Team Rituals

About rituals and how you can strategically strengthen your culture with the right rhythms and processes

Team rituals as a carrier of your culture

Culture doesn’t arise in a workshop. It lives in behavior. And that behavior manifests in the way we collaborate, make decisions, give feedback, celebrate, evaluate and develop. That is exactly why team rituals are the most powerful tool to make culture tangible, repeatable, and transferable.

At SUMM we deliberately call these moments Rituals: recurring actions in which teams reflect on their Cultural DNA and actively contribute to the ongoing development of their collaboration and achievements. Not just random routines, but conscious moments in which culture lives—and is strengthened.

In this first article about rituals, we lay the foundation:

What exactly are team rituals, why do they work, and how do you use them as a strategic instrument?


In three additional deep-dives, we’ll delve deeper into how Rituals make a difference within concrete people processes:


  • Hiring & selection - (see Deepdive #8)
  • Onboarding - (see Deepdive #9)
  • Talent development & performance management - (see Deepdive #10)

Because whether you look at hiring, onboarding or performance management: each of these processes is a ritual. And each one is a chance to consciously shape culture.

What is a ritual, actually?

What is a ritual, actually?

A ritual is a structured series of actions carried out in a fixed way, in which people together give meaning to what really matters.

PART #1

The most important characteristics of strong rituals:

Fixed structure or repetition

They follow a recurring pattern, they are never optional and always return. This creates rhythm and recognition.

Collective meaning or sense of community

They connect people to each other and to the bigger purpose.

Active involvement

They require a contribution from team members and enable them to contribute to the whole

PART #2

Why team rituals are no afterthought

Every organization has team rituals. But in many cases, they once originated and were never consciously designed. The result? They don’t support your strategic ambitions, or even work against them.
If you want to build a culture that works, design rituals from strategy. Because rituals aren’t just separate processes: they are the connective tissue between mission, behavior and results.
Rituals create rhythm, security and repetition. They ensure that abstract values are translated into concrete behavior so everyone in your team feels: this is how we do things here.

PART #3

Each archetype, a different rhythm

Not every organization strives for the same culture. Depending on your strategic direction and dominant Cultural Archetype, your organization will need different emphases in team rituals. And therefore also different forms, moments, and rhythms.

Archetype #1

The Achievement culture

This is all about sharpness, ownership, and focus on results. Rituals are strict, individual, and result-driven. Think of goal-oriented check-ins, data-driven feedback, and clear growth paths based on performance.



Archetype 2

The Customer-Centric culture

Requires rituals in which customer stories, empathy and service are central. Rituals connect employees with the customer experience. Think of onboarding with customer personas, team reflections with customer insights, and celebrating service quality.

Archetype 3

The Innovation culture

Thrives on rituals that stimulate curiosity, experimentation and ownership. Rituals are looser, more interactive, and peer-driven. Think of open formats, brainstorms, peer-driven reflections and celebrating risks and failures.


Archetype 4

The One Team culture

This is all about sharpness, ownership, and focus on results. Rituals are strict, individual, and result-driven. Think of goal-oriented check-ins, data-driven feedback, and clear growth paths based on performance.



Archetype 5

The Greater-good culture

Requires rituals that make the bigger picture tangible and where the societal mission is leading. The rituals make impact tangible. Think of purpose-check-ins, collective reflection moments, volunteer days, and initiatives focused on giving and sharing.

PART #4

From moment to system: rituals shape long-term culture

A good ritual is not a one-off event, but a structural part of how you work. It’s part of a system of growth, collaboration, and direction. Think of the ritual of a ‘first-week-lunch’, or a monthly team ritual in which KPIs are discussed according to the culture values.

There are a number of principles that apply to every well-designed ritual:
1. Ensure repetition: culture is created by frequency, not by single impact


2. Connect it to your values: use rituals as an opportunity to bring values to life


3. Make ownership clear: who leads the ritual, what do we expect from each other?


4. Integrate with your growth path and feedback cycle: rituals strengthen each other when they are aligned

Rituals form the heart of every people process

Rituals aren’t an extra layer above your process. They are the process. In every important moment—from first contact to growth conversation—there’s an opportunity to make culture tangible.
In Deepdive #7, #8 and #9, you’ll see how to apply these principles concretely in the context of:

  • Hiring & Employer Branding – in which you show who you are before someone joins
  • Onboarding – in which you make values tangible from day one
  • Talent development & Evaluation – in which you give rhythm and direction to growth
WRAPPING UP

Culture is something you do together

Team rituals are the shared language of your culture. They create connection, anchoring and change. By using rituals strategically, you make values tangible, steer behavior and make culture workable. These are the moments when you show: this is who we are.

Our resources

The SUMM Cultural Manifesto

This is our own SUMM Cultural Manifesto. We don't just create it for our clients, but also - very much - for ourselves. Building strong cultures starts with how you shape your own.

The Culture Factor

Join us on a journey into 'The Culture Factor' and discover how successful companies truly unlock the business value of culture. This article reveals the key to sustainable success, even during rapid growth and acquisitions.

How we can help you further

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Team Rituals

Culture as the consistent backbone of your entire employee journey

Place your unique cultural DNA at the heart of all your team-building rituals: from employer branding and recruitment to onboarding, from feedback and mentoring to talent evaluation.

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Culture Support (on-site)

Operational support for driving your culture

Our culture managers assist your team in implementing your cultural values into all your team rituals, ensuring that new habits and knowledge make a lasting impact.