How and When to Celebrate

Most leaders and organizations do not know how to celebrate. It is just a fact. We either celebrate too much (e.g. Michael Scott on the sticom, The Office) or not enough (e.g. most companies).

I believe the issue for leaders is that they are afraid to give applause on little things if the overall goals have not been hit. Therefore, they give no kudos for the positives that happen along the way and ultimately lose the morale of the team.

So, here are 4 practical things you can do to celebrate the little things without jeopardizing high standards.

1. Pinpoint Individual Contributions. When you hit numbers that are acceptable, pinpoint them with each team member that added to the success. Even if they are for one event or one month, point them out with one-on-one discussions.

2. Give High Fives. High fives can mean a lot. It sounds silly, but it builds enthusiasm in the short term.

3. Talk about Momentum. When you see momentum taking place, tell each person how they are apart of it. This is a form of celebration that speaks volumes.

4. Bless Your Team. That sounds interesting doesn’t it? Blessing doesn’t come up much in business. A blessing is simply a praise with more muscle. Bless your team with enthusiasm and praise and encouragement over a season in time.

I have two examples of celebration for our team.

Our Catalyst team executed an amazing first-time ever West Coast event in an economic downturn. They not only hit their numbers (which was a guess in this economy), but also produced one of the best leadership events ever produced. To celebrate I showed everyone involved the numbers and how their role affected the success of the event.

Secondly, our GiANT team recently pulled off our Maximum Impact Simulcast with over 45K people in over 20 countries. Once again, we hit our end numbers in the midst of a tough market and was able to impact thousands of people and inspire them in their leadership. There were plenty of high fives and momentum talk at the event.

My blessing to our team is that I feel like we are coming into our own and are turning a corner to grow in ways we have not seen yet.

That is a form of celebration.

Posted on May 12, 2009 in Business Growth