Workplace Rituals

Ritual (noun) // Actions or words repeated by an individual or group that follow a similar pattern or script, imbued with symbolism and meaning.

-----

I have a confession to make: I love designing workplace rituals! Rituals are ancient, powerful ways to build group connections and enhance performance. We usually think about rituals in religious, sports, or military contexts. Only recently have business leaders discovered rituals' potential to sustain employee engagement and drive next-level business outcomes.

One of my favorite books on workplace rituals is "Rituals for Work" by Kursat Ozenc and Margaret Hagan. According to Ozenc and Hagan, rituals are powerful because they link the physical and emotional ways humans process information. They connect the mind and the body. The act of performing a ritual helps people feel satisfied and in control. They are "regulators": they help regulate emotions, keeping people calm; they regulate performance, helping people act in a steadier, more focused way; and they regulate our sense of belonging by giving people a sense of social connection.

Ozenc and Hagan have identified five workplace moments where rituals can be game-changers:

CHANGE + TRANSITION (adapting to new circumstances and upheavals)
CREATIVITY + INNOVATION (sparking better ideas and vision for change)
COMMUNITY + TEAM BUILDING (bonding people together to feel connected)
CONFLICT + RESILIENCE (dealing with problems and tensions)
PERFORMANCE + FLOW (helping people get focused, feel confident and productive)

The great — and sometimes frustrating — thing about a workplace's culture is that it's never done; it's always evolving. This makes workplace rituals invaluable business tools, because they also can and should evolve to adapt to new conditions. If your current culture is helping you meet or exceed your strategic goals, you can double down on the rituals propelling you to business success. If your current culture is working against you, you can spin up new rituals to start nudging it in the right direction. What will never work, however, is full-on "exporting" rituals from other contexts or companies without "translating" or tweaking them to be relevant and meaningful to your specific culture, context, and goals. Take a peek at my portfolio to learn about how and why I designed certain workplace rituals — and their impact.