Big changes don’t always require big actions, sometimes, the smallest shifts make the greatest difference.
That was the central message shared during our most recent Guest Speaker Session with Dr. Naser Morina, a clinical psychologist, researcher and senior lecturer at the University of Zurich. With decades of experience in mental health, behavioural science and resilience, Dr Morina shed light on a topic that is often misunderstood: how meaningful, sustainable change actually happens.
The Habit Loop: A Framework for Real Change
Dr. Morina opened the session by explaining why people resist behavioural change, introducing the psychological mechanisms of behavioural change, and then focusing on unpacking the so-called habit loop: a model that explains how all habits follow the same four-stage cycle.
- Cue: the trigger that initiates the behavior (e.g., a phone notification)
- Craving: the desire for the reward (e.g., wanting social connection)
- Response: the behavior itself (e.g., checking social media)
- Reward: the outcome that reinforces the habit (e.g., feeling connected, dopamine hit)
This structure doesn’t just help explain why we do what we do, it offers a roadmap for how to rewire behaviors we want to change. Dr. Morina emphasized that the secret to transformation isn’t in willpower, but in small, intentional shifts, repeated with consistency.
Practice Makes Insight
To move beyond theory, Dr. Morina led us through a series of interactive activities that brought his ideas to life.
In one exercise, a teammate was designated as the “buyer”, but was instructed to reject anything offered to them. The rest of the team then took turns attempting to sell a fictional product to the buyer. Predictably, most of them focused on persuasive language, product features or pressure tactics. Then, Dr. Morina stepped in and flipped the script.
Rather than selling the product, he shifted the focus to creating a desire for it in the buyer.
The lesson? It’s not about pushing harder, it’s about understanding underlying motivation.
In another activity, we paired up to practise clear communication. One person described a printed drawing using short, non-repetitive phrases, while their partner attempted to recreate it without seeing the original or asking questions; they had to rely on active listening alone.
This exercise demonstrated that people interpret information differently based on language, experience and assumptions. It emphasised just how important precision, clear instructions, guidance, and perspective are for effective collaboration.
The Takeaway
“Big results don’t require big moves. They require small steps done with consistency,” Dr. Morina reminded us.
His session offered more than a theory of change; it provided practical insights into shifting behaviours, improving communication, and growing intentionally.
We’re grateful to Dr. Morina for sharing his time, expertise, and energy with our team and for reminding us that the best kind of progress often starts small.