Corporate rituals: vectors of bonding and commitment

Why are rituals essential in business?

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Structuring and giving meaning to the collective

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In the daily routine, one task follows another, and everyone is busy achieving their goals. Time flies, and it's easy to get caught up in the operational side of things and forget about "doing things together". So as not to lose the essence of the collective, it is essential to structure moments dedicated to reflection and sharing. And rituals fulfill this function perfectly.

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These methodically prepared, recurring moments of exchange bring the team to life, while fostering harmonious, high-performance collaboration.

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These moments also serve as a reminder of the company's values and culture. A well-thought-out ritual (whether it's a weekly workshop or an annual celebration) reflects what really matters to the organization, and strengthens employee commitment to its mission. The goal is achieved when people feel part of a community.

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Creating moments of human connection as a team

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However, structuring the collective is not enough if we don't recreate moments of genuine human connection. As hybrid work settles in over time, these moments become rarer and can easily be overlooked. Yet our gregarious instincts - that innate need to be part of a group - do not disappear. Corporate rituals therefore help to recreate these precious opportunities to maintain and nurture those interpersonal relationships that are invaluable for commitment to the company.

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Whether it's a virtual coffee, a collective brainstorming session or a team lunch, these rituals provide an opportunity for employees to meet, exchange ideas and share a moment outside the strictly professional framework.

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They respond to this fundamental need to belong, and enable employees to get to know each other in ways other than through their performance and job titles, thus forging bonds based on sincere interaction. These human connections reinforce not only cohesion, but also collaboration, as trusting relationships facilitate teamwork.

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Encouraging recognition and celebration

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Corporate rituals are also essential in providing a framework for recognizing and celebrating success. In the frantic race to reach targets, we can quickly miss out on important moments and fail to give sufficient recognition to our teams' efforts and progress. Rituals allow us to pause and celebrate successes, whether individual or collective.

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By incorporating these moments of recognition, the company creates an environment in which everyone feels supported and valued for their contributions. After all, who wouldn't want a toast to their achievements?

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What rituals should be adopted to structure and sustain a workgroup?

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You're now convinced of the importance of integrating rituals into your team life: the first step has been validated. But which rituals should you adopt? Unfortunately, there's no magic formula.

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Every organization has its own culture, and rituals need to adapt to it and to the specific needs of teams. The equation is unique to each structure, and we don't have a magic wand to make everything work the first time and without a hitch. However, here are a few types of ritual to try out when working on your collective: 

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Collaboration rituals

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Collaborative rituals are essential for strengthening team dynamics and improving communication and the transmission of information. Here are a few examples:

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• Regular stand-up meetings: each member shares his or her progress and objectives for the day or week. At Worklib, this takes the form of a "Ready, Set, Monday! This is our Monday morning hybrid meeting. We start with a convivial ice breaker, then finish with an open mic where everyone can express themselves freely.
  
  
• Virtual Cafés: Informal moments to discuss current projects or more personal matters. It's the ideal place for relaxed sharing and creating more sincere connections.
  
  

Celebration rituals

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As we told you a few lines back: celebrating progress and success, whether individual or collective, is essential for keeping employees motivated over the long term. Here are a few examples of such rituals:

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• Celebrating the end of a project: Take the time to recognize and celebrate the success of an important project... before moving on to new horizons.
  
  
• Annual corporate big party: An event to mark the year's major achievements and mark the end of a cycle. 

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Learning rituals

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Encouraging continuous learning is essential to keeping a team motivated and performing well. Some ideas:

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• Knowledge-sharing workshops: moments when employees share specific skills or experiences. Example: the tech team shares the basics of their trade with the marketing team.
  
  
• "Harvesting mistakes": A ritual where teams analyze past failures to learn from them and encourage risk-taking.

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These rituals enable teams to break out of their routine and nurture a culture of progress. It builds humility and the right to make mistakes!

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Innovation rituals

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Maintaining an innovation dynamic means creating regular opportunities for employees to explore new ideas.

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• Internal hackathons: events where teams work on innovative projects in a limited time. These are gamified times that allow everyone to surpass themselves! Brain-juice for the company.
  
  
• Creative workshops: Spaces dedicated to sharing original, sometimes zany ideas, to break out of the conventional framework of thinking and find original solutions.

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Wellness rituals

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Rituals are also often underestimated levers of well-being at work. They can be fully integrated into a QWL approach. Here are a few suggestions:

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• Sleep or meditation: Short nap or meditation sessions predefined in the diary that enable employees to refocus and reduce stress. These breaks boost concentration and productivity, while taking care of employees' mental health. Bonus: some companies are working on the subject and offering equipment to make these rest periods easier and more sacred. Discover here, a Quechua work tent!
  
  
• Shared sports activities: organize group sports sessions to enhance physical and mental well-being. This is exactly what Respire does: group jogging sessions are a way of uniting the team (and customers) around the company's sporting values. Very strong!

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This list of rituals to try out is by no means exhaustive. It's up to you to use your imagination to create collective times tailored to your organization, from the most classic to the most eccentric, such as an all-out Chifoumi contest - yes, it really does exist.

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Adapting rituals to the age of hybrid work: the key to success

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It's true that, listed like that, you think, "Great, I'll try them out! But it's not enough to have good ideas. We also need to make them accessible and inclusive for everyone, both at a distance and in the classroom. Adapting rituals to the reality of hybrid working requires choosing the right tools and thinking about flexible formats, capable of bringing employees together, regardless of their location.

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A good dose of creativity and personalization is needed to ensure that everyone feels involved, without these corporate rituals becoming a constraint. It's a delicate balance, but once it's found, these moments can really strengthen the collective and boost commitment.

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In an era where hybrid working has become the norm, rituals are much more than simple team routines: they are key allies in structuring and animating the collective while adapting to this new reality.

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<font size="-1">Nos sources</font>

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<font size="-1">(1) https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx </font>

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