As I sit down to draft this blog, it’s a very exciting time for our family. My wife is pretty amazing, and she’s got a pretty cool gig as a Division 1 Field Hockey coach at a local University. Right now, she and her team are preparing for the first round of the NCAA field hockey tournament and hoping for great postseason success.
As I reflect on the team’s accomplishments so far this season, I find myself thinking deeply on the concept of “celebrating success.”
Let’s start things out with a few quotes on the topic of celebrating success:
“Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” - Mia Hamm
“Until further notice, celebrate everything.” - Anonymous
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” - Oprah Winfrey
“Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated.” - Osho
“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” - Tom Peters
In terms of business, what is your organization doing to recognize and celebrate success?
Of course we know that it’s important to continuously strive for improvement and greatness – to chase big goals and elevate the bar. But I encourage you to take good care of your organization and your employees by slowing down to recognize little and big wins throughout the year. Celebration is often a critical component to developing hardworking employee engagement and retention plans. Here are a few questions to consider as you evaluate organizational activities and strategies designed to recognize and celebrate success.
Do we have values, guidelines, and/or goals in place that help us to recognize what success looks and feels like?
- How are we celebrating the little milestones that make up the larger goals?
- What formal and informal recognition and celebration strategies do we have in place?
- What peer-to-peer systems exist?
- Have we asked our employees for feedback and suggestions?
- How are we celebrating and embracing failure?
- Is our company a great place to work?
And as the end of the year approaches, let’s commit to one another to invite a moment of pause into our personal lives as well. Let’s close out 2017 with a bit of personal celebration. Here’s a sample blueprint:
- Reflect on your year
- Challenge yourself to identify 3 successes
- Take pride, and share these successes with someone you care about
- Celebrate intentionally
As we welcome 2018, may we take with us all the learning experiences – both successes and failures – from the past year to shape and plan for a prosperous year ahead.
