Managing habits in a project

Abstract

Habits are a huge part of an individual's everyday life. According to Charles Duhigg 40 - 45% of what we do every day are controlled by habits and not actual decisions. A projects most valuable resource is People. Understanding the theory and reason behind certain behavior of people is therefore vital. Geraldi, J is addressing the fact that the role of project managers is changing from a more technical and analytical role to a motivator and human behavior expert. This article will dive into how project managers can use the theory of habits to increase the efficiency in a project group. Charles Duhigg´s perception is that habits consists of a Cue, a routine and a reward, will be used to present tools and methods that Project managers can implement in a project. The article will address why Habits are important and what project managers can do to use them positively. Furthermore specific tools and methods to change habits will be elaborated on.

What are Habits

Habits are controlling a huge part of the actions we perform during a regular day, from driving to work to brushing your teeth. “A habit is defined as a motor or cognitive routine that, once it is triggered, completes itself without conscious supervision.” (Bernacer J, Murillo JI. 2014). Habits works as a fictual template that help us perform normal tasks without planning every little detail of execution. Charles Duhigg explains that habits are non removable and only changeable. To change these habits an understanding of how a habit is constructed is important. According to Charles duhigg the habit consists a three step loop, The Habit Loop, the steps are respectively the cue, the routine and reward. Each of these step is important to understand before trying to change a habit, and are shortly described.

Cue

The Cue is what triggers a certain habit. Charles Duhigg states that the majority of all cues can fit into one of the following five categories, A specific time, a location, an emotional state, specific people and preceding action. The cue tells the brain to perform a specific routine which is connected to exactly that cue.

Routine

The Routine follows right after the cue. A routine is the action that is performed on the brains autopilot. The routine is the core of the actual habit. It is the cue that can be either good or bad, like sharing knowledge of an issue to your project manager or keeping it to yourself because you think it is someone else's responsibility.

Reward

The reward is the emotional state or satisfaction you get from performing the routine. It is also the way the brain decides if the routine is worth repeating. The reward is the reason why certain actions become habits.