Breaking Old (Strategic) Habits: When ‘Good Enough’ is Not Enough

“If the code works, don’t touch it!”

Said every programmer and engineer. But is that something that a CEO would say? We hope not!

However, there are many examples of old habits ruining brands. For example, the fairy tale that has already been long forgotten. Here’s what we mean:

Before TikTok, there was Facebook. Before Facebook, there was MySpace.

In 2003, MySpace reached 1 million users within 20 days of its launch, and by 2006, it was the most visited website in the US. How did such success cease to exist so easily?

Well… old habits.

MySpace was an innovator with its customization options. Everyone could express their individuality and connect with like-minded people. Its capabilities also allowed emerging musicians to share their work without needing record labels.

All was bread and butter until Facebook came to the play. Throughout the years, consumer demands have evolved. It was no longer enough to provide a space for you. People needed real close connections with their friends, families, and mates.

Facebook was attractive because it allowed users to build their most authentic online identity. On top of that, its easy-to-use design, social feed, and real-time updates made it easy for people to return to the platform repeatedly.

While Facebook grew along with consumer demands, MySpace stayed still. They were waiting for the trends to return, hoping their user base would appreciate the app's initial idea.

In 2008, Facebook surpassed MySpace in users, marking its future decline. MySpace tried to climb back, but its efforts were unsuccessful because of an identity crisis, slow innovation, financial challenges, and a declining reputation due to slow loading and frequent crashes. They became too hyper-focused on the audience they knew — musicians and content creators. And that limited their ability to adapt to broader audience demands.

As of October 2024, MySpace is in a read-only mode, with most images broken and existing songs unable to be played.

All in all - this is the power problem of old habits. They get you to initial success but can’t stretch you beyond it. To keep succeeding and growing, you need to reinvent the wheel continuously. 

It’s simple. 

Our brains are made up of a network of neurons. Let’s say they are highways. Whenever you take a familiar highway, you get from point A to point B quickly, efficiently, and stress-free. With each trip, your confidence grows, and the satisfaction reinforces your decision to use that same road again and again.

This is why they say dopamine is never a good advisor.

The more you drive on these well-worn highways, the more automated the behavior becomes. Over time, it gets so ingrained in your routine that imagining a different path feels nearly impossible.

And that’s the problem — getting off these highways into unknown territory can feel scary, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable.

But that’s exactly what building new habits requires: stepping out of your comfort zone.

When you decide to take a new road, your brain resists. It tricks you, urging you to go back to what’s familiar, to what feels safe and comforting. If you resist the temptation, your brain must work harder, leaving you tired and drained because it’s adapting to the change.

Stress, overwhelm, and even discouragement may kick in. That’s cortisol talking — the stress hormone that resists change and makes you doubt the new direction.

As you pave this new road, emotional responses can arise. You might start questioning: Is this safe? How risky is this? Should I go back?

To make matters more challenging, new habits don’t come with instant rewards. Dopamine — the feel-good chemical — isn’t there to encourage you like it does with old habits. This means you must push yourself harder to stick to the new path.

This is the toughest phase: when you’re so close to giving up and retreating to the old ways, even if the change is ultimately better. But if you persevere, you’ll see the reward.

Changing old habits — whether in life or business strategy — requires tremendous willpower, bravery, and support from others.

That’s why you need to prepare a solid action plan to guide you through the process and ensure you stay on track.

Reading this article means you’re ready to start forming new strategic habits. You feel something’s off, but you're unsure where to start and how to get the whole team on board.

Let’s face it — change is hard. Letting go of old habits takes effort, and the uncertainty can feel overwhelming. But here’s the truth: it’s doable, and the rewards are worth it. With the right steps and tools, you can navigate this transformation successfully.

We can help! Follow the steps below:

Step 1: Review your current strategy management process and progress

Old habits often go unnoticed until the decline is visible. Begin with an honest assessment of your current strategy management practices. Ask yourself and your team:

• Are our strategies truly effective, or are we just used to them?
• Are we able to adapt quickly to market changes?
• Do we have clear insights into our progress and outcomes?

Use our strategy management scorecard to see what areas you need to prioritize. Download it for free.

Pro tip: Host a strategy review workshop with the leadership team to identify outdated processes and areas where your teams feels stuck. To accelerate the review process, use StrategyAI to upload business documents and receive instant, data-driven feedback. Its AI-powered insights help you spot outdated processes faster.

Step 2: Research your way through the change

One of the biggest challenges when building new habits is the fear of the unknown. The best way to overcome this is to become familiar with your competitors, customers, and market demands. Knowledge and clarity bridge the gap between old and new ways.

• Task your leaders with specific research responsibilities.
• Make it clear that your organization needs a change and that change should bring tangible results.
• Research results must bring actionable insights.

Pro tip: Use AI research and evaluation tools to speed up competitor analysis, customer surveys, and technology research. Then, turn to StrategyAI’s built-in evaluation tools for competitor analysis and customer insights. See where you stand and where you should go.

Step 3: Start small and build up

Big changes can feel overwhelming, so start with manageable, high-impact actions. Evaluate your research findings and commit to testing three strategic hypotheses with the highest potential to drive meaningful change. These hypotheses often form the foundation for new habits.

Pro tip: To speed up the way you plan, execute, and adapt, it’s best to adopt technology to guide you through each process with confidence. This will paralyze emerging doubt and confusion in the initial stages. StrategyAI is the first AI-powered strategy management software to back you up while forming new strategic habits.

Step 4: Redesign the environment to support new habits

Your surroundings heavily influence your behavior. To create lasting change, redesign your environment to empower everyone to adopt the new way of managing strategy. This starts with clear communication, alignment, and equipping your team with the tools they need to succeed.

• Connect your strategy with actionable goals that are easy to follow and measure.
• Select critical KPIs to monitor and evaluate progress.
• Hold regular team check-ins for progress updates and alignment.
• Visualize your strategic progress to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Reward positive behaviors that reinforce new habits.
• Address roadblocks to make the new path easier to follow.

Pro Tip: Implement an always-on collaborative process with constant feedback loops. Actively listen to your teams and address challenges as they arise. This continuous engagement ensures everyone stays motivated and aligned with the new approach.

Step 5: Celebrate progress and reward efforts

Remember how we mentioned that old habits thrive on dopamine rewards? While new ones don’t naturally provide the same satisfaction, you can still help your teams transition.

• Celebrate small milestones and wins.
• Spotlight positive examples of the new habits kicking in. 
• Share insights on how the new approach has improved performance.

Pro tip: Business success often relies on data-backed decisions. When performance data reflects positive trends, even challenging new habits can integrate into your company’s culture. Consistently share data-driven insights to uplift your teams and reinforce motivation. Quantive StrategyAI provides real-time insights to help you stay aligned with business goals and keep your team focused on achieving lasting success.

Step 6: Encourage leadership to lead by example

Change begins at the top. Leaders must adopt new habits for the rest of the organization to follow. The best way to keep your teams motivated and pushing through challenging times is to lead them by example.

• Ensure leadership uses the tools and processes they promote.
• Communicate regularly about the importance of change and the organization’s progress.
• Show how these new habits seamlessly integrate into a leader's daily responsibilities.

Pro tip: Regularly share leadership updates on how they act on new habits to achieve better outcomes. When leadership visibly engages in tracking and adapting strategy, it inspires teams to follow along.

Step 7: Monitor and adapt

Old habits can creep back if you’re not alert. Watch for old patterns and course-correct in time. It’s easy to fall back to the old ways. As you already know, it doesn’t require much effort. That’s why you need to initially put in extra work to get your people on track.

• Encourage feedback from the team on what’s working and what isn’t.
• Provide feedback when you see old patterns creeping up. 
• Empower and enable your teams when you see them stumble on roadblocks.

Pro tip: Oversee all strategic aspects of your business with the help of StrategyAI - your single source of truth for all strategic initiatives. Supervise new strategic habits, address challenges, and adapt to changes as quickly as ever.

While "good enough" may bring temporary success, continuous innovation and the courage to abandon outdated habits are the keys to long-term growth.

Breaking old habits requires effort, clear communication, and a supportive environment. Thankfully, with modern tools like Quantive StrategyAI, the process is faster and less painful than ever.

Think about it: 10 years ago, how long would it take to shift your strategy? Now, you can pivot in a few days, not weeks or months.

Ready to change your old strategic habits? Contact us today to learn how Quantive can help your organization achieve its goals faster, smarter, and more efficiently.