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Guest post by: Lee Colan Become an Author

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The country’s royalty lined up, side by side, dressed in their full regalia and crowns that identified their region. They stepped forward to pay homage to the leather treasure that is symbolic of their common bond.

The king then handed the leather treasure to one of his compatriots, who proceeded to swiftly deliver it to his fellow citizens from his region who were seated quite some distance from him. However, the other royal family did not seem to be cooperating in the delivery.

When the leather treasure was finally delivered, some of the citizens expressed their appreciation with applause and cheers while others shook their heads in disappointment.

What ritual have I just described?

…A football team scoring a touchdown.

As illustrated in my book, Passionate Performance, our rituals create the fabric of our culture, and they are critical for defining connections within our teams. Once we establish deeply ingrained team rituals, we view them as “the way we do things around here.”

We can create rituals around recognition, performance, accomplishments, service, learning, etc. Whatever form the ritual takes, it creates connections. Effective rituals connect our team members to each other and to the leader. Select rituals that fit your style and the chemistry of your team. It has to feel comfortable and natural to be effective.

Team rituals can be as simple as: celebrating birthdays; hosting social events; ringing a bell when a big sale is made; or just sharing a proud moment at the beginning of every staff meeting or at the dinner table. Remember, team rituals must be performed with 100% reliability to yield their maximum benefit. If you have Friday night pizza night at your house, but you miss doing it every other week, then it’s not really a ritual.

My wife is great at building rituals that connect the Colan team. One of my favorites is a rite of passage ritual. On each child’s 12th birthday he or she gets to select any city in the continental U.S. for a special trip with just mom and dad. It’s a special time with that child, is viewed with great expectancy and is filled with wonderful memories. Another ritual is that on the same August weekend for the past 15 years we have taken our children to the Ringling Brothers’ circus. My 15 year old son is getting to the point where this could be viewed as less than cool. However, what has become a lifelong family ritual for him creates meaning and keeps him fully engaged (plus, it is The Greatest Show on Earth). As for my wife and me – we are kids at heart and would probably go even without our children!

Yum! Brands is the world’s largest restaurant company that includes Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Slivers, A&W and others. To start each staff meeting, they all do the YUM! cheer, and it’s an honor to be asked to lead it. Everyone participates, every time, with everything they have! Trust me, I’ve been a guest during a meeting and have done the cheer, myself. Sound corny? Not at all. It is an energizing and fun way to connect a team and start a meeting… a powerful ritual!

During stressful times at Maritz Performance Improvement Co. in Missouri, leaders use the "Thanks a Bunch" award. Someone brings in a bunch of flowers to give a hardworking employee, who keeps one flower and a thank you card but passes on the remaining bunch to another performer who, in turn, repeats the process. At the end of the day, they collect all the cards and draw for prizes.
Take a moment to connect your team – whether it’s your home team, your work team, your volunteer team - with something fun, easy and meaningful. Keep it simple. Start with just one ritual, stick to it and don’t compromise it.

A good team achieves its goals, but a connected team defines itself by helping each member succeed!

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