HR Habits It Is Time To Break

At the age of Marie Kondo, we are all carefully reassessing our personal space and everything within it. From homes to habits and even people. If it doesn't spark joy - it's out!

Habits are especially tricky. Often becoming an integral part of our everyday lives, they can easily take hold and before you know it, it's difficult imagining things differently. Unfortunately, not all habits are something to be proud of and they do more harm than good.

Let's look at a few that will be particularly familiar to all you HR folk.

• Check and double-check everything with stakeholders because owning up to making a decision takes guts

• Saying “yes” when, in reality, you wanted to set boundaries and say “no”

• Pushing back deadlines hoping one extra day won't matter

• I will get more done, if I skip lunch

• Highlighting the negatives without mentioning the positives when it's better to tell why something will work rather than not

• An instinct for talking more than listening

• Telling job applicants you will get back to them when you know they are not qualified and you have no intention of getting back to them

Sure, if it's just once or twice, no harm no foul, but bad habits have a tendency to overtake and sooner or later you will realise that they are not only affecting how you feel but also your relationships and overall professional environment.

Luckily, any bad habit can be easily changed once you acknowledge it. It goes without saying that self-discipline also plays an important part but once you have pinpointed the problem, it's all in your own hands, what you will do about it. Here are some things you can start with:

1. Give it time

One of the biggest problems that our generation faces is the lack of patience. In a time when everything happens instantly, we expect instant changes for almost anything. From weight loss to learning a language. The same applies to changing habits. Just because you do it once doesn't mean it'll stick. You need to give yourself at least two weeks or even a month to see new habits forming.

2. Do one thing at a time

You're set to fail if you try to do too many things at once. That's a fact. When it comes to finishing a task - changing a habit on this occasion - it's imperative you focus on one thing at a time thus saving yourself from being overwhelmed sooner or later.

3. Write down the habits you want to change

Even if you think you are well aware of all the things you want to change, it's a good idea to make a list of all the habits you want to change. It will help as a point of reference and you can track your progress easily.

4. Inform someone about your intentions

Letting someone know about what you are trying to do works wonders psychologically as then you not only hold yourself accountable but know that someone else will too.

5. Follow your gut

Funnily enough, we often think that intuition or our gut feeling is something that's, well… not really true. In fact, it's nothing more or less than our subconscious assessing the situation based on potential previous experience and sending out an impulse to react. More often than not, we like to ignore it and overthink. At the end of the day, we all have the ability to know deep down, when something's not right and it's a good idea to follow this feeling.

You may also be interested in this article on the best HR practices for recruitment.