Is your productivity upgrade actually a connection downgrade?
Newsletter #15
TL;DR: When we optimise processes for efficiency, we often unknowingly eliminate valuable rituals that connect us to each other and give meaning to our work. Before making changes, identify what hidden rituals might disappear and consider their true value beyond productivity metrics.
At some point during the lockdowns of 2020 or 2021, the road I live on became an LNT, a Low Traffic Neighbourhood. This meant that cars could no longer drive the full length of the road – it’s a long road – without in theory being fined. I say in theory because me and my kids have seen all kinds of work arounds as drivers go rogue1 to avoid this restriction, think driving with their boots open to hide their back number plates from traffic cameras for example.
I’ve welcomed this change with open arms. Admittedly I don’t have a car, in fact don’t even have a license, but prior to the LTN, the road was back to back traffic as people’s GPS directed them through this ‘short-cut’ to get to the M11.
“Nothing happens in a vacuum” is something I often say, and with good reason, as nothing does!
So this one change to my street has had many ripples, one of which I’d like to share with you today, it involves a lolly pop lady and the start and end of day rituals.
Let’s rewind a bit first.
Every morning, whilst my children were still at primary school, we’d set off with scooters, book bags and inevitably feeling a little flustered, alright feeling really flustered, from the rush to get out the door. And every morning, we were greeted with a warm “Hello. Good morning,” from our local lollypop lady.
On my way to pick up my kid’s from school at the end of the day, again I’d see her. And again we’d have a little chat as we both went about our business, her getting kids and families over the road and me heading to my children’s school. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed seeing her. She made me feel a part of my local neighbourhood, in fact she anchored me to it.
Following the introduction of the LTN, our lovely lollypop lady was told she was going to be moved to a new part of the brough. The street, now much quieter with vehicle traffic, no longer warranted a lollypop lady. She was devastated as she knew and cared for the local families so well, and she knew she did way more than help people cross a road.
She kept an eye out for the kids who came to school by themselves, she was a helping and encouraging voice when kids really didn’t want to be out so early and she was an integral part of our pick-ups and drop-offs.
For me, she was part of my daily ritual of slipping in and out of work mode. Helping me get out of my head and back into my body at the end of the day as the ‘to-list’ continued to hail down in my mind. And in the morning just seeing her, helped me feel calmer after shouting “do your teeth” and “put your shoes on,” 958 times to my kids!
None of these rituals were counted when it came to her work and her impact. The only metric that mattered were the number of cars travelling on the street – which was undoubtedly so many less than before. So much so that the few cars and motorbikes that do now use the road go speeding down what they assume is an clear road - ironically making it feel more dangerous for pedestrians, despite the lower traffic.
This memory has had me thinking about how often we make similar decisions in our work lives - measuring only the obvious metrics that miss the deeper human traditions and rituals that support our teams and communities, without us even realising.
Which brings us to this week’s question:
Why this question?
Rituals are everywhere in our lives and many often go unrecognised as they’re part of something else – such as a greeting on a journey to school.
My good friend Kirsten Gibbs, a business coach, wrote2 about this when describing a cargo sailing ship that has tech to help with navigating and forecasting AND still sees the crew haul the ropes by hand. Just like my lollipop lady's daily greetings, the rope-hauling ritual serves multiple purposes beyond its obvious function - it builds the very connections that keep the crew working effectively together.
“You can get motorised winches, that would do all this at the touch of a button, but doing it by hand and voice is great exercise, fantastic team-building and very good for morale. Why would you want to get rid of that?”
As we are pushed more and more to squeeze every last drop out of the working day, encouraged to use more technology or automation to get outsource the things which aren’t productive, we need to unearth and protect the rituals which keep us connected to each other, they do more than they may appear to at first glance.
Try this tool this week: Ritual Radar
Step 1: Name the change you’re considering:
A role: e.g. person taking meeting notes
A process: e.g. daily stand-ups
A tool e.g. an AI assistant summarising notes
Step 2: Uncover the existing ritual by thinking through:
what happens alongside the task: e.g. face-to-face check-ins become a chance to really check-in with how people are doing
who is present to see it happen: e.g. note-taking creates a witness to decisions
what values or meaning might be embedded in the task: e.g. a manual processes creates a sense of shared ownership
Step 3: Work out what’s at stake if the ritual goes, consider:
if it will lead to isolation or disconnection
if it’s a moment for a shared experience such as learning or accountability
what the ripple effects of the change could be
Sometimes the most valuable part of what we do, isn't the doing itself, it's everything that happens around the ‘doing of it’.
Till next week take care,
P.S. Let me know if you notice any hidden rituals in your own life and work this week, or if one has gone missing and now you know why things felt off.
Inspiration & Credits:
I hope giving some distance between sources and their links frees you from ending up in an unintended rabbit hole! If you’re interested though - click away!