I (reluctantly!) just returned from a glorious vacation in Hawaii. I’m sure several dots will reflect on my experiences there but what I noticed first is how quickly I adjusted to the time change. There is a five-hour differential, yet after the first day I was eating and sleeping as if I was a long-term resident. Dinner on the first night was at 7:30pm and felt normal, when at home this would have translated to eating at half-past midnight, hours after I am usually in bed.
The assimilation made me realize how strongly environmental cues impact us and reminded me that we need to pay attention to them when creating a culture or implementing a change. We automatically do things that align with our systems and rhythms without thought — or pushback. If we manage the signals that we send, alterations in behavior come much more naturally and soon it feels as if the “new way” is the “usual way.”
So, if you want people to change their actions, orchestrate the environment accordingly and start doing things the “new way” as soon as you are able. Make those restaurant reservations for 7:30pm and it will feel like dinnertime.
