Whether you’re giving up smoking or sit-down meetings it pays to use a habit to kick a habit. In the words of the philosopher Erasmus “A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.”
When we try to eliminate a habitual behaviour without replacing it, we create a vacuum that the old habit inevitably fills again. But when we introduce a compelling alternative, we’re rewiring the neural pathway rather than fighting it.
In practice, this looks like:
Instead of saying “Stop checking emails constantly” → Introduce “Check emails at 9am, 1pm, and 4pm only”
Instead of “Don’t have so many meetings” → Implement “No-meeting Wednesdays”
Instead of “Stop working in silos” → Create “Weekly collaboration coffee chats”
Instead of “Use the new software” → Create a workflow where the new tool is the essential first step in a common process.
Instead of “Stop lighting up a cigarette every time you get in the car” → Keep a stock of lollipops in the car to suck on instead.
The key is making the new habit:
✅ Easier than the old one
✅ More rewarding
✅ Clearly defined with specific triggers
I’ve helped teams transform not by breaking bad habits, but by building better ones. For instance, 10-minute Huddles replacing ad hoc communication. By doing this we don’t eliminate the old behaviours, rather we crowd them out with something more beneficial.
Use a habit to kick a habit.
#ChangeManagement #OrganisationalDevelopment #Leadership #HabitFormation #Transformation
