Using Micro-Behaviors to Reduce Risk and Improve Execution
The Green Path - Simple Robot Block Series
Teaching a toddler to brush their teeth at all, let alone reliably, is a lower level of hell. Training my daughter at that age was received with a “sure” with zero compliance. Training my son was received with a solid no. A two minute micro-behavior quickly morphed into stalking and nagging scenario with my daughter and a 30 minute fight with my son.
It was like taking parental executive function and lighting it on fire.
There are better ways.
If the stage of skill acquisition is in the Simple Robot block, which is following explicit coaching, then clear recipes are key. But there are different recipes depending on the need. Last week we talked about procedural recipes for the less common but complex tasks. This week we’re talking about micro-behavioral recipes for the tasks that are done by habit all the time.
In terms of the teeth brushing for toddlers, there were some critical actions necessary to make a successful micro-behavioral recipe.
Clear Use Flag
The old behavior in this case was simply not doing it. So this is a new and potentially scary behavior to a toddler; not to mention the perception of replacing playtime with a torture device. The key with my son was to tie it in to a morning sequence. We do five things every morning, and the first is “wake up” … yay for Frog and Toad. He can’t fail to wake up, so it works as a great habit to tie new behaviors to.
Step by Step Instructions
In the case of a toddler, the step by step instructions were physical artifacts. Every morning, the music-playing toothbrush, the foamy toothpaste, and the sticker board were on the sink. And the recipe was always “put toothbrush in mouth, turn it on, dance to the music until done, wash it out.” While workplace recipes are more likely to have written out instructions, never underestimate the value of simple pictures. Think about the pictures on bins for recycle versus garbage! That’s a great example of clear instructions for a micro-behavioral change on a societal level.
Metrics
The important feature of this kind of metric is that it’s trackable. Whether it’s a toddler putting up a sticker on the wall, a project manager pulling an In Progress card over to Done, or a developer tagging a commit in source control, the micro-behavior needs to be trackable.
When and Why Would I Use a Micro-Behavior?
Micro-behaviors are perfect for:
Tasks that are done by habit all the time.
Tasks that do not have dependencies. At least for the micro-behavioral recipe, nobody should have to perform another separate action as a result of the new behavior.
Tasks that have the same name or perceived action, but result differently depending on that individual’s proficiency. For example, “write an assertion in a unit test” will show up differently between a junior and senior engineer.
Many micro behaviors are hygiene factors. They aren’t sexy or fun, but they always reduce risk.
Whether it’s a pilot’s checklist, using your IDE for refactoring, or a toddler brushing their teeth, these are all grounded in developing precise tiny behaviors that are done over and over.
Big Picture Context
This newsletter is about providing practical applications for The Green Path, my model for acquiring skills or creating change effectively and at scale. This month we’re focusing on Block 2: The Simple Robot. This is the phase where people are eager, experimenting, and hungry for direction. Recipes are perfect tools for providing that guidance when it matters most.
