say in shaping the habits of the organization.
After all, if you're not moving forward you typically will start moving backwards due to our human nature to become complacent and there is always very “hungry” competition as well.
This is huge!
Create a culture of open and transparent communication regarding the progress of habit formation initiatives and the business.
Share successes and challenges with employees, and involve them in problem-solving when obstacles arise, especially the leaders!
When this happens it will build trust with everyone and encourage others to persevere through failure.
Also, recognizing that forming better habits takes time and that your company knows that you are in it for the long haul.
It's important not to rush the process or expect immediate results.
Everyone’s patience and persistence are key, especially when people need to adapt and are willing to modify habits and strategies when they are not producing the desired results.
The business environment is dynamic, and the ability to adjust and adapt is critical.
Communication also comes in the form of sharing best practices.
Encourage employees to document and share best practices related to habit formation, not just your core processes.
This knowledge-sharing can help spread effective habits throughout the organization and be baked into your intentional development of your team.
It can be very powerful to have one of your own team members speak about their habit transformation and what that’s done for them and the business.
By following these steps you will create and foster a culture of life changing habit formation and you will improve your team’s overall performance and achieve personal and professional long-term goals.
Remember, committing to helping your people create better personal habits is not a waste of time.
It’s an investment that will help you build meaningful relationships and cause your business to grow!