Charles Duhigg, in his book The Power of Habit, writes about keystone habits….those habits that have a ripple effect into other parts of our work and lives. I am working on a project to identify the keystone habits for supervisors, and I’d love to hear your perspectives.
So how do we identify a keystone habit? Here’s how Charles describes the characteristics of keystone habits:
- Small wins that build a feeling of momentum
- Create new platforms that lead to other habits changing
- Establish a Culture Where Excellence Is Contagious
But, at their core, they all share something in common: keystone habits shape how we think about ourselves.
So exercise is a good example – if we start to exercise on a regular basis, there is a ripple effect into other areas of our lives, such as our diet, our sleep patterns, our productivity.
Here’s another example: In one multinational company, the top 150 managers have all been tasked with getting rid of at least 25% of their job each year. The aim is partly to stimulate delegation and coaching behaviours, partly to open up space for their own development and for working on more strategic tasks.
So if you were asked to identify keystone habits for supervisors in your organization, which habits do you think would give the best ripple effect for your people and your organization?
