It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind. If you’re not careful, you may end up valuing the product more than you value the person behind the product, a big misstep. So, how do you keep a continual eye on the benefits of building a healthy team? The answer is: Catch people doing it right…and make a big deal out of it. When the work is done well, look to the reason that happened—your team. Consider how celebrating success in the workplace benefits everyone, (actually, we mean everyone).
Celebrating Success in the Workplace on a Small Scale
There’s a fine line between authenticity in the praise you give your team members and mere flattery. If you constantly generalize feedback with statements like, “good job” or “great idea” those phrases begin to lose their meaning. That’s not to say there isn’t a place for these phrases in the workplace, but meaningful celebration is centered on specifics. People know (and feel) when praise is genuine and when it’s not.
Strive for specific and immediate encouragement for those small, daily successes. Did a team member have a positive interaction with a difficult client? Be sure to give them immediate and clear feedback. Affirm your team member’s poise and confidence under pressure or their clear and informative email communication. Pinpoint what it was that they did well, and then articulate it meaningfully. Consider sending an email directly to the successful team member or even to the team as a whole. Celebration implies group awareness of a success and the “lifting up” of those responsible for the beneficial outcomes. It’s a means of sharing something and increasing it at the same time.
Substantial Success Deserves Substantial Celebration
More difficult successes deserve more elaborate celebrations. Be sure the celebration at the top of the mountain matches the difficulty it took to get there.. Also, when you plan celebrations for your team members, take their personalities into consideration. When considering a catered lunch in celebration, know your team. Will they thoroughly enjoy a casual pizza party? Or would white table cloths be better? Keep the lines of communication so that there’s no question. A failed celebration may be more detrimental than no celebration at all.
Financial compensation is also a powerful motivator. End-of-year and holiday bonuses have become so commonplace that they are an expectation instead of a reward. Consider the power of a monetary reward when your team has done particularly well. Not only will you powerfully celebrate a hard-won success, you’ll provide motivation for future success as well.
Suggested Resource – Overcome the Lies that Undermine Celebration
Embrace celebrating success in the workplace and strive to catch people doing it right. Encourage your healthy workplace environment by bringing that balance of hard work and proper celebration. Our expert team at TurningWest can help you achieve all the benefits of a healthy workplace environment. TurningWest—your guide to a healthy culture with meaningful results.
