How I discovered the power of Mondays

We want to change. We know what to do to become a better version of ourself. Then why is change so hard. There is a book just for that. How to Change tells us how to leverage the science that makes change easier.

The "Monday Mailer" Origin Story

I became the Chief Learning Officer of Wipro in 2009. ($8.951B, 175000 employees in 2021)

I saw my role as someone who builds curiosity - not just designing ways to continuously upskill the employees. Google's popularity shows that people will continuously ask questions because we are curious. Harnessing that curiosity to learn new skills was the problem my role was designed to solve.

I started a newsletter where on Mondays at 9:00am IST every employee could read about an idea they could use at work. The overwhelming response to the Monday Mailer encouraged me to write more on LinkedIn. eg Why dignity of employees matters

The real reason for the newsletter's success was that it allowed most employees to start a new habit on Monday. I had discovered the power of a Monday.

Transitions disturb habits

Sleeping is a well-established habit. From the time we are born we habitually sleep for 6-8 hours a day. The pandemic proved that even long-standing habits like sleep can tremble during a transition.

The sleep supplement Melatonin has seen a spike of 42% in 2020 in US. After the pandemic, people are having difficulty sleeping. When the pandemic hit, rates of insomnia spiked around the world, driven by the changes in daily life because of lockdowns. Read more

Changing old habits - a sign of independence

Some have difficulty sleeping. Others are consciously delaying their bedtime to protest about no freedom at work. ‘Revenge bedtime procrastination’ has become a thing. People push back their bedtime to regain some sense of autonomy that their day-job does not provide. <Read more>

Rebellion can be a common reason to break an old habit. Many people rebel against a very regimented life when they move out of their home and into a college dorm/ hostel.

Change is easier if you start on a Monday

Prof Katy Milkman's new book How to Change says timing matters when you are trying to change. Getting a "fresh start" is a good idea if you want to break from the past. That explains why a Monday (or the beginning of a week/ month) is a good day to start the new habit. That explains why New Year resolutions are made to create a better version of ourself.

Your birthday, a new job, a new role... just about anything that seems like a new beginning gives us permission to leave the old self behind and build a new version of ourself. When a new hire steps in, it is a "fresh start" for an organisation to change things. A new CEO should use the opportunity to create new rituals and habits.

Why top performers often underperform with a new boss

A new CEO or new boss can tempt poor performers to change their old reputation. While under performers can change and improve their performance, top performers often languish when there is a leadership transition. They feel that their old achievements and previous lead has been ignored and they are having to prove themselves all over again.

When a new manager tells the top performer, "I will form my own opinions. If you are as good as they say, prove it to me...", it demoralises the person.

Death can drive change for good

"Surviving the pandemic was a miracle. I wanted to get out alive so that I could spend time with my wife and kids. That meant quitting a job that paid me much more, but left me no time with the family. I used to say that I am doing this for them. The pandemic made me realise, the future that I was planning for yesterday is here today."

Smokers quit smoking after they have survived a heart attack. Coming close to death can be life altering. But change does not have to be managed in such extreme settings. Change can be fun. Can it be gamified?

Can change be fun and games

Can change be made easier by gamification?

“Gamification is another way to make goal pursuit instantly gratifying. It involves making something that isn’t a game feel more engaging and less monotonous by adding gamelike features such as symbolic rewards, a sense of competition, and leaderboards.” - Katy Milkman

Gamification is seen as a way to provide instant gratification to a task that has a long waiting period for payback. Schools gamify homework completion by dishing out "gold stars" or points. Video games incentivise players by displaying the leaderboard.

In the world of work, can gamification make it easier to change? Gamification is unhelpful if people feel 'manipulated' or if they do not buy in to the rules. Games work when participants suspend their disbelief.

The Harry Potter stories work once the reader understands the "rules" of that world. They understand the terminology of "muggles", wizards and believe that such a world exists all around us. Only then does someone wish they could attend a school called Hogwarts where Wizards are trained. Constructing an elaborate make-believe world requires exceptional skills of imagination and scripting which most office games lack.

<Watch how elaborately an alternative reality is constructed for Hogwarts School of Magic>

What prevents people from changing

The reasons vary. Some people drag their feet without getting started ever. Some postpone it. Some people are just lazy when it comes to change. Knowing the specific barrier to change that is coming in the way can make the change easier. When I saw that list, I knew just where I struggle to change.

Why I am recommending this book

How to Change identifies seven human impulses, or 'problems', that commonly sabotage our attempts to drive change. Behaviour change has to be an on-going process that will have to be maintained over a length of time. It is not a headache that will go away.

I like the seven obstacles that are given as the seven chapters of the book. Pick the one that you identify as your biggest barrier to change. I can tell you that I read the chapter on forgetfulness with special interest. I am not alone. We forget nearly half of the information we’ve learned within twenty minutes. After twenty-four hours, about 70 percent of it is gone, and a month later, we’re looking at losses of approximately 80 percent.

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