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Habits are regularly repeated behavioral patterns. They become our routines and our comfort zones. It’s estimated that 40-45 percent of our daily lives are habitual. These patterns of behavior are repeated so frequently and embedded so deeply that they define us.

This is equally true of organizations. A company’s culture is a collection of attitudes and behaviors 鈥� shared habits 鈥� that define how it functions together. Organizationally speaking, habits are a manifestation of a company’s brand.

Our habits form our identity

If you think of a brand as a reputation, an organization’s habits are the building blocks. Habits are what people come to expect as to how an organization will behave. This includes how leaders go about their business, how they treat their colleagues and customers, whether agreements are kept, whether meetings start on time, whether there is follow-through on initiatives and how issues are addressed, etc. Tackling a habit change is an opportunity to reinvent a company identity. This is not a simple rebranding exercise, but an in-depth look at how a business operates and where its leaders want to make shifts.

Healthy vs. unhealthy

Healthy habits generate the kind of life experience that is in alignment with who people want to be. They produce results that make people feel good and help propel momentum. Unhealthy habits are unproductive, unsatisfying (ultimately) and stagnating. It stands to reason then, that a healthy company is based on people employing healthy workplace habits that are aligned with the organization’s vision and core values.

Keystone habits

So, if you want to lead change in your organization, which habit should you tackle first? Identify a few priorities and leverage them. New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg, in his bestselling book 鈥淭he Power of Habit,鈥� emphasizes what he calls 鈥渒eystone habits.鈥� He explains, 鈥淭he habits that matter most are the ones that, when they start to shift, dislodge and remake other patterns.鈥� Focused attention on one habit can have ripple effects throughout an organization.

In our society, we often want quick wins. This is counterproductive because it perpetuates our frustrations about things not changing. Quick fixes and hopes of complete transformations actually keep us stuck in our patterns. Cultivating healthy habits requires us to reject immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health or integrity 鈥� and, ultimately, deeper satisfaction.

How long will this take? While pop culture contends a magical 鈥�21 days鈥� to cultivate a habit, research indicates it can be more like two to eight months. The truth is that it depends on the behavior, the person/organization and the circumstances. It doesn’t really matter how long it takes 鈥� that time will still pass and you can either be on your way to a new pattern or stuck in the same old way of doing business.

Examine company habits

鈥� Do you address issues directly and respectfully with each other?

鈥� Do you provide clear and real-time feedback?

鈥� Do you start and end meetings on time?

鈥� Do you hold each other accountable for action items?

鈥� How do you identify and manage priorities?

鈥� Are you tackling what matters most, or only what’s urgent?

鈥� Are you habitually in firefighting or reactionary mode?

鈥� In your attempt to be in service to others, do you tend to overpromise?

鈥� Do you have a habit of making agreements that you can’t keep 鈥� or can’t even remember you’ve made?

Start by understanding how habits emerge and what it takes to change them. (In 鈥淭he Power of Habit鈥� Duhigg defines the 鈥渉abit loop鈥� 鈥� cue, routine and reward. Working with the dynamic of this loop is key to transformation). Manage your expectations and commit to small, incremental improvements. We may not gain 鈥渜uick wins鈥� but we can create 鈥渟mall wins鈥� 鈥� and those small wins can build momentum. Be sure to reward yourself and your team for new, positive behaviors.

Building habits is a journey and not a destination. You will make mistakes. Give yourself permission to do so. More importantly, encourage your team to do so 鈥� no worthy endeavor is ever pursued without missteps.

Develop strategies for getting back on track. Think of it as an experiment with the desired outcome of creating workable, productive and lasting ways of being a consummate professional and a vibrant, high-performing organization.

Take the K Challenge: Which unhealthy habit in your organization will you stop tolerating and start addressing in a new way?

Karen Natzel is a business therapist who helps leaders create healthy, vibrant and high-performing organizations. Contact her at 503-806-4361 or [email protected].