Pursuits
Book Review: 'The Power of Habit,' by Charles Duhigg
Understanding and tweaking routines can lead to big, big profits
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The Power of Habit:
Why We Do What We Do and How to Change It
By Charles Duhigg
Random House; 371 pp; $28
When Alcoa introduced Paul O’Neill as its Chief Executive Officer in 1987, investors thought the new boss was pulling a prank on them. Standing on a stage, O’Neill did not speak about increasing market share or earnings forecasts. Instead, he pointed out the nearest emergency exits. “In the unlikely event of a fire or other emergency,” he said, “you should calmly walk out, go down the stairs to the lobby, and leave the building.” O’Neill’s sole focus that day was on how to make a habit of worker safety.