5 ways to celebrate with your team (and why you should)

Are you looking for employees that take initiative, can creatively problem solve and are dependable? 
Those are only a few of the traits that you can grow in your employees when you spend time building them up, rather than tearing them down. In part, this building of their self-esteem can come through celebrating successes and wins with them.

Has your boss ever acknowledged your efforts like this?
Friday was pizza day for my husband Ernie and his highway repair crew. They’d worked hard on a project for a few weeks enduring night shift, the whims of Mother Nature along with office politics and the scrutiny of “Joe Public.” In spite of all this, they did what they needed to do, cleaned the big bridge in the Peace River valley. A daunting job for sure.

Tiny perks boost the mood of the team
In recognition of this, Ernie bought the guys and gals boxes and boxes of pizza for lunch. He took it out to the site and allowed them to take a bit of an extended break. The meal served to notice all of their hard work, commitment and determination.

When bosses give, they get it back
Although I didn’t talk to his crew, my experience has been, that when the boss recognized and acknowledged my commitment, determination and perseverance to get a job done, it felt pretty dang good! When I used to celebrate with my staff team, I could feel their reciprocal appreciation as well. Warm fuzzies all around! What I also noticed was how much harder they worked after and the increase in positivity.

When your boss overlooked you, where you resentful?
Can you think back to a time when you were not recognized? A time when you put in extra effort, but it seemed that no one noticed? I bet even thinking about it now makes your blood boil! You know that lack of credit for effort and work impacted your morale and likely the mood of those around you. Long-term lack of appreciation leads to increased apathy, a drop in enthusiasm and reduced effort of employees.

What you notice improves
Here is the way it works: what we notice grows. If we spend our time noticing where employees mess up, screw up and fail, we will continue to see more of that. In fact, it will show up everywhere we look. The employee will notice it too. They will be just waiting for the next stinging bite or painful reprimand from you, reminding them about how much of a screw up they are.

Be sure to put your attention on what you want more of
Instead, by noticing and commending both acceptable and outstanding work, we are able to see more of it. We notice little wins. We see effort. We pick up on attempts. Remarking on those slight things has employees perk up. Continued noting of the things they are doing right, affirms what you are looking for. Thus your employees get better feedback, they experience more positivity and the morale and productivity of your team is boosted. It’s a win-win!

5 ways to celebrate with your team

1)    Have a team event: 
A pizza party, BBQ, or a potluck lunch all serve to bring everyone together in a sense of comradery. The key is to make sure everyone knows why you are doing this. Make a public statement to the group. Be sure the invite is clear about why you are celebrating: “In celebration of our completion of accreditation, we are having a pizza party!”

2)    Send a card, email or good old letter in the mail:
In print form, acknowledges the employee directly. Personalized messages are powerful, particularly when you are clear in the reason for it. A simply “good job” won’t do. You must be clear: “I want to personally thank you for the diligence you displayed on the reports…” On a  side note, add it to their personnel file for an even greater impact.

3)    Make a statement publicly
This can be done internally, at a staff meeting, or in an external meeting. For example you might say something like:  “I was so impressed with Cindy’s hard work and determination on completing the proposal. She demonstrated grit on that one!”

4)    Put an announcement on the company website or in the company newsletter
This is great for team accomplishments so you can promote the team efforts of a group. In it you can take time if the team is smaller to note each person's contribution to the big project. Make sure when it's published that you post it, share it and brag about it one more time. 

5)    Celebrate with the employee privately
Not everyone is up for public recognition. You may choose to share in a conversation or during supervision. Even a high 5 may be totally called for. “We did it! I so appreciate the way you dug deep helping me get that done.

Celebrating and acknowledging staff grows them and your team
Making someone feel valued and noticed is a huge boost to their self-esteem and confidence. In a work world where we want people to problem solve and take initiative, good self-esteem is critical. Make sure you are doing your part to build up your employees. When you do, they will respond in kind giving you the effort and enthusiasm you desire in your team.

Question:
What will you do this week to acknowledge one of your employees or a team of employees?