Want to kill your company culture? Hang another boring sign.
I never thought the Cryptography Museum in Washington DC would teach me something about building a Culture of Connection™, but they masterfully transformed what is usually a mundane piece of communication into an engaging message that roped me deeper into their world.
Museum walls are usually wallpapered with a lot of “Don’t Touch” and “No Photography” signs that easily blend into the background until someone actually violates them and the alarms go off… (speaking from experience).
The Cryptography Museum was different. Just inside the entrance stood a sign – you know, one of those boring rule boards that usually list mundane regulations in stern, institutional language. But this wasn’t your ordinary sign. Sprinkled throughout the sign were funny lines, casual language, and jokes. It’s clear someone decided to turn necessary information into an engaging experience.
The point of that story goes far beyond clever museum signage. Within Dance Floor Theory™, we talk about how everything your people interact with will either add to, or take away from their sense of connection to your community, their sense of belonging. Yes, everything – including those mundane signs on your walls that you haven’t thought about since they were hung three years ago.
Several studies have shown how the physical elements in spaces, including signage, can significantly impact people’s sense of belonging and community connection.
Think about your own community spaces, also known as 3rd spaces. What do your signs really say about you? Those “Please wash your dishes” notes in the break room. The “No food or drink” warnings in the conference room. The “Joy Department (Results Vary)” notification on your office door. Each of these is an opportunity to showcase your community’s personality and reinforce who you are and what you stand for.
When we approach organizational communication with creativity and personality, we create mini Blender Events which are a strategy to get Neutrals to go from “Meh-to-Hmm.” Instead of glazed eyes and automatic dismissal, we create pause, engagement, and even delight. This isn’t just about being clever –the signs create a positive pattern interrupt in their day.
When was the last time you audited your community’s signage? If you are like most, here are some questions to ask yourself as you look around at the signs you have within your community.
- Does this sign reflect our community’s personality?
- Would a first-time visitor feel welcomed or warned?
- Could this necessary information be communicated in a way that builds connection?
- Are we missing opportunities to turn mundane messages into moments of engagement?
Remember, in the battle between building community and maintaining order, your signs are either secret agents of connection or undercover culture killers. Make them work for your Culture of Connection™, not against it.
