I can't stand Malcolm Gladwell's books. I have tried reading The Tipping Point (2000), Outliers (2008) and Blink (2005) but couldn't finish the books. No doubt they talk about important topics (the "tipping point" analogy crops up in a number of places) but somehow they don't gel with me. Probably because they refer a lot to sociology literature and I am not familiar with that area.
When I picked up the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change (2012) I was pretty sure it would be much more sociology. I felt I would find it unreadable. To my surprise, not only did I complete reading the book in a couple of days, I was actually enthralled by it.
Duhigg's objective is to study the role of habits in individuals, corporations and societies. While some individuals struggle to break away from bad habits, others are able to overhaul their lives and change for the better.
According to Duhigg, all habits - good and bad - follow a three step process: (a) First the habit is triggered by a cue; (b) The individual or group follows a routine upon receiving the trigger; (c) Lastly, the routine is followed by a reward.
Suppose you are a habitual nail-biter. You may be triggered by boredom or anxiety. Then you take the fingers to the mouth and the reward is the aahh moment when you bite the nails.
Drawing upon an exhaustive literature survey, Duhigg contends that any habit can be replaced by breaking this three step cycle. By replacing boredom by a walk across the corridor, one might be able to change one's routine: instead of biting your nails, have a cup of coffee. This is easily said but perseverance can actually make it happen.
Duhigg claims that good habits can be imprinted onto entire institutions and societies and can cause revolutions at work and life. An example Duhigg gives is the turnaround of Alcoa by Paul O'Neill by his emphasis on safe practices. Another is the civil-rights movement in America where an entire community came together to protest racial injustice.
Towards the end of the book, Duhigg writes: "Hundreds of habits influence our days - they guide how we get dressed in the morning, talk to our kids, and fall asleep at night; they impact what we eat for lunch, how we do business, and whether we exercise or have a beer after work. Each of them has a different cue and offers a unique reward. Some are simple and others are complex, drawing upon emotional triggers and offering subtle neurochemical prizes. But every habit, no matter its complexity, is malleable. The most addicted alcoholics can become sober. The most dysfunctional companies can transform themselves. A high school dropout can become a successful manager."
There is thus reason to hope.
When I picked up the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How To Change (2012) I was pretty sure it would be much more sociology. I felt I would find it unreadable. To my surprise, not only did I complete reading the book in a couple of days, I was actually enthralled by it.
Duhigg's objective is to study the role of habits in individuals, corporations and societies. While some individuals struggle to break away from bad habits, others are able to overhaul their lives and change for the better.
According to Duhigg, all habits - good and bad - follow a three step process: (a) First the habit is triggered by a cue; (b) The individual or group follows a routine upon receiving the trigger; (c) Lastly, the routine is followed by a reward.
Suppose you are a habitual nail-biter. You may be triggered by boredom or anxiety. Then you take the fingers to the mouth and the reward is the aahh moment when you bite the nails.
Drawing upon an exhaustive literature survey, Duhigg contends that any habit can be replaced by breaking this three step cycle. By replacing boredom by a walk across the corridor, one might be able to change one's routine: instead of biting your nails, have a cup of coffee. This is easily said but perseverance can actually make it happen.
Duhigg claims that good habits can be imprinted onto entire institutions and societies and can cause revolutions at work and life. An example Duhigg gives is the turnaround of Alcoa by Paul O'Neill by his emphasis on safe practices. Another is the civil-rights movement in America where an entire community came together to protest racial injustice.
Towards the end of the book, Duhigg writes: "Hundreds of habits influence our days - they guide how we get dressed in the morning, talk to our kids, and fall asleep at night; they impact what we eat for lunch, how we do business, and whether we exercise or have a beer after work. Each of them has a different cue and offers a unique reward. Some are simple and others are complex, drawing upon emotional triggers and offering subtle neurochemical prizes. But every habit, no matter its complexity, is malleable. The most addicted alcoholics can become sober. The most dysfunctional companies can transform themselves. A high school dropout can become a successful manager."
There is thus reason to hope.
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