Rituals for a Better Culture. In Blackboard Fridays Episode 18, Jacob talks about Culture. Need this implemented into your business? Talk to the international business advisor who can do exactly that – Contact Jacob, Learn More, or Subscribe for Updates.

After Episode 6, where I encouraged business owners to put in place specific behaviours and rituals that were unique to their business, I had a few questions asking me to give examples.

In this week’s video, I deliver! (See, reply to your #BlackboardFridays emails at any time to join the conversation. I read them all.)

Now these 5 examples of great cultural rituals are definitely NOT recommendations for your business. They’re just the best examples I’ve found for how you can push the envelope with your culture, have a bit of fun, and as a result build an energised and loyal team.

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Since April 2006, I’ve been an international business advisor providing bespoke solutions for privately-owned businesses with 12-96 employees.

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Transcript

Back in Episode 6 of Blackboard Fridays, we talked about a framework and a structure for creating a winning culture. One of the questions I’ve gotten because of that was around the how, specifically “Can you share some real world, specific behaviors and rituals that you encourage businesses to use?”

And the answer is both yes … and no. No, I can’t share some rituals that I encourage businesses to us – because rituals in a culture are almost by definition unique and personalised to your business.

The idea is that your team (who are unique) have unique rituals, that make them feel like they belong. They don’t want to go and work for any other business and the right people will be attracted to work for your business because of those unique rituals.

But I’ve been asked to some examples so, yes, I’m going to share five examples here today.

5 Examples of Interesting and Extreme Culture Rituals in Business

These aren’t being shared with the view to you implementing these specifically in your business. I just wanted to take a few of the more interesting or extreme examples of cultural rituals that I’ve seen with my clients and my businesses to help you understand this is a real opportunity to push those boundaries and have a little bit of fun.

If you’d like some more complete (anonymous) examples, that include the more formal and mundane as well as these more interesting extremes, let me know and I will send you my little book of 5 Behavioural Storyboards.

#1 The Hobby Horse

Let’s go through number one, a Hobby Horse.

This is a real estate sales business. You may be aware that many sales businesses, and even sales teams, have a tradition of a Bell – whenever a salesperson signs a new deal, they ring the bell and it really energises the whole team. Everybody wants to be the person that gets the chance to ring the bell next.

Well, this real estate agency took it to another level. Instead of a bell, they have … a Hobby Horse. (The picture helps – this is the sort of thing you might buy for a child, and when you squeeze the ear it makes a sound like a horse). Instead of ringing a bell when they sign a new Contract of Sale… the salesperson is responsible for going out the back of the office, grabbing the Hobby Horse, squeezing that ear, and then riding it around the office until the noise has stopped.

They love it! I’ve only been on site once when the horse was brought out, and honestly it was fabulous.

Now – when I share that story a lot in the context of Culture Rituals, 9 times out of 10 people laugh at the story and think that would be way too crazy for them. One out of 10, they go looking for a Hobby Horse.

#2 Gentlemen’s Jackets

This is a business I worked with for many years and one of their traditions was that whenever they had a conference, whenever they brought the whole business together from across the country, they would have a formal sit-down dinner – gowns for the ladies, and gentlemen would wear a dinner jacket. (I never asked, but I assume they would be happy with people swapping those clothes – but if you showed up to the dinner in less formal attire you would not be admitted.)

As part of this ritual, they had a specific rule that gentlemen could not remove their jacket until the Chairman of the board had removed his jacket. The Chairman over time had changed (and again I’m sure they would have something similar with a female Chair but the situation had not arisen) but ever Chair had a whole lot of fun with this specific rule.

Through the evening, every time the chair stood up to grab a drink, or to mingle, or to use the bathroom… all eyes in the room would be on his jacket. And he would play with the unspoken awareness, stretch or reach into his pocket, while keeping his jacket on as long as possible knowing that every other man there was keeping an eye on them to see when they could take their jackets off. A good fun little thing and one that really brought us together.

#3 Swear Words

Some businesses have very strict policy about not swearing. I had one client that actually built into their Culture Strategy paper the rule that they were allowed to swear at work.

As I say, these aren’t recommendations, things that will apply for your business, but it was something that they felt was part of what made them special, and they wanted to solidify that.

When I run businesses through their Culture Storyboard, designing the culture I discussed in Episode 6, this is a step where I prefer the whole team be involved. The Directors may be the ones who set the WHY and the WHAT (Core Values), business is not a democracy though sometimes these are open to discussion as well. But the day-to-day behaviours, the things you want the team to hold themselves accountable to, are best created by the team.

And so I remember when this topic was raised and discussed. The owner was on board with it, and really it documented something already at play, but he was aware of the risk. He had recently hired a young school leaver on reception, and like any new (especially young) team member she hadn’t been too vocal through this discussion, so he asked her point blank: “Rachael, are you OK with this as a rule in your place of work?”

She looked at him like he had two heads, and just said “Fuck yes!”

I love my job sometimes.

#4 Date Night Ideas

How’s this for a little bit of fun? This business has a monthly team meeting and a roster, so that each person is responsible for one month out of six and has to come to that team meeting with an idea for a new date night experience.

It’s there for something that they, as individuals can take their partners on; it’s a little bit of fun; and it’s something that they then share with their clients as well so it’s a great conversation piece and the great way to keep them as a business engaged with their local community.

While I don’t attend those meetings, I’m told the examples are a mix of new restaurant openings, in particular new dessert places (which is why I’ve inserted a photo of Harmony and me out for gelati in Valencia), and upcoming concerts and events. I’ve suggested they add a section to their newsletters as well!

#5 Friday Bingo

You probably know I filmed these Blackboard Fridays videos in partnership with businessDEPOT in Brisbane, Australia; and number five was something we did there at the time – Friday Bingo.

Once a month, the multi-disciplinary team would get together on a Friday afternoon, knock off at half past four, have a few cold drinks … and play a game of bingo.

Now you might think that Bingo is a little bit old-school? A little bit naff? But it’s an awful lot of fun. It’s a great simple exercise that brings the whole team together in a casual way, have a little bit of fun. It’s one of those things that make us as a business unique and it’s something that our team enjoyed.

Importantly, it wasn’t a “top down” culture rule that the team feel forced to undertake with a fake smile. Friday Bingo developed organically from within the team, and became a cultural touchpoint.

Like all these rituals, it makes the team more engaged with the business, and that leads to all the benefits of a great culture – loyalty, extra contribution, and a whole lot more energy and motivation when they come into work.

Friday Bingo? Blackboard Fridays? That reminds me. Seventy-six, Seven and Six. Was my beautiful wife worth it?

Every Penny! 

Next Steps

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• Email me jacob@jacobaldridge.com (I read them all)
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