“A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, but not defined, by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism, and performance.” (from Wikipedia)
One of the characteristics of high-performing individuals and teams are specific rituals they create to “attach” meaning and psychological preparation to functional tasks.
A police officer friend tells me that every morning he puts on his uniform is a ritual to get his head into the right place to be effective. He buttons his shirt from bottom to top because it helps him stand tall. He gives his badge and name plate a quick polish to remind him what he stands for. He carefully checks the snap on his pistol holster to reinforce the requirement to keep lethal force under control.
Moms develop morning routines for young children to help them get everything organized and launch into the day. Teachers greet students at the beginning of class and send them out with a repeated phrase. Soldiers go through their checklists before battle, and a comm check becomes an opportunity to affirm “we’re together in this.” Many businesses have rituals associated with starting or ending a meeting, when a new person onboards, and when the company hits a big objective.
Many families have rituals for birthdays and special events. I know of families which only eat certain foods on holidays, or always go out together to see a movie on January 1st. I grew up in a family that had red plates for the birthday person to use at meals. My wife designated “backwards” meals on birthdays – we started with dessert first. My dad used to tell me “Be a Brooke” – meaning uphold the family honor of hard work and truthfulness – when he dropped me off at events, and when he sent me off to college.
Rituals can also guard against our worst tendencies. I knew a coworker who identified a telephone pole about midway from his home to the office. When he headed home from the office, he mentally took all the work stuff in his head and stowed it in an imaginary bag hung on that telephone pole. He picked up the contents again as he drove to the office. This helped him be truly present at home with his family.
Rituals are more than habits and traditions. They have psychological power to help us perform our best.
Give some thought to what rituals you can create for yourself and your team. Creating new rituals sets you apart as a leader.
