Small Tasks, Big Impact: Building Safer Pool Habits

Building a Culture of Consistency with HydroApps

We all know what habits are and many of us participate in setting, tracking, and examining our own personal habits but what about daily work-related habits? How can small tasks have big impacts in our aquatic operations. And how can we motivate our team to see the value of habits? Let’s discuss! 

First, a bit of the science behind habits. Habits follow a loop: cue → routine → reward. This is called the habit loop. For example, a notification (cue) prompts you to check your phone (routine), and the dopamine hit from seeing a message (reward) reinforces the behavior.

With HydroApps, it works similarly:  

Cue: You notice the time and it serves as a reminder that it’s time to log your pool’s daily chemical readings.  

Routine: You open the app and quickly enter the readings.  

Reward: You get a satisfying confirmation that the data is saved, plus the peace of mind that your pool is compliant and safe for swimmers. 

Over time, seeing that reminder triggers the automatic behavior of logging your readings, making it a consistent habit for your facility team. Daily habits poolside have an impact. Small, consistent actions can lead to a compounding effect of good habits and these small tasks serve as micro-preventions.  

There are dozens of examples of small daily tasks that improve safety, some of the ones your team tracks in HydroApps daily include: 

• Water quality checks 

• Patron and guest attendance 

• Hazard checks 

• Visual lifeguard zone checks 

• Equipment readiness 

• Signage and rule checks 

The art of habit forming can get a bad rap, but luckily for us, breaking them is harder than creating them. Since habits are automatic behaviors, we’re able to help form them through repetition. This is why we love checklists, inspections, forms, and daily pool test data input – it’s repeatable! Research suggests it takes on average 66 days to form a new habit, though it can range from 18 to 254 days depending on the complexity of the behavior. This is a great tidbit to keep in mind when we consider that our team members are rotating in and out of their shift, roles, and locations so it may take even more time to find the flow. Luckily for us, environment shapes habits more than willpower. Unfortunately, this is also why shortcuts are contagious among our team! 

On an individual level, we’re able to work with our team members regarding habit building. Habits influence identity. According to James Clear (author of Atomic Habits), building habits that align with the identity you want is more sustainable than focusing solely on outcomes. Instead of just setting a goal like, “I want to log all incidents and maintenance correctly,” a lifeguard can focus on the identity behind the habit: “I am a reliable and safety-focused lifeguard.” When that identity is reinforced, logging incidents, checking chemical readings, and completing pre-shift safety checks become natural extensions of who they are, not just tasks to complete. Over time, these habits feel automatic because they align with the lifeguard’s sense of self rather than just an external goal. Dopamine plays a key role in reinforcing habits, creating pleasure in repeating behaviors, even if they’re small or mundane. Don’t overlook the power of celebrating, rewarding (remember: cue → routine → reward), and coaching around daily habits and accountability.  

Why Habit Stacking Works  

Habit stacking works because your brain already recognizes an existing habit as a cue, making it easier to attach a new behavior. Small, repeated actions build momentum, and over time, the new habit starts to feel automatic. To make it effective, start small by stacking micro-habits, be specific so the habit is easy to remember, focus on one new habit at a time, and track your progress to reinforce consistency. Here are some examples: 

1. Opening Checklist & Deck Walk 

• Cue: Staff clock in for their shift. 

• Routine: Complete the pre-shift checklist and walk the deck to inspect equipment, pool conditions, and safety hazards. 

• Reward: Everyone starts the shift confident that the facility is safe and ready for swimmers. 

• Habit Stack Idea: Pair the deck walk with pre-shift huddles once the inspection is done, gather for quick safety reminders and role-specific updates. 

2. Pre-Shift Huddles 

• Cue: Staff clock in for their shift. 

• Routine: Gather for quick safety reminders or role-specific updates. 

• Reward: Everyone starts the shift informed and on the same page. 

• Habit Stack Idea: Pair huddles with opening pool checks, when you do one, you automatically do the other. 

3. Documentation Discipline 

• Cue: End-of-shift routine. 

• Routine: Log incidents, maintenance, or swim tests consistently in HydroApps. 

• Reward: Peace of mind knowing all records are accurate and complete. 

• Habit Stack Idea: Combine with cleaning or locker checks, one routine triggers the other automatically. 

You can create habit stacking for dozens of day-of tasks, some other favorites include: 

• Down-Rotation Locker Room Walk: After I finish checking the pool deck, I will do a down-rotation walk of the locker rooms to ensure safety and cleanliness. 

• Chemical Checks: After I complete a deck walk, I will log chemical readings in HydroApps. 

• Equipment Check: After I clock in, I will inspect all rescue equipment (tubes, backboards, AEDs). 

• Pre-Swim Test Setup: After reviewing daily schedules, I will set up swim test station for swimmers. 

• Trash & Debris Round: After each hour, I will do a quick round picking up trash or debris around the pool deck. 

• Facility Maintenance Log: After finishing a deck walk, I will record any minor maintenance issues in HydroApps. 

• Lifeguard Rotation Check-In: After arriving at my next guard station, I will check in with the guard rotating out to confirm coverage and readiness. 

• Safety Signage Check: After setting up lounge chairs, I will inspect that all safety signage is visible and intact. 

• First-Aid Station Check: After performing a deck sweep, I will ensure first-aid kits and AEDs are stocked and accessible. 

• Guest Flow Observation 

• After completing chemical readings, I will spend 5 minutes observing how guests move through the facility to spot potential hazards. 

• Lost & Found Sweep: After closing a rotation of slides or attractions, I will check the lost & found and log items. 

• End-of-Day Lockdown Routine: After logging all incidents and maintenance, I will do a final walk to ensure all gates are locked, equipment is stored, and the facility is secure. 

Ever notice how seeing someone yawn, bite their nails, or check their phone can trigger the same behavior in you without realizing it? That’s because habits can be caught! Lean into this pop psychology tip and reward the environmental benefits of habits being contagious. Building systems around habits can make them part of your team’s routine. Incentivizing consistency with recognition or small rewards helps staff be positively influenced by collective workplace culture but also be sure to train your team to value and enjoy habits. They are a win-win as an employee. Use these favorite facts as a way to discuss habits, how you use HydroApps to maintain best practices and behaviors, and how they can develop personally and professionally with habit optimization. Our brains love shortcuts. Once a habit forms, your brain can perform it almost without thinking, freeing up mental energy for other tasks. 

Learn how HydroApps helps your team build safer, smarter daily habits.

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