One of the things I enjoy about work is seeing the various cultures that evolve. Some companies are rigid, some are fun, some very loosely organized, etc. It’s almost magic how it happens, and it’s rarely all done on purpose. Each manager has a style, each employee has a work rhythm, and they get combined in interesting ways. Sometimes functional, sometimes not!

I like to look for the things that go beyond a single manager, things that are likely to live on if they get promoted or move to another company. For example, a current client has a thing where every Friday an IT manager breaks in doughnuts. The managers rotate the job, and then it’s 10 minutes of sugar treats in the break room on Friday morning. Every once in a while a manager forgets and then the other managers cheerfully chastise them, and then someone gets deputized to go get the doughnuts. It’s a little thing, but it’s fun, and it gets people in the room for a few minutes that might otherwise not see each other during the week.

I’m looking for other examples of interesting patterns, preferably positive ones. Is there something you’ve seen that spanned departments or teams that added richness to the culture. Something you smile about now, or tell people about with pride?