Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything(80)
Note: If the Golden Behavior your group comes up with is a habit, then go into Tiny Habits mode in the next steps. But not every Golden Behavior will be a habit. Some will be one-time behaviors.
The Ninja
Let’s say you’re in the middle of a family discussion or a company meeting and you need to get your team focused and aligned, but you can’t lead an official Focus Mapping session.
In that case, I have a Ninja solution for you. After your group suggests different ideas, perhaps prompted by your Ninja Magic Wanding, then you can ask, Which option can we realistically get ourselves to do?
This question combines the motivation and ability components of my Behavior Model, and it’s the fastest way to find behaviors that may well be Golden.
4. MAKE THE GOLDEN BEHAVIOR EASY FOR EVERYONE TO DO
If the Golden Behavior for the group is intended to be an ongoing habit, go into Tiny Habits mode and make the behavior as simple to do as possible. But don’t forget that one-time behaviors like everyone attending a training seminar should also be made as easy as possible.
The Ringleader
Ask your group what is making the desired behavior (or habit) hard to do and how they can make this behavior (or habit) easy to do. Let’s suppose that two weeks ago you started a new effort with your project team. As the manager, you want each person to e-mail you once a day and share the biggest project roadblock they are facing at that moment. It could be that the legal department hasn’t reviewed the new agreement, or there’s not enough in the budget to do quality user research, or the Internet keeps going down. Whatever. As a manager, you want to know the roadblocks so you can resolve them and help each person move forward efficiently. This sounded like a great plan, and your team seemed enthusiastic, but the results were not good over the last two weeks. Time to ask the Discovery Question.
At the next project meeting, you ask your team about the roadblock e-mail: What is making this daily routine hard to do?
You can get even more specific, asking about each link in the Ability Chain: Do you have enough time? Money? Mental capacity? Physical capacity? Does this conflict with our existing routines? By working together this way, your group can help you—and each other—see the weak links. As it turns out, it’s not actually a time issue. Instead, most people on the team don’t know how to think about roadblocks. And with that insight, you realize it’s a mental capacity issue (but you don’t say that out loud!). You have options: You can make this daily routine easier by skilling your team up in identifying roadblocks. Or perhaps you give them a checklist that walks them through various options: project clarity, legal issues, budget constraints, collaboration issues, technology problems. Once addressed, this weak link in the Ability Chain can become a strong link, helping everyone succeed more often with the daily roadblock e-mails.
Side note: When writing this book, I wanted to share a lot more about how to use Tiny Habits for business success, but that would make my book too long. Even so, I want to offer you my special chapter on Tiny Habits for Business Success, which you can get by going to TinyHabits.com/business.
The Ninja
Suppose you want to get your spouse to exercise with you every day, and he’s not quite on board. Ask him a version of the Discovery Question: What do you think makes it hard to exercise every day?
If your spouse is like most people, he will say, “I don’t have the time.” As a skilled Ninja, you realize that time may or may not be the real issue. But assume it is, and ask: If you could find a way to exercise with me just ten minutes each day, do you think you could do it? If he says yes, find that ten-minute exercise. However, he might come up with another issue: I am just too tired to work out.
And there you have it: The problem isn’t time; it’s physical effort. Then suggest exercises that require less exertion, like dancing to a disco song each morning or doing a simple yoga move. And don’t forget to redesign the environment so exercising is easier for him—set out the yoga mat before you go to bed. Don’t worry too much about the health benefits of just one sun salutation because getting someone started on a healthy habit—no matter how tiny—is a big deal. If your spouse feels successful doing one sun salutation, he will naturally expand his exercise habit.
In Ninja mode, you informally yet systematically figure out what makes a behavior hard for someone to do, then you take steps to strengthen those weak links.
Good job, Ninja.
5. FIND A WAY TO PROMPT THE GOLDEN BEHAVIOR
You’ve read chapter 4, so you know there are three types of prompts: Person Prompts, Context Prompts, and Action Prompts. In this step, you need to figure out which will reliably work for your group.
The Ringleader
If you’re helping your group create a habit, use the Tiny Habits approach first and ask your group: Where might this habit fit naturally in your daily routine? If you’re helping your team e-mail you each day with their number one roadblock, then ask them: What existing routine can remind you to do this new habit?
The group can explore options together, but each person can pick their own Anchor. The recipe for some may end up looking like this: After I return from my lunch break, I will get out my checklist on roadblocks and write a quick e-mail.