Old Is Not Proof

An appeal to tradition treats a practice as right because it has always been done. “We have always done it this way” can sound like a reason. On its own, it only tells you the practice is old.

Age can mean two things. A custom may have lasted because it works, tested by many people over many years. Or it may have lasted because no one has asked about it. Age alone cannot tell you which, so the reasons still have to be found.

The fair habit runs both ways. Before you drop an old practice, ask what it was for, since it may hold lessons nobody wrote down. Before you keep it, ask whether that reason still holds today.

The Friday meeting

A small office holds a two-hour meeting every Friday afternoon. When a new hire asks why, the answer is, “We have always had it.” Most people dread it.

The new hire asks the founder what it was first for. Years ago, it was the only time the whole team was in one room. Now everyone shares an online board. The team keeps a short Friday check-in for the part that still helps, and drops the rest.

Try this today Pick one habit you keep only because it is old, and write down what it was first for.

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