Example 1 — Retail cadence (how the pros do it)
Inditex/Zara runs on rhythm. Stores place orders multiple times per week; the business is built around that cadence—design → produce → ship → sell, again and again. It’s a habit + scoreboard, not a one-off push. That ritual forces decisions, trims waste, and creates weekly feedback.
Example 2 — “We can’t find the right factory” (stuck → moving)
A mid-size consumer brand in Barcelona spent 8 weeks spinning on where to invest for a new micro-factory. Vendor calls. RFQs. No decision.
They installed one habit:
Trigger: “Factory Friday” at 12:15—calendar block, same time every week.
Action (10–15’): Apply the 3–2–1 rule to the pipeline:
3 new candidates added → 2 RFQs sent → 1 site call/visit booked.
Scoreboard: One slide with totals (active vendors, RFQs out, next visits) + simple RAG status. Posted weekly.
Owner (DRI): Rotates weekly. The DRI closes loops and posts “what changed.”
4 weeks later: a costed shortlist of 4, two pilot runs scheduled, and a location decision date on the calendar. No new tool. Just a habit that kills drift.
THE HACK (15 minutes/week)
Pick one journey: brief→launch / hire→onboard / issue→resolution / site→go-live.
Run the 7-Minute Path Test: count H + A + L + F across the path
(Handoffs, Approvals, Logins, Forms) = your Friction Score.
Install the Habit Loop: Trigger → 10–15’ Action → Visible Metric → DRI.
Keep / tweak / kill after 4 weeks.
Rule: If it takes >15 minutes or needs a workshop, it’s not a habit.
Make change repeatable. Make progress weekly.