Given what I’ve observed over the past decade in working with leaders from companies of all sizes and types, I believe we cannot celebrate teams’ victories enough. People thrive when they are recognised and affirmed for their contribution to the organisation’s success. Indeed, the team member’s continued engagement in the execution of the vision is directly influenced by the leader’s ability to celebrate them in meaningful ways.
In a world where so many people focus on the negative and beat others down for imperfections, compassionate leaders need to look for any way possible to show care and gratitude. It has been said that for every critical comment we receive, it takes nine affirming comments to balance the negative effect of that one criticism. The key then to developing people and creating great organisations is to catch people doing things right. Do you have the right mechanisms in place to catch these moments?
There are five benefits of celebration: it demonstrates that you value your team; it reinforces core organisational values; it builds team morale; it increases retention and productivity; and it is a great recruiting tool. A compassionate leader is invested in nurturing the positive qualities and contributions of their team members by recognising and celebrating the diversity of their strengths.
It is important to note that the things you celebrate as a leader send a clear message to your team about what you believe to be important qualities of a successful team player. For example, when you acknowledge the hard work and productivity of an individual team member, your team will know that hard work and productivity are important. This in turns helps shape the culture of your organisation.What do you celebrate? What message does it send?
Do whatever it takes to provide clear vision, direction and coaching so that your teams can accomplish attainable goals – and when they do, be the first person in line to celebrate their win.
