Enable New Work Habits in 3 Research-Backed Steps

How To Enable New Work Habits When Change Is Needed
When strategies shift or leadership evolves, change management consulting experts know that the work habits that once served your organization may no longer be effective. Yet even when change is clearly positive, adopting new habits can be surprisingly difficult.

Anyone who has tried to break a long-standing habit or master a new skill knows that lasting change doesn’t come easily. The good news is that meaningful change is achievable — and it can happen far more quickly when leaders apply the right approach, combining:

• Clear expectations.
• Consistent reinforcement.
• A culture that supports learning and adaptation.

Three Steps for Leaders to Enable New Work Habits

Based upon change management simulation data, here are three proven steps to better enable new work habits:

1. Identify Doable Behavioral Chunks
   Engage your team in pinpointing the specific habits that must shift to align strategy, elevate performance, and sustain engagement. Prioritize a few critical micro behaviors — small, clearly defined actions that are easy to implement and reinforce consistently. For example, if decision-making is a challenge, begin with a simple, concrete behavior: “Before making a decision, we will clearly agree on exactly what decision we are trying to make.”

   Focusing on these tangible, bite-sized behaviors generates early wins and builds momentum. It also sets the stage for tackling more complex practices, such as defining and adhering to an overarching decision-making process. By breaking change into manageable steps, teams make steady, measurable progress without becoming overwhelmed, creating a culture of disciplined, sustainable improvement.

2. Focus On Learning and Progress
   Change rarely unfolds perfectly on the first attempt, and missteps are inevitable. As a team leader, stress that consistent effort, steady improvement, and ongoing learning — not instant perfection — are the true measures of success. Encourage team members to experiment with new habits, reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and iterate with intention.

   Let them fully engage in the process, embracing each habit and finding satisfaction in the learning journey. Reinforce every positive step with timely recognition and constructive feedback, helping the team see that each attempt — whether successful or not — is a chance to refine skills, gain insight, and move closer to lasting, meaningful change.

3. Coach, Encourage, and Reinforce
   As a change leader, your job is to create an environment where your team feels safe experimenting with new ways of thinking and acting — without fear of mistakes. Reinforce desired habits through timely, specific praise and support; the clearer you are about the behaviors you want to see, the more motivated your team will be to continue them.

   From a coaching perspective, help team members accurately evaluate their progress, provide constructive feedback to guide improvement, and collaborate on tailored action plans to close any gaps. By combining encouragement with precise guidance, you build both confidence and capability, ensuring that positive behaviors take root and sustain over time.

   Research highlights the transformative power of positive reinforcement: encouragement should outweigh constructive feedback by roughly five-to-one. Studies by Emily Heaphy and Marcial Losada show that the highest-performing teams sustain about 5.6 positive interactions for every negative one. Prioritizing reinforcement and recognition fosters a culture where new habits can take hold, flourish, and endure.

The Bottom Line
Building new work habits starts with small, manageable actions paired with consistent, specific positive feedback. Habit change is a process grounded in learning, reflection, and incremental improvement. While it demands patience and practice, each step generates momentum, and over time, these behaviors solidify into lasting skills that enhance both individual and team performance.

To learn more about how to enable new work habits, download How Top Leaders Successfully Recognize and Reward Organizational Change

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.