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Rituals have been part of civilization for thousands of years with social rituals providing emotional comfort and belonging, group cohesion and to practice solidarity. Simply said, they shape and bind a society together.

This evolves by combining a sequence of 'ritual' activities involving words, gestures, actions and sometimes revered objects. Their purpose is varied and can include strengthening social bonds, supporting the emotional needs of followers or fulfilment of religious ideals or obligations.  

Rituals do matter! 

They influence our behaviours playing a part in our everyday lives, by providing purpose, direction and connection. 

Just think about it! Most of us are creatures of habits, with regular rituals. For some, its a morning coffee and reading the paper, while others, such as sport stars, have rituals, routines and habits on game day to help them prepare.  Births, Weddings, Funerals, Festivals and seasonal ceremonies are examples of social rituals we observe. 

It's no different in the Workplace there are existing rituals but there is the scope to create new ones!

• A workplace is described as a community of people working towards a common goal, and like other communities uses rituals to help build rapport, stay aligned, and improve motivation.  
• Workplace rituals designed to increase employee engagement when followed by the team have the power to influence and positively impact outcomes.  Rituals boost company culture as they make employees feel more connected to their colleagues and the organization.

What are Workplace Rituals and Why do they Matter – The Benefits! 

Workplace rituals include:

• gatherings, like Team Meetings
• award presentations
• Leadership Workshops
• birthday milestones
• ‘set’ Staff Friday lunch dates

Rituals matter because they can:   

• shape, define and build company culture 
• help during times of change and uncertainty 
• boost focus and increase creativity
• help recognise your Team
• motivate and unite Teams to excel
• provide opportunities to come together  

The Benefits:

• allow us to network
• interact with our peers
• share experiences
• build connections and relationships.
• to be part of and engage in a special occasion.  
• foster organisational positive behaviours and citizenship  

Rituals have the power to positively impact the Workplace by: 

• promoting unity and bonding 
• creating a sense of belonging and increases perception of value
• building self-esteem and self-worth
• increasing employee engagement
• creating connections that help staff find meaning in their respective roles 
• creates opportunities for peer recognition

The Psychological Benefits of Rituals: 

‘Rituals support psychological safety and purpose which leads to increased performance’, according to the Harvard Business Review 

3 Ways to Create and Cultivate Rituals in Your Workplace to Boost Employee engagement 

1. Design Meeting Rituals to build relationships:

• Welcome new staff in a special way
• Schedule regular Team Meetings and Events
• Acknowledge birthdays and special occasions, end of year functions and farewells

 2. To celebrate success: 

• Promote ‘Employee of the month’. Reward individual achievement. And award a ‘trophy’, something that is symbolic and has meaning to the group
• Bring the Team together to acknowledge success 
• Reward milestones reached, targets met, and results achieved. Acknowledge with certificates or vouchers, gifts of appreciation 

 3. To promote Growth: 

• To promote a ritual for positive learning conduct evaluation processes for completed projects. Include Lessons Learned, to identify what worked well and what are areas for improvement. Constructive discussion and feedback undertaken this way provides a de-personalised approach to ‘failure’ or poor outcomes.
• Lunch & Learn Workshops, schedule these monthly or quarterly. Workshops that promote sharing, sharing of ideas, skills and brainstorming. Identify topics of interest and invite topic specific specialist speakers. 

Don't wait, start creating and cultivating powerful Rituals in your Workplace!

 Takeaway Message: 

Create Rituals to foster inclusion for all.

Culture is described as ‘the way we do things around here’. In Workplaces, it means certain actions, activities and behaviours  associated with rituals and practices, that is; how work is organized and who makes things happen and how and the rituals that go with being part of the culture.  

 Just as workplace culture can create strong bonds and cohesion between people it has the ability and power to exclude some. 

3 Tips to make your Workplace inclusive:

1. Plan and design activities recognising diversity and difference  
2. Acknowledge and harness the strengths of all in the group
3. Leverage the knowledge and experiences of the ‘broader’ cross-section of the team to better connect the Business to a wider range of its customers