Originally published on the KingdomBuilding Leadership blog, March 28, 2021.
You may have heard these wise words before, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." (Aristotle) But what if we are at a point of fatigue? What if Covid resiliency has made us weary, not caring about excellence, simply wanting to survive. What then? Good question! The fact is, regardless if we're feeling victorious, or beaten down, our habits will determine our trajectory. Therefore, in recognition of the 1-year anniversary of Covid recently behind us, we'll reflect on the Science of Habit to uncover some habits that could give your & your organization perspective and energy in the short-term, so you can thrive in the long-term:
1. See your Future Self
Stanford alum Hershield, Wimmer and Knutson discovered that when people saw aged images of themselves, they began to focus on smaller, short-term gains in order achieve longer term results (https://denisehughes.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/F1306D-PDF-ENG.pdf). The research studied people's decision-making when subjects looked at pictures of themselves that were digitally aged 20 years into the future. Specifically, the subjects' pictures were altered to include jowls, bags under the eyes and grey hair. Subjects were then asked to allocate $1000 among four options - buying something nice, investing in a retirement fund, planning a fun trip, or putting it in a chequing account. Subjects exposed to the aged pictures of themselves put nearly twice as much money in the retirement fund as the other subjects. Similar results have also been found in the area of ethics where 18-26 year old students who were shown images of their 40-year old self, were less likely to cheat on an exam than subjects who weren't shown the aged avatar. It is also suspected the same positive results would would apply to crime, skincare and health if subjects had a vivid image of their future self. Take-away: become intentional about literally seeing yourself in the future (i.e. check out www.changemyface.com or other sites that do digital aging) so you can make short-term decisions that fulfill your longer-term vision. Once you've done it yourself, introduce the concept to others. Note: if digital aging isn't for you, research has suggested that writing a letter to your future self can prove to be nearly as effective.
2. Listen as much as you speak
Great listeners including Winston Churchill, Calvin Coolidge and Brigham Young have shaped history*; and the wise Steven R. Covey taught us to "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." But what does science say about listening? Researchers Itzchakov & Kluger found that non-judgmental listening makes employees more relaxed, more self-aware and more reflective, resulting in more cooperation and collaboration between colleagues (https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-power-of-listening-in-helping-people-change). This can be especially powerful when discussing personal and departmental performance, and it can also lead to improved innovation and creative problem solving. Improved listening, and asking good questions, can also go a long way in improving personal relationships outside of work. Take-away: in the short-term, practice the habit of active listening (distraction free, non-judgemental, asking lots of questions, not interrupting or imposing solutions, reflecting on your listening skills) in order to create a culture of trust, safety and improved relationships which deliver superior business results in the long-term.
3. Counting your Blessings each week reaps Psychological, Physical and Interpersonal benefits
As mentioned in a prior blog, many scientific studies have concluded that counting one's blessings leaves people feeling more attentive, alert and energetic. Emmons & McCullough demonstrated in their study that when people were recording things for which they were grateful, they ended up engaging in more healthy related behaviours (i.e. exercising more often) and also slept better and fewer symptoms related to illnesses. Take-away: start a weekly gratitude ritual in order to reap the physical, mental and relational benefits that you will need for your teams, your customers and your personal relationships,
The last year has been very difficult for many people I know. Senior-level executives, front-line workers, early-career and mid-career professionals, people leaders and individual contributors have all been challenged to adapt, and pivot and be resilient. During this unprecedented time, our habits and rituals have been forced to change. We're working in the same place as we're home schooling our children, we're going weeks and months without having skin-to-skin contact with family and friends, and we can't go to the gym as we have in the past. All of this change has created new patterns of behaviour. Those patterns are our habits. As we come out of Covid lockdowns, and we're reestablishing ourselves in the market, remember that our habits define us. Good or bad, we become what we consistently do. With that in mind, what are the best habits you can do today to give yourself the future you envision?
*for other great listeners see https://reesmccann.com/2009/08/26/famous-listeners/
