A Brief Overview of Corporate Rituals
To demonstrate the importance of ritual, the coronation of King Charles III on May 6th will take place at Westminster Abbey, where monarchs have been crowned since William the Conqueror in 1066. The ceremony will include anointing, homage-paying, oath-taking, and various processions. Although this behavior may seem unusual in any other context, the alchemy of tradition will instead evoke a sense of continuity and shared history.
Rituals are also prevalent in corporate life. While there is nothing quite as bizarre as a coronation, some CEOs may enjoy the idea of robes and a throne. However, companies have their own ceremonies and rites. Some are internal, such as the repetitive rhythms of performance reviews and weekly meetings, budget processes, and farewell cards. Others are more public, such as investor days and conference calls with analysts. The pandemic has given rise to a host of new customs, from regular events designed to entice people into the office to dedicated times of the week devoted to concentrated work.
Business rituals can arise spontaneously, such as informal office games like bingo for when the boss uses their favorite jargon. They can also be entirely private. There is no rule stating that a business traveler must check the minibar upon entering a hotel room, feel absurdly pleased if the hotel manager has written a welcoming letter, or immediately eat all the fruit on a plate. Yet, all of these actions seem ordained.
2023-05-04 08:07:10
Article from www.economist.com