--- title: 3 Ways Habit Formation Can Transform Teams description: Habit formation can transform teams by replacing old habits with new ones to boost morale, efficiency and productivity. image: https://info.cognician.com/hubfs/Blog%20Post%20Images/210401-april/210419-featured-fast-facts.png --- [![Activate Behavior Change](https://info.cognician.com/hubfs/logodark-1.svg "Activate Behavior Change")](https://www.cognician.com) - About Us - [Clients](https://info.cognician.com/clients) - [Security & Privacy](https://info.cognician.com/security-and-privacy) - [Our Team](https://info.cognician.com/our-team) - [Careers](https://info.cognician.com/cognician-careers) - [Contact Us](https://info.cognician.com/contact-us) - Our Approach - [Methodology](https://info.cognician.com/methodology) - [Features](https://info.cognician.com/features) - [Gamification](https://info.cognician.com/gamification) - Activation - [Activate Behavior Change](https://info.cognician.com/quest-collection) - [Activation Workshops](https://info.cognician.com/activation-workshops) - [Activation Courses](https://info.cognician.com/activation-foundations-certification-program) - Activate AI Adoption - [Copilot M365 Adoption](https://info.cognician.com/drive-microsoft-copilot-adoption) - [Copilot Agent Adoption](https://info.cognician.com/drive-ai-agent-adoption-with-cognicians-proven-change-platform) - [Copilot Chat Adoption](https://info.cognician.com/how-to-activate-copilot-adoption-and-empower-employees-to-work-smarter) - Resources - [Transformation Tactics](https://info.cognician.com/transformation-tactics) - [Research](https://info.cognician.com/resources) - [Thought Leadership](https://info.cognician.com/blog) - [Press](https://info.cognician.com/press-releases) - [Webinars](https://info.cognician.com/cognician-webinars) - [Log in](https://www.cognician.com/login) - [Book a Call](https://info.cognician.com/book-a-call) ![210419-desktop-fast-facts-opt](https://info.cognician.com/hubfs/Blog%20Post%20Images/2021%20blog%20post%20images/210401-april/210419-desktop-fast-facts-opt.jpg) [Back to Blog](https://blog.cognician.com) # 3 Ways Habit Formation Can Transform Teams Fast Facts by Betty Kayton 20 April 2021 - - [Team Transformation](https://info.cognician.com/blog/topic/team-transformation) [Change Management](https://info.cognician.com/blog/topic/change-management) - - *Whether it’s being negative, missing deadlines or showing up late for meetings, bad habits can have a bad impact on your team.* --- Old habits are hard to change, right? So why bother? Well, what if those habits drive team members up the wall or make your team leader want to skip town? What if those bad habits affect the morale, efficiency, and productivity of your team? How do you make that person change?  Let’s take a look at how you can [transform your team](https://info.cognician.com/topic/team-transformation) by activating behavior change through habit formation. Fact 1: A change in behavior has more chance of being fully adopted if it becomes habitual According to a [study](https://oxfordre.com/psychology/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.001.0001/acrefore-9780190236557-e-129) by Benjamin Gardner and Amanda L. Rebar, strong habits tend to dominate over motivational tendencies. In other words, no matter how you try to motivate someone to change their ways, if their old habits and behaviors are deeply ingrained, they will always prevail. To turn a bad habit on it’s head, you first need to identify exactly what that old habit is and why it needs to change. Then, you need to select a new behavior to replace the old, and turn that into a new habit. For example, if someone continually misses deadlines, there could be a number of causes, from struggling to prioritize to managing their time poorly. By breaking the causes down you can quickly see what needs to change and can select an appropriate replacement behavior. **Fact 2: Sometimes behavior change is a long term process that requires repetition**  Habits, according to the study, are learned through context-related repetition. So sometimes, when we set behavior change goals, the goal-directed behavior only becomes habitual through repetition over a long period of time. And it takes a long time for the [new behavior to be triggered](https://info.cognician.com/why-inspiration-is-a-great-enabler-of-change-and-how-you-can-inspire) whenever the associated context is encountered.  Without [intervention](https://blog.cognician.com/how-problem-based-learning-can-activate-behavior-change), that context, whether it’s a deadline or scheduled meeting, usually results in a person resorting to their usual pattern of behavior. If that person has identified new ways of behaving to that particular context, that behavior will need constant repetition to make it stick.  **Fact 3: New habits need constant maintenance to ensure that they stick** Now that the team member has replaced an old habit with a new one, it’s not the end of the story. The new habit will need constant maintenance to ensure that it sticks in the long term. By maintenance, Gardner and Rebar mean that it needs to be revisited often, reinforced and supported. Whether it’s setting reminders, re-doing a training course or consciously reviewing your performance, new habits need to be maintained to become deeply ingrained.  And don’t forget the power of [reflection](https://blog.cognician.com/how-reflection-helps-us-learn-according-to-science-opinion-piece) in helping a new habit to take hold. For example, a person who now meets deadlines can benefit from reflecting on how their new habits have impacted their performance, productivity and efficiency. And what it has done for their career. To turn the phrase on that old saying, you *can* teach an old dog new habits! ### Related Articles [![5 Myths That Are Breaking Your Performance Reviews](https://info.cognician.com/hubfs/feedback%20.png)](https://info.cognician.com/blog/5-myths-that-are-breaking-your-performance-reviews) 11 July 2025 ## [5 Myths That Are Breaking Your Performance Reviews](https://info.cognician.com/blog/5-myths-that-are-breaking-your-performance-reviews) Debunking performance review myths and breaking down why real-time feedback is the future of performance. 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[Team Transformation](https://info.cognician.com/blog/topic/team-transformation) [Change Management](https://info.cognician.com/blog/topic/change-management) ![logolight (1)](https://info.cognician.com/hubfs/logolight%20(1).svg) Cognician’s founding belief is that people are capable of great things when their behavior is driven by meaningful conversations, great questions, powerful ideas, and deeply felt emotions. Our core capability is enabling large organizations to activate behavior change at scale. We achieve this by creating personalized, data-driven digital experiences that are grounded in action, follow-through, reflection, and social engagement. 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