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The world’s greatest onboarding ritual

By Erica Keswin

If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that I’m in Paris for the Olympics! #EricainParis As a former gymnast and a trustee of the US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, it’s been a thrill to witness what I would call the greatest onboarding ritual on earth.

On Friday night, my husband Jeff and I posted up along the Seine to watch the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. If you tuned in, you know Paris tried something a little different. Instead of being in a stadium, the athletes rode down the river by boat, together as a team, carrying the flags of their countries.

While there were some differences, there are other parts of the ceremony that are always the same: the Greek athletes enter first, as the first Olympics goes back to Ancient Greece. Second to last is always the next country to host the games (in this case the United States—let’s go, LA 2028!) followed by the host country, France.

Not a bad view!

Why is this ritual so powerful? Because of what I call the Three P’s of Rituals: Rituals give us a sense of Psychological Safety, a connection to Purpose, which combined boost our Performance.

Even in the rain, I could see in the athlete’s faces how this ritual created such a special sense of psychological safety and belonging; they were doing what all other Olympic athletes have done before them. Their sense of purpose—to represent their country and the best of humanity—was lit, much like the torch.

What better way to boost performance?!

Here I am with Coco Gauff’s parents. My favorite moment of the night was watching them watch HER carry the American flag.

Can you imagine competing in the Olympics without this signature kick off? I know I can’t.

Okay…so how does this relate to the importance of becoming a great human leader? Great human leaders understand the importance of being intentional.

If you want YOUR employees to perform like amazing Olympic athletes, you’ll need to learn how to go from being simply a manager to a great human leader.

This new nine-week cohort is called Managers on a Mission: How to Become a Great Human Leader and it’s for managers who are:

  • Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work you have on your plate
  • Stressed out by all the new technology and how to use it (or not!)
  • Worried about your team’s engagement—or lack thereof
  • Managing others
  • Frustrated by ever-rising expectations of doing your day job
  • Challenged by the ongoing issues of the hybrid workplace

To learn more about the program, pricing—especially the EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT TILL AUGUST 15TH, and how to register click below!

My human workplace—even from Paris—is so much better with you in it. I can’t wait to work together!

BTW, check out this handy PDF for more info.

7/30/24

About Erica

Erica Keswin is an internationally sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and workplace strategist who partners with some of the most well-known companies in the world on how to bring their human to work. For the past two decades, Erica’s work has defined what it means to be a human leader. Erica’s Human Workplace Trilogy: Bring Your Human to Work, Rituals Roadmap, and The Retention Revolution was published by McGraw Hill and each debuted as a Wall Street Journal bestseller. 

When Erica isn’t writing books, she delivers keynotes, leads workshops, and coaches top-of-class companies and individuals to help them improve their performance by honoring relationships in today’s hybrid workplace.

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