In defence of ceremony

Ceremony…

Sounds old and stuffy, doesn’t it?

In many ways it is… which is why it’s being thrown out in so many areas of work and life.

But we’ve thrown out the good parts too.

The business suit may have been a workplace ceremony unsuited to remote desk work… but all the collaborating-in-sweatpants has led to blurred boundaries, such as political or theological debates happening on company time.

We used to mark the lines of professional conduct with the ceremony of attire… and now the ceremony has gone, so has the professional conduct.

Connecting with people used to be tricky… a ceremony of dignifying exchanges at locations we took the time to attend and participate in. Now anyone can tweet “Hey bro” to you at any moment, or sling calendar invites at you without warning nor intent.

We used to invest time lavishing upon our connections before asking of anything in return, giving them time and space to develop and flourish… and now the ceremony has gone for many of us, so has the care and attention.

You’re perhaps as enthusiastic about innovation, progress and inclusivity as I am.

But it’s worth taking pause to consider tradition, asking ourselves, “How could some ceremony help my work?”