Research shows that more than 40 percent of the time, we follow some automatic patterns or habits in response to certain situation without going through conscious decision making. Identifying the physiological causes and effects of habit formation has led individuals and businesses to be able to modify and manipulate these patterns to achieve their desired objectives. In retrospect, knowledge of habits have helped in stopping riots, streamlining workplace routines, launching countrywide social movements, generating large business revenues and abolishing various types of addictions.
Being an acclaimed business section reporter for New York Time, Charles Duhigg has remarkable insight into the organizational routines and structures. In The Power Of Habit, he has explored how organizations have configured their daily activities and business protocols to function habitually and how individuals develop and change their lifestyles. He commences the discussion by looking into the first logical question: what are habits, how they are formed and how our common practices program our brain to follow specific patterns. The concept of habit loop consisting of cue-routine-reward pattern is illustrated with a number of examples involving both people and businesses.
Duhigg examines how some grand institutions like Alcoa were transformed by inculcating "keystone habits" in the workers and how Starbucks trained their staff to effortlessly handle the most stressful situations whereas in other instances, habits resulted in passively following a track leading to disaster. He also discusses in detail the factors most likely to trigger change in habits and so can be exploited for damage control and introducing reforms in any organization. Some intriguing business tactics used by data analysts show that habits of customers can be identified by the patterns drawn from their previous records and are being used for targeted advertising resulting in much larger revenues. Habits also play a vital role in our social lives by infusing habits of friendship and unity that can literally lead to revolutions, if only we learn to identify and guide them in the right direction.
Duhigg's writing is simple and has the quality of making the reader proceed effortlessly. The book is a collection of anecdotes and case studies of real people and organizations, which thoroughly cover the small and large scale causes and effects of habits, drawing insight into the numerous ways that human brains are programmed and reprogrammed to adopt and abandon various practices and rituals. In the end, Duhigg shares his personal experience in which he systematically diagnosed and modified an unhealthy habit of his own. He cautions the reader that it takes time and effort to modify one's habits but they are not something unchangeable and no one is a hopeless case unless he or she passively chooses to be one.
Being an acclaimed business section reporter for New York Time, Charles Duhigg has remarkable insight into the organizational routines and structures. In The Power Of Habit, he has explored how organizations have configured their daily activities and business protocols to function habitually and how individuals develop and change their lifestyles. He commences the discussion by looking into the first logical question: what are habits, how they are formed and how our common practices program our brain to follow specific patterns. The concept of habit loop consisting of cue-routine-reward pattern is illustrated with a number of examples involving both people and businesses.
Duhigg examines how some grand institutions like Alcoa were transformed by inculcating "keystone habits" in the workers and how Starbucks trained their staff to effortlessly handle the most stressful situations whereas in other instances, habits resulted in passively following a track leading to disaster. He also discusses in detail the factors most likely to trigger change in habits and so can be exploited for damage control and introducing reforms in any organization. Some intriguing business tactics used by data analysts show that habits of customers can be identified by the patterns drawn from their previous records and are being used for targeted advertising resulting in much larger revenues. Habits also play a vital role in our social lives by infusing habits of friendship and unity that can literally lead to revolutions, if only we learn to identify and guide them in the right direction.
Duhigg's writing is simple and has the quality of making the reader proceed effortlessly. The book is a collection of anecdotes and case studies of real people and organizations, which thoroughly cover the small and large scale causes and effects of habits, drawing insight into the numerous ways that human brains are programmed and reprogrammed to adopt and abandon various practices and rituals. In the end, Duhigg shares his personal experience in which he systematically diagnosed and modified an unhealthy habit of his own. He cautions the reader that it takes time and effort to modify one's habits but they are not something unchangeable and no one is a hopeless case unless he or she passively chooses to be one.
Best every blog-post. Hats-off
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