Recovering what we lost: Office rituals are key to community building, and losing these communal habits because of the pandemic has had negative effects on the workplace, talent leaders agreed in a McKinsey & Company podcast.Rituals are habits that we can depend on and expect with a certain amount of predictability. They are recurrent and are, first and foremost, all about bringing people together — to celebrate a milestone, or agree on a common goal. They help connect people and foster a sense of community: “[They] help employees feel a part of something bigger, help them get energy — help them know their jobs aren’t just about the tactical,” says talent leader Bill Schaninger.

Why they are important: Without rituals, the individual takes precedence over the group and rather than employees, the company has contractors with no genuine sense of belonging. This potentially breeds a “me” versus “we” mentality that is not conducive to an optimal professional setting. The absence of rituals is exacerbated by two factors: The immense disruption that was the covi-19 pandemic, but also the entrance of Gen Z into the workforce — a generation that socializes differently and can sometimes favor social media communication over in-person contact.

The workplace without rituals: Imagine not wishing a colleague a happy birthday, celebrating a promotion, or throwing a farewell party — or having your colleagues do the same for you. This could contribute to weaker ties, according to talent leader Bryan Hacock: Weaker links with managers, colleagues, and throughout the company. This, in turn, impacts the organization’s overall performance, can have ill-effects on retention and individual employee’s psychological welfare. While some coping strategies like “cocktails over Zoom” or “gratitude email chains” were a compromise during the pandemic, they are not the same as warmer, more tangible communication.

How does one form valuable rituals? While celebrating milestones and achievements is easy enough, rituals need to be inclusive and relevant so as not to feel forced. Ideally, they ought to be rooted in “mindfulness and gratitude,” Hancock added, in order to give people a sense of purpose.

Spotify weeds out the bots: Spotify has removed tens of thousands of songs created via AI music generator Boomy to clamp down on fake streams, the Financial Times reports. The streaming giant has taken down 7% of the tracks uploaded from Boomy, which allows users to “create original songs in seconds” that they can release to streaming platforms. “Artificial streaming is a longstanding, industry-wide issue that Spotify is working to stamp out across our service,” Spotify said. During the weekend, Boomy resumed the release of new tracks to Spotify and the two parties are currently in talks over reinstating the rest of Boomy’s tracks, according to the FT.

What artificial streaming? AI music generation has been a catalyst for what is known as artificial streaming — fake plays by bots aimed at boosting the audience numbers of certain tracks. “The streaming boom has given rise to an array of services offering artists the chance to buy their way to success,” the FT writes, adding that websites like spotistar.com sell 1k Spotify plays for USD 6.

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