The Power of a ‘Project Beard’ and Other Office Rituals

According to new research from Harvard Business School and other universities, employees who engage in ritualistic behavior before taking on a difficult task tend to be less anxious, get more involved and also tend to perform better than those who don’t have a ritual.

At Salo, LLC, a wall-sized whiteboard that’s used for customer requests is visible to the entire team of employees and serves as “a center hub of activity,” according to Adam Sprecher, managing director.  Rituals like using whiteboards help employees to feel more engaged and involved in projects.

Other companies, like web-development company Spotted Koi, get more creative with rituals.  As a way to speed up work on a stalled project, Spotted Koi employees promised not to shave their faces or cut their hair until they finished the project.  Although it was uncomfortable, this gave them the motivation they needed to finish the project in a speedy manner.

To ensure group rituals don’t fall flat, it's important to make sure employees don’t view them as fake or paternalistic.  Rituals can boost employee confidence levels, create engagement, and ease the anxiety that many employees feel when faced with a challenge.

The Wall Street Journal, 6/24/13