Why Celebrating Success Is Important For Team Building

Are you the kind of person that thinks celebrating success is a little indulgent? After all, there’s still plenty of work left to do.

So why waste more time celebrating wins rather than working towards the next goal? We certainly can’t argue that you lack motivation if this is your line of thinking.

But maybe we can convince you otherwise. Because celebrating wins doesn’t just mean receiving praise while dancing along to “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang.

(Doesn’t that sound fun though?) Instead, the very core of celebrating wins is actually gratitude.

And gratitude is a great way to not only exercise your personal and professional happiness. But also a great way to share that happiness with your colleagues.

Why should you celebrate success?

It’s pretty tough to say no to a reward. Especially when you’ve been waiting for a holiday weekend to come around.

Besides, you don’t have to go out of your way to hire a comedian just to give your employees a fun reward. (But we’re not saying you shouldn’t either.)

Motivates the team

Celebrating achievements don’t have to center around a specific individual. In fact, it’s often more fun to celebrate success when celebrating with a team.

Employees are used to coming in day in and day out to put in the work that’s required. But taking a small break to boost morale amongst employees is also a great way for folks to process their achievements.

While also motivating them to keep moving forward. Besides, who doesn’t look forward to the next milestone celebration?

Brings the focus back to the positive

Relationships in business will inevitably have their ups and downs. Heck, even a specific project has its obstacles.

But focusing on the successes on the project keeps the workplace feeling positive. Sure, you could dwell on what went wrong.

Or, you could choose to forget about it for the moment. Celebrate. Then learn from those mistakes moving forward.

See Related: How To Make Positive Thinking A Habit

Reminds the team of the overall goal

Sometimes, companies tend to get into a routine. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But over time, that routine can feel mundane and uneventful. And this is when things can start to slip up.

But celebrating successes is a great way to break up the normal office vibe and remind teams of why they do what they do. Besides, it’s never a bad idea to take stock of how the team’s efforts are actually making a difference.

Builds trust amongst the company

Employees will of course establish their own rapport with one another – and hopefully with a sense of humor that will benefit the workplace. But when a company manages to achieve a successful outcome together, there is a sense of confidence and trust that begins to build within the organization.

Leaders know that they can rely on this employee for one task and that employee for another task. So, in a way, celebration allows teams to get to know one another.

No group is successful without understanding its strengths. And taking the time to recognize each employee for their strengths is a great way of building trust and creativity.

Allows for space to reflect and recharge

You could have the most motivated team ever that consistently gets the job done. But they never take the time to celebrate the successes they’ve accomplished.

Now, this might seem counterintuitive. But taking a break from the rat race can actually boost morale while allowing the team time to rest and recharge.

So make an event out of the team’s success. And remind them to slow down and take stock of all that they’ve accomplished.

Builds a culture of achievement

Company culture is a powerful thing. And if that culture isn’t set up to celebrate employees and recognize their efforts, then you’ll likely be seeing a low retention rate.

But a company that hands out praise and reward when deserved shows employees that their efforts are not being ignored. Instead, they’ll feel motivated to improve their performance. 

Maybe just to get that extra bonus or gift you’ve been handing out to other deserving workers. Whatever works, right?

When should you celebrate success?

While it’s important to acknowledge success, there is such a thing as too much recognition. So should you let the team know you’re proud of them without coddling them like babies?

When it’s a first win

The first time around for anything is hard. Especially if you’re an up and coming company.

So any first win is a great time to establish workplace decorum and solidify relationships. This is also a great time to create a company culture that gives credit where credit is due.

And only adds to the motivation of the office going forward. So maybe celebrate after the first week. Just not every week thereafter.

When employees’ actions align with company values

It’s easy to get tied up in the events of your business. But when you notice an employee’s work as particularly aligned with company values, that’s not only a great time to celebrate the wins that accompany.

But also a time to remind employees what the company values in the first place. Returning to these key principles can not only create new ideas and approaches for the future.

They can also focus the team back to the customer, for example, or group. It all depends on what you want your employees to gain out of their careers with your organization.

So, go on. Give your employees a chance to indulge in a little corporate humor from that entertainer you’ve been dying to bring in.

When the work is truly a job well done

This might seem like the most obvious. But if work has been particularly slow or difficult, then it absolutely stands to recognize the performance that’s gone into a job well done.

Remember that celebrating wins also acts as motivation for other employees. So use that to your advantage when you want to reinforce some positive feedback in the office.

When hard work has been consistently good

Let’s say you have a number of events back to back to back. And while the work is certainly grueling, you’ve noticed each employee taking their individual career quite seriously throughout it all.

This is the perfect opportunity for leaders to provide recognition. Consistent and solid work is sometimes hard to come by.

That sounds glum, but it’s also true. So recognizing that level of prowess is certainly cause for celebration.

Bonus: How To Break Into Comedy Writing

How to celebrate success

Want to celebrate your team but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Public recognition

This is probably the first example you think of when it comes to celebrating success. Especially if you’re bringing a team of employees together to celebrate.

If you’re able, pull resources to have a pizza lunch. Or, make it extra special by having a comedian come in to give your corporate office hour a little levity. 

Private recognition

A public event is one way to go. But if you have one particular employee whose work has truly shined, consider leaving them a personal note or gift even.

If you know that this team member doesn’t like to be the center of attention, this could be the way to go. After all, you want to celebrate them and celebration looks different to everybody!

Positive feedback through evaluations

Work evaluations are the perfect way of measuring a team member’s success. And it tends to personalize the process even further.

So use the specific articles of their hard work to reinforce how well they’ve done. Often, these reviews will have employees engage with their own shortcomings.

So when a team member can celebrate their personal success, it’s all the more wholesome. Go on, give it a try!

Job promotion or increase in responsibility

You’ve been noticing that one team member whose work at the last event really stood out. So maybe it’s time to give them a new challenge.

Added responsibility might seem like a burden to some. But when it’s fitted with a celebration of success, that team member will understand that they’re being trusted to take on new obstacles within the company.

What a confidence boost! Don’t you think?

Monetary awards

Maybe you only save bonuses for around the holidays. But if your team has truly gone through the wringer, consider compensating them for their time.

There’s no telling what they had to sacrifice to get the job done. So financially compensating them for their extra hard work is a wonderful way of showing not only your appreciation, but the company’s as a whole.

Bring it back to gratitude

At the beginning of this article, we talked about gratitude. And behind all of these reasons to celebrate success lies exactly that.

Life moves fast, especially in a big company or even a small organization. So taking the time to recognize what’s been accomplished is not only about boosting morale within the team.

It’s about being grateful for all of the work that everyone has put in together. So, take the time to be grateful for what you have. 

You may even find yourself happier at your job. And more compassionate towards your colleagues.

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