DISPOSING OF THE BOXES AND CELEBRATING MICROCULTURES TO THE FULLEST

Reading time: 5 min

A lot of organizations in today’s world are turning their eyes to the concept of microcultures and exploring how these might have the potential to help us in our ongoing question to improve inclusivity efforts across the board. However, before we start looking at how we can abandon labels and start using microcultures as a new means of enhancing connections, we need to cover a very important point. What is a microculture?

Microcultures are the small aspects of identity that are often overlooked in the grand scheme of things. They are what make each of us unique from every other person on the planet. When we talk about microcultures, we’re talking about the multitude of experiences, interests, and identities that make up who we are.

That’s quite broad… so let’s look at a few examples.

One example of a microculture might be those who enjoy board games. These people will have a shared experience and a “culture” of gaming, even if that culture looks very different from one group to the next. Another microculture might be those who love gardening, who will have a shared understanding based on their experiences of gardening. Again, differences will occur and no single experience will be universal, but there will be a level of connection between those who enjoy this hobby that non-gardeners cannot achieve.

The same is true for essentially every hobby you can think of, but it extends much further than hobbies. Microcultures include things like being a mother, being an uncle, being a Buddhist, being interested in science, reading a lot, loving dogs, teaching, traveling, speaking multiple languages, coming from a certain town, being a mentor, managing a team… the list is endless. We all belong to countless microcultures and recognizing this is a wonderful way to bring us together. Even two individuals who may seem to have nothing in common on a surface level can actually have many shared experiences when we start to look at microcultures. This makes exercises involving microcultures a superb way for individuals to bond.

So, what should organizations do with this information? Look for ways to create this kind of microculture sharing!

Create hobby-based microcultures

Hobbies are a particularly good microculture to create bonding within a bigger culture. They’re often safer than other potential shared experiences, such as religion, parenthood, etc., and there’s a lot of potential for people to have fun with this. You could therefore look for ways to create hobby-based sharing spaces.

This might look like establishing a Slack channel for employees to connect and discuss their shared interest, or even providing a space for indulging in the hobby if that’s feasible. A board games room to be utilized on breaks could be an excellent way to establish bonding. Alternatively, think about providing art supplies or other basic equipment that will let people have some fun.

Of course, organizations need to be mindful of how this plays out and ensure they aren’t encouraging cliquey behavior or alienating employees who aren’t part of the microculture. Everything should be done from the perspective of increasing bonds, so even subtle signs of alienation should be addressed promptly. Make sure beginners to the hobby feel welcome and offer opportunities for them to get up to speed if you’re able to do this. The more you can create an atmosphere in which everyone feels welcomed, the more effective this approach will be!

Offer wellness initiatives

Health and wellness is a tricky topic but one that many people are interested in. If you’re keen to bring this into your organization, you’ll need to do so with care, ensuring it’s totally optional and nobody feels pressured to engage. However, there’s still scope to connect with employees who want to belong to a healthy microculture.

Things that organizations should consider doing include schemes like cycle to work, where you might help employees purchase bikes or cycling equipment, or provide changing facilities so people can cycle to work more easily. Alternatively, you might set up a running club or ask people if they want to participate in challenges such as X number of steps in a week.

You could also create mindfulness rooms and encourage employees to take regular breaks throughout the day, providing them with a quiet space in which to do so, perhaps with the option of music (via headphones) or a meditative activity like adult coloring.

Make sure that you stay away from challenges that center on weight loss or dietary changes, though; this is a sure way to alienate employees. Individuals differ so much in these areas that you’re very likely to end up frustrating or offending somebody. Keep wellness initiatives light and focused on bonding.

Host tournaments

Humans love a bit of competition, and hosting microculture-related tournaments can help build bonds among employees. It’s thought that healthy competition leads to personal growth , so if you set up the right kind of environment, this could help people bond and improve their own skills at the same time.

Tournaments can be focused on almost any kind of competition-based activity. If your employees happen to love video games, video game tournaments might be perfect. If they’re more interested in fitness, a walking competition might work better. Alternatively, you could compete to see who can read the most books in a month or who can pet the most dogs. Another option would be to host a cosplay contest or encourage your employees to create the best comic strip. Any microculture can be celebrated like this!

It’s crucial to make sure the atmosphere stays light-hearted and fun so employees are bonding and enjoying themselves, rather than getting aggressive. If you’re worried that your employees are already in competition with each other, you might want to opt for non-competitive events that still create scope for bonding, such as a retro-themed event where people dress up but there’s no judge or prize, or go for a morale-building trip out to a relevant place.

In short, there are many, many things employers can do to tap into microcultures and help employees forge connections among themselves. The more diverse your culture is, the more value you may find in these activities. When employees feel separated by big, obvious characteristics such as religion, sexuality, gender, etc., reminding them that they are connected in many other elements of their identities can be enormously empowering for everybody. It’s thought that businesses that take the time to foster microcultures and encourage these connections are 1.6 times more likely to reach their goals  - not a bad number!

Time to get hands-on!

Organizations and employees should take the time to actively assess the dual impact of microcultures, as these small-group dynamics can either strengthen or fragment workplace cohesion. On the positive side, microcultures can enhance belonging, innovation, and engagement by fostering shared values and collaboration within teams. However, if left unchecked, they may also create silos, reinforce exclusionary behaviors, or hinder broader organizational alignment. A hands-on approach, such as employee feedback sessions, cross-functional collaboration exercises, and leadership check-ins, can help organizations harness the benefits of microcultures while mitigating potential drawbacks, ensuring a balanced and inclusive work environment.