6 Simple Cultural Rituals
To Unlock Your Team’s Potential
What exactly is
workplace culture?
While the definitions vary greatly depending
on who you ask, it behooves every leader to
be deliberate about the type of culture that
is manifesting at your company. Because
culture happens whether you intend it to
or not; it’s simply the natural byproduct of
humans coming together and collaborating.
The company’s purpose (or WHY) and core
values are the bedrock of the culture, but it’s
much deeper than simply what you post up
on your company’s wall or website.
The true culture is an expression of what is
actually valued, regardless of what’s written
down.
How people interact with each other and
the way they go about doing their work is
the culture, and it should extend beyond
how employees feel. The work environment
could be one that also fosters employee
development and growth.
Our mission at 15Five is to help our employees
become the best versions of themselves, and
we create software to help other leaders
do that in their own companies. Here are
six practices that have helped us maintain a
healthy culture as we have grown.
“ We are what we
repeatedly do.
Excellence then,
is not an act, but
a habit.
~ Aristotle
01
Check-ins
Start each meeting with every attendee sharing a word
or phrase that describes their emotional, physical, or
mental state. People get present to what’s occurring
for them and others, and stay connected throughout
the meeting.
02
Gratitude Monday
In a company-wide meeting every Monday morning,
the person leading* shares something they are
grateful for. This can be the Internet, our parents,
the sun…etc… Everyone meditates on the topic and
they share. We then cover the growth numbers and
priorities for the week. By focusing on the good,
you will retrain your brain to focus on the positive.
*One thing to note is that people other than managers should
lead these meetings. This is a great way for individual
contributors to push their edges and grow into leaders
themselves.
04
Question Friday
03
Wednesday Meditation
The whole team meets again mid-week and sits in
silence together to quiet their minds and prepare
for a day of focused work. This is followed by
departmental updates like new feature releases from
the engineering team.
This meeting is focused on one
non-business-related question. For
example, we recently asked this: If
you could relive one experience in
your life, what would it be? People
reveal more of who they are beyond
their roles. That humanizes them and
creates deeper connection and a
sense of belonging on the team.
05
ABOUT 15FIVE
Weekly Self-Reflection
Growth requires regular reflection. Have every employee
reflect on what they learned each week; what went well,
where they struggled, or how their energy levels were. This
may feel uncomfortable at first, but over time this improves
employee effectiveness, productivity and happiness.
People learn to see the connection between their individual
experiences and the corresponding business outcomes,
and then learn to make adjustments.
06
A Culture of Appreciation
We all have a choice of where we place our attention. It
tends to default to the things that are going wrong. But
when you appreciate the positive, that creates more of a
sense of connection and positivity. Get into the practice of
shining a light on the major and minor accomplishments of
co-workers.
Remember that people show up differently depending on
the type of culture they are in. The same person who is
energetic, positive, and curious with their community of
friends (also a culture), may show up as disinterested and
negative at work, if the environment isn’t bringing out their
best.
15Five is a fundamentally
new way for businesses
to maximize their talent
by creating a culture
of feedback. Through
a lightweight weekly
check-in, 15Five delivers
a full suite of integrated
solutions - including
continuous employee
feedback, objective
tracking (OKRs), pulse
surveys, 1-on-1 meeting
agendas, and peer
recognition.
To learn more, visit
www.15Five.com or
contact sales@15Five.com