Breaking Bad Habits: Defy Industry Norms and Reinvigorate Your Business
Freek Vermeulen

Have you ever wondered why most newspapers are so large? Or why hotels still insist on having check-in desks? Ask anyone in these industries, and their answer will be the same: "That's the way we've always done it."

'Best practices' may be widespread, but that doesn't mean they're effective. It's very likely that best practices — ideas, processes, and strategies that are commonplace in your industry — are actually hurting your business.

Although best practices can help businesses operate more competitively and efficiently, they are often outdated, harmful, and a hindrance to innovation. The problem is, managers and executives are usually blind to the negative effects of best practices, so they don't question their purpose or measure their effectiveness. As a consequence, outdated or harmful practices spread and persist without their knowledge.

In Breaking Bad Habits, Freek Vermeulen, a strategy professor at London Business School, offers the tools to identify bad practices, eliminate them from your organisation, and move on to create new sources of innovation and growth by outthinking your competitors. Brimming with examples of norm-defying organisations in an eclectic range of industries, from IVF clinics to hotels, newspapers, and even a famous London theatre, Breaking Bad Habits will make you rethink your long-held beliefs about industry norms.