What rituals will you create this year in your organization that will make an impact? That will change behavior, or that will bring your team together?

Whereas a habit is something an employee maintains and nourishes on an individual levek, a ritual is generally created, experienced and maintained on a team or departmental level.

A ritual can help employees

• to gain knowledge, e.g. by establishing the ritual of doing a debrief or retrospective after every project
• to celebrate successes or specific occations, e.g. by having drinks and food to
• to bond the team e.g. by creating a shared experience or by sharing insights

There are many good reasons for creating a team ritual – when on site or when working remotely.

Personally, I am a big fan of running virtual team lunches as a ritual: Define a date of the week when the team gathers for lunch.  I would suggest to making this an invite, not a demand. Start by sharing what you have brought to lunch and what’s the appetite or story behind (maybe you bring leftovers from the three course meal on Sunday, maybe you have tried a new bakery…whatever it is: make it personal). During the lunch break, discuss everything but work. Close by thanking everyone for having spent time together.

This will help the team to get to know each other better, to bond, and, as a result, to create trust.

What are your preferred rituals?

[Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels]