A cold winter morning. Queue for coffee at the AMT concession in the railway station.  In front the person asks for “a small cappuccino to take away” .  They only do one size and only takeaway.  The person after me says “a cappuccino with sweeteners”.  “We only do one size, and do you have your own sweetener for us to add?”.  Me: “A cappuccino, no sugar, with chocolate sprinkles”.  “OK, coming up.”

Not clever.  Just, I have been trained.  I know the ritual.  Familiarity breeds easy. But ingrained rituals can hinder innovation.  Keeping the familiarly/freshness balance alive is key.

Tags: behaviour, change, innovation, leadership, organisation