We recently wrapped up an interesting engagement for a utility company with some great results. We SUBSTANTIALLY increased our attendees targeted behavior (182% and a 157% increases) and MAINTAINED that change several months later.
Originally designed as a single 4 hour training event for their team’s all hands meeting in May, but, like many things, our training had to be rescheduled and re-envisioned due to the Coronavirus.
The new vision: 2 separate 2-hour training events held a few months apart. At each training, attendees would choose a specific behavior they wanted to be doing on a daily basis. After each training, we would begin our signature program, a 60 Day Habit Challenge, to give employees the opportunity to stick to a new behavior long enough to actually turn it into a habit.
July
We held the first training in July and focused on coronavirus prevention procedures and stress management strategies. Attendees worked on habits like exercise, stress management, technology boundaries, eating healthier, and wearing their masks.
The Results
The first training and challenge improved stress management skills precisely at a time when the pandemic was adding even more stress to employees’ lives. We discovered that managing stress was more than just a personal benefit. Many attendees reported that their habit helped them create boundaries between work and home that made them more productive and effective at work.
By the end of the 60 Day Challenge, they increased their targeted behavior on average by 182%. In a follow up survey 5 months later, they reported not only sticking with it but also being very confident they would continue to stick with it.
Success Story
My habit was to exercise for stress relief. Since working from home, I was sitting down all day on phone and suddenly it would be 5. I’d be exhausted. With exercising, I had energy again for personal things that were important to me, and it helped get out pent up stress. It also impacted work, and let me take a step back, gather my thoughts, prioritize, and be more patient with people. I used to feel like I didn’t have time to take a 20 minute break, but I realized that it gave me more energy and the chance to identify the priorities. I felt less frustrated and got one or two more hours of work done a week. Program Participant
October
For the second training and challenge, attendees focused on safe driving practices like back-in parking, avoiding distractions, keeping their eyes moving, and leaving more room between vehicles.
Participants had already been through extensive driving training over a period of years, so we designed the “Amazing(ly Safe) Race” as a gamefied training experience to remind attendees of the safe driving strategies they already knew and then provided them with the post training support to make it a regular part of their driving experience.
The Results
This was a clear case where knowledge wasn’t the problem. By the end of the 60 Day Challenge, they increased their targeted behavior by 152%. 3 months later, they reported they had stuck with this new behavior and were very confident they would continue to drive with this new safe habit. When employees have been trained but haven’t changed, that’s a clue that the missing piece is the post-training support.
Most participants reported that their new safe driving habit made them safer on the road helped them avoid potential incidents. One said, “There was at least one occasion on slippery roads in which this extra distance could have played a factor in eliminating an accident.”
Success Story
My habit was to avoid distractions. I would ask myself, “Am I fit to drive?” And repeat my mantra: “Driving time is driving time.” I put a notepad in the center console, so I could write down thoughts before I left. I find that now I leave earlier and arrive with a lot less stress. This has directly impacted my productivity. I’m less stressed when I arrive on site, so I’m more approachable and my thoughts are clearer. My messages are received better. I used to drive multi-hour work trips and not remember the trip. Now, I feel much less prone to accidents. Program Participant
In Conclusion
While the first event alone was successful, the second training gave employees the opportunity to hone their habit creation skills and master habit creation strategies. Many employees remarked that they already have used or will use these strategies for other areas.
“My overall takeaway is that you can do anything you set you mind to, but you gotta take it one step, one day at a time.” Program Participant
Download the full case study here: https://habitmasteryconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Case-Study.pdf