Recently Jenny and I visited our grandsons at their home. The first thing that my daughter alerted us to, was the school work that our third grandson, Toby aged 5 had done. With pride on his face he showed us his handwritten count of numbers up to ‘30’. Each number was written in a different colour, so you could easily tell one number from the other.
That event caused me to reflect on a similar episode when Toby’s eldest brother Joel, also aged five came home one day from school with a beaming smile and said, ’Look Papa, my badge!’. It had the words, ‘Well Done’ with an image of a little bird. He was so proud of that badge.
As we were ‘babysitting’ him after school pickup, we said to Joel that it was time for him to change out of his school uniform into casual clothes. At that point he was quite insistent and said ’No!’. When asked why he didn’t want to change, he added that he wanted to keep wearing the ‘Well Done’ badge until he got home to show his mum and dad. Two months later, after Joel received the button pin badge, Jenny and I were amazed to see him wearing the same badge when he came to visit us at home one weekend. We have seen him many times before this visit, but to see him with the badge pinned to his T-shirt showed me how significant that simple recognition must have been for our “Joelly”.
No matter how old we are, or how sophisticated we have become, we all love to be recognized in some way, some more elaborately than others.
When looking back on my past work activities in project management, especially at my last company there were many celebrations of success when major project milestones were achieved. Closure of a project usually concludes with ‘Lessons Learnt’, which brings together the collective insights gained from a project. However, the chance to celebrate the project’s accomplishment is often a second priority, or at best left to a few members of the project team. Many teams are focused on the transitions and implementation of the production system, or the completed construction build, and in so doing neglect the opportunity to celebrate and discuss ‘Lessons Learnt’. If celebrating success does happen, often it’s some time or months after the project completion.
Celebrating success brings a healthy closure to a project and should involve everyone who participated in it, regardless of size of contribution. It is good practice to celebrate success in a timely fashion as it provides a way to say ‘thank you’ to team members which helps with motivation and instils a positive stance for future projects. In the words of American psychologist Frederick Herzberg, ‘True motivation comes from achievement, personal development, job satisfaction and recognition’.
Source: Media from Wix
Even when project milestones or phases within projects are reached, these achievements are significant enough to communicate and celebrate the success with project team members and stakeholders. Small rewards for team members who go above and beyond their duties should also be recognised and acknowledged in communication as a job well done.
Celebrating success should not be exclusive to projects. A great workplace will openly and excitedly celebrate the accomplishments of its workers because this recognition promotes the future success of its employees and company.
Research by Gallup Business Journal had found that organisations that recognized the well-being of their employees significantly affected the success of the company because according to its research, happy workers are more productive and profitable. So, focusing on employees’ strengths and accomplishments can result in positive well-being.
The same journal also reported that money alone is not enough to keep most employees satisfied and doing their best work. Praise and recognition (and "in kind" rewards such as time off work, early end to a working day, etcetera) are often more meaningful and effective ways of motivating workers. Employees need to know what they are doing is right, to keep up the good work and envision future successes. Positive reinforcement and recognition can also help employees with low job performance rise to the occasion because the focus is on what they are doing right more than what they are doing wrong.
In a project team, everyone has a stake in the project’s success. While the Project Manager or Project Sponsor is often the one encouraging and providing positive recognition, team members who have been working closely with one another can often identify when celebrations are in order and when a peer has really done something exceptional. Peer-to-peer praise is another great way to create a thriving, innovative and productive workplace, re-enforcing the fact that celebrating success is a communal experience.
Sincerity in praise must be felt, however. Fake or meaningless or unworthy praise can have a negative effect because it could leave employees feeling used, unenthusiastic, and resentful. Successful recognition is specific, heart-felt and happens consistently.
There are many opportunities organisations can look to celebrate success. Whether it be at the end of the fiscal year, calendar year-end, project-closure or milestone achieved, a personal achievement, or a graduation, all these are opportunities to celebrate success.
Source: Pexels
How often have we seen on the football field; the celebration of the players involved when a goal is scored. Whether the team is leading or not, that 'milestone', applying a project management term, is worthy of a group hug or an acrobatic goal celebration. It is not easy to score a goal without a lot of hard work from team mates up the field. The goal kicker would be executing the ultimate move in what may have been a strategic play mapped out by the coach and team at their pre-match 'project stand-up'. It is said that every win is a celebration not because it’s a win but because of all the hard work that went behind it.
Even at home, celebrating success should not be limited to the customary birthday or anniversary celebration. Other successes could involve a young child moving up a new reading level, a teenager making the school basketball team or a family member attaining a driver's license. Benefits from praise, recognition, and positive reinforcement are not only applicable to the work place, I would say that it’s far more important for our families’ well-being, development, cohesive bonding, and relationships when these are also displayed in the home.
Source: Media from Wix
I love this (anonymous) quote, “In this home…we do second chances. We do real. We do mistakes. We do I’m sorrys. We do loud really well. We do hugs. We do together best of all.”
Continue to celebrate your successes!
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