Corporate Celebration: Play, Purpose, and Profit at Work - Hardcover

Deal, Terrence E.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1576750132 ISBN 13: 9781576750131

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 1998

Synopsis

Celebrations infuse life with passion and purpose. They summon the human spirit, reattach us to our roots, and help us soar toward new visions. Celebrations touch our hearts and fire our imaginations, bonding people together and connecting us to shared myths and values. Corporate Celebration shows how the ceremony and ritual of celebration can be brought to the workplace to restore company spirit, reinvigorate employee morale, build commitment and loyalty, improve quality and financial performance, and instill work with meaning and joy. This practical guide provides advice on the what, why, and how of corporate celebration.

The authors first distill what we know about the role that ritual and ceremony play in human organizations, then offer examples from multiple sectors and companies. They show how ceremonies can be used to build relationships, relieve tension, level the hierarchy, create excitement, transform losses into gains, and provide access to life's deeper lessons. In the second part, they examine a wide variety of situations where ritual and ceremony play a vital role-including recognition, triumphs, tragedies, transitions, product launches, and community outreach efforts. They detail the psychological benefits of seven types of celebrations: cyclical celebrations, recognition ceremonies, celebrations of triumph, rituals of comfort and letting go, succession rites, altruistic celebration, and play.

In the third part, they observe the makings, motions, and roles of key players, drawing practical wisdom from executives, managers, and employees who have participated in successful corporate rituals and celebrations. Acknowledging the potential downside of contrived or meaningless symbolic activity, they show how intended perks can become actual perils. Finally, they provide clear guidelines for the design of meaningful, top-flight celebrations, which arise from shared vision and values, recognize individuals as heroes and heroines, and authentically reflect the corporate spirit.

In a time when many organizations are suffering from eroded cultural values due to restructuring, reengineering, and downsizing, Corporate Celebration offers a refreshing approach to creating community in the workplace and revitalizing business

About this title

Review

Corporate Celebration: Play, Purpose, and Profit at Work, by Terrence E. Deal and M.K. Key, is based on the premise that ceremony and ritual in the workplace can boost spirits, build loyalty, increase quality and, ultimately, improve bottom-line performance. The authors, writers, and consultants on the faculty at Vanderbilt University believe that celebrations create an important sense of community in both good and bad corporate times, and cite diverse examples--such as Quad/Graphics' annual anniversary extravaganzas, and the Philadelphia-region Veterans Administration office's regular observance of staff members' birthdays--to show how they are being used in today's business world. They also look into situations that commonly trigger such events, and examine the seven types generally called upon in response: "cyclical celebrations, recognition ceremonies, celebrations of triumph, rituals of comfort and letting go, succession rites, altruistic celebration, and play." Lastly, they discuss the actual process of planning and implementing rituals in organizations with differing purposes and varying cultures. "Our intent is to provide ideas you can adapt to fit your particular context. The examples we present are to be used as 'sourdough starter' to get your own creative juices flowing," they write, before getting down to the main course. --Howard Rothman

From the Publisher

Questions for Discussion:

* What are the attributes of a great celebration? Put one idea per post-it and affinitize the ideas on a blank flipchart page. Label the clusters.

* Review the types of celebrations (pp. 117-121). Point to examples in your organization. Think up a new one of each.

* Brainstorm all the ways to reward and recognize employees. Mark the ones that are no or low cost.

* Tell a story about the best celebration you ever attended--a time when you felt special. Describe the feelings you experienced.

* Design a seasonal calendar of celebration.

* What are the barriers to celebrating and how could you remove them (do a forcefield analysis)?

* Design a celebration that includes everyone in your organization--pie in the sky, no constraints.

* If you had to create a celebration this very moment, what would you do?

* Referring to Chapter 14, discuss the blunders and faux-pas's you have seen and committed.

* What can you do to infuse meetings and gatherings with more energy (Chapters 10-12)?

* What mementos mean the most to you? Where do you keep them?

* Review your major company celebration happening. Answer the questions on page 127.

* In what ways does your organization give back to the community? How could they be turned into a celebration?

Suggestions for Further Reading:

* Hemsath, Dave and Yerkes, Leslie, 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work * Foster, Jack, How to Get Ideas

Courtesy of Berrett-Koehler Publishers BERRETT-KOEHLER STUDY GUIDE

About this edition

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1576750132
• ISBN 13: 9781576750131
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248