Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Jason W. Womack for Entrepreneur magazine. To read the complete article, check out others, and obtain subscription information, please click here.

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Humans love routine. When it comes to achieving measurable goals, this means we tend to do what we’ve always done, how we’ve always done it, in the same order as always.

This also goes for our habits when working in teams. You’ve probably been working with your team long enough to feel like you know what to expect from them. You’ve developed habitual patterns in the way you interact together. And probably, the feeling is mutual. Maybe it’s time to shake up those impressions.

To be a better manager, it’s important to take risks and introduce needed improvements. This often means identifying what’s working and what needs improvement. Sometimes discovering those specifics is as simple as asking three questions:

o What habits have gotten you where you are today?

o What habits may be holding you back from reaching your next desired accomplishments?

o Is it time to ask for feedback?

Taking a close look at your habits provides wonderful insight into what has worked so far. It allows you to make conscious changes. My friend and mentor, Marshall Goldsmith, wrote a book with Mark Reiter whose title says it all: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There/strong>. What habits are you currently using that might be keeping you from reaching your next level of accomplishments?

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Jason W. Womack is founder of The Womack Company, a productivity-training firm based in Ojai, Calif. He is author of Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More (Wiley, 2012). He works with entrepreneurs as an advisor, coaching them to their next level of success.