The Secret Influence of Organizational Customs in the Workplace
Workplace rituals have a significant impact on employees' psychological safety, sense of purpose, and performance, according to a recent article published in Harvard Business Review (HBR) in 2022 titled "The Hidden Power of Workplace Rituals."
### The Impact of Workplace Rituals on Psychological Safety, Purpose, and Performance
Rituals that promote open communication and normalize discussions about stress and mistakes help create safe environments where employees feel respected and supported. This, in turn, deepens trust and encourages innovation.
Rituals that align with organizational values and allow teams to co-create norms give employees clarity about what success looks like and why their work matters. When rituals reinforce meaningful social norms and celebrate contributions, employees experience a stronger connection to the company purpose and mission.
Rituals that reduce burnout, promote work-life balance, and create predictable, inclusive social interactions improve employee well-being and productivity. Encouraging regular breaks, vacations, and mental health support through rituals signals that the organization values sustainable performance over endurance or busywork.
### How Leaders Can Effectively Implement Supportive Rituals
1. Model and Embed Values in Rituals: Leaders must live the company’s core values in daily practices, not just communicate them. This includes holding themselves accountable and ensuring frontline managers reinforce inclusive, psychologically safe behaviors.
2. Create Healthy Social Norms Through Co-Creation: Engage teams in developing rituals that reflect shared values, such as starting meetings with check-ins or gratitude rounds, celebrating small wins, or collectively reflecting on norms. Regular "norm reflection" sessions can keep culture aligned and adaptive.
3. Normalize Mental Health Discussions and Support: Rituals can include scheduled times for open conversations on well-being and mental health or structured breaks during workdays for mindfulness and decompression. Offering visible and accessible mental health resources further embeds care for psychological safety.
4. Address Societal Issues Through Inclusive Practices: Incorporate rituals that acknowledge diversity and intersectionality—such as cultural awareness days, inclusion check-ins, and equity-focused storytelling—to foster a sense of belonging for all identities. Leadership training on empathy and inclusion ensures these rituals support a broader societal mandate within the organization.
5. Use Rituals to Build Trust in Virtual or Hybrid Settings: For remote teams, virtual rituals like regular informal video calls, virtual coffee breaks, or team-building activities help maintain interpersonal connections and psychological safety.
### Summary Table: Rituals’ Impact and Leader Actions
| Aspect | Impact of Rituals | Leader’s Role in Implementation | |-------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | Psychological Safety | Encourage openness, reduce stigma around mistakes and mental health| Model vulnerability, reward learning, coach managers on empathy | | Sense of Purpose | Clarify values, co-create norms, celebrate contributions | Engage teams in ritual design, reinforce alignment with purpose | | Performance | Reduce burnout, promote work-life balance through breaks and resources | Set clear expectations, provide mental health benefits, encourage rest | | Societal Issues & Inclusion | Foster belonging by acknowledging diversity and intersectionality | Lead with empathy, create inclusive rituals reflecting social values | | Virtual Connection | Build trust and connection in remote settings | Establish virtual social rituals to nurture relationships |
By embedding supportive workplace rituals that address both individual well-being and broader societal issues, leaders can cultivate resilient cultures where employees feel safe, purposeful, and motivated to perform at their best.
Rituals that specifically focus on mental health, such as scheduled discussions or mindfulness breaks, can promote employee well-being and boost productivity, further emphasizing the importance of healthcare and wellness in the workplace.
The implementation of rituals that emphasize financial responsibility, like budget meetings or savings challenge initiatives, demonstrates a business's commitment to employee development and sound financial leadership within the organization.
By regularly conducting leadership workshops on topics like mental health, diversity, and inclusion, executives can ensure that workplace rituals align with current best practices and contribute to a more inclusive and cohesive workplace culture.
