This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 16, 2017 - October 22, 2017
We are all creatures of habit, comfortable with our daily routines. The reason for this is that we get a sense of fulfilment or reward with each activity — recognition and reward from our parents, friends and co-workers.
It starts early, when our parents compliment us for doing something right, teachers do the same and over the years, we are fed with the right type of encouragement. Our parents try to establish good habits and attempt to rid us of bad habits — nail biting, slouching, not finishing our food, not completing homework and so on.
I was intrigued to read that a US company, Behavioral Technology Group Inc, markets a device that uses an electric shock to break bad habits. It’s called a Pavlok. How does it work? Well you buy a rather expensive wrist device, like a Fitbit, and wear it on your wrist. When pressed, it delivers a low level electric shock to you. So, if you have a tendency to snack, bite your finger nails or your hair, you decide which habit you would like to stop and give yourself a shock every time you do it. Over time, the pain associated with the negative activity should make you stop. Interesting, right?
No discussion on habits is complete without a reference to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, who researched the science of habits. Habits, good and bad, are formed through what he calls the “action–reward” cycle. In simple terms, this means that I will continue doing an activity if I get a reward, the form of which can vary.
If regular exercise is important, most likely this habit was formed because of the consequential reward (increased strength or weight loss) or, for others, it could be a different type of reward — the opportunity to have a chat and coffee with gym buddies, or even a sweet snack that you can consume without feeling guilty. These are important rewards that help to form the habit through completion of the reward cycle. In short, we establish these habits through positive reinforcement. The same principle applies to the world of commerce.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) launched its Febreze odour buster in 1993. While it clearly worked, commercial sales were disappointing. Research revealed that people get accustomed to the odours they are exposed to, which means that people living in homes with bad or strong odours get used to them and do not find them objectionable.
Eventually, P&G discovered that while people did not notice the bad odours, the act of using the spray at the end of the cleaning cycle gave them the satisfaction of a task well completed. By adding a scent, P&G was able to create a new product that reinforced the “job well done” emotional reaction. Febreze was relaunched in 1998, and within months it was a hit, going on to become a US$1 billion product with several product extensions, including air fresheners and laundry detergents.
So, what does this have to do with millennials? For all of us, the habit of collecting information is a powerful one. Prior to the internet age, information was limited and cost money. Newspapers and magazines had to be purchased, hence, they were in limited supply. While this was a handicap in the search for information, it had a positive benefit by allowing the completion of the “action-reward” cycle.
Once the daily newspaper was read, we could pat ourselves on the back and say “well done”. We now know everything there is to know about the world yesterday. Even when studying. The only resources were the few books at the library. Once read and understood, that was it. There were no more resources to chase down or read and so the reward was always in sight and achievable.
That is not the case now, though, and I say that “millennials have it tough”. There is an endless supply of information on every conceivable subject. Websites, blog posts, videos — it seems there is no limit to how much time you can spend researching a topic and most of it is available for free.
Here’s the unfortunate consequence for millennials. When, then, do you get the positive affirmation required to complete the reward cycle? It’s tough to get to the “pat on the back” moment because it is simply impossible to consume all the content. Hence, some resort to blog posts and shout-outs as a means of getting fulfilment or recognition so they can close the reward cycle.
One should note that writing an internet blog, or getting published online is so easy today. This means the views of experts and commentators are treated equally. The situation was different before, when books and newspapers were the only publication options. Then, content generally went through a vetting process.
Today, it’s publish first, verify later, or even don’t bother. So, for millennials, not only do they have to wade through piles of information, they need to weed out stuff that is clearly false or poorly researched. So millennials, you are going to have to draw boundaries if you want to find fulfilment and complete the reward cycle. Hence, I say you have it tough!
Anwar Jumabhoy is an author and executive coach with a keen interest in entrepreneurship at all levels
Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.
P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's AppStore and Androids' Google Play.