While I was on my way to St. Patrick’s Day, I noticed a Guinness promotional T-shirt announcing the holiday. Although it was a stylish T-shirt with a great tagline, I was most impressed by the message. It said:
Celebrate like you mean it.
Since then, I’ve struggled to remember that phrase.
Leaders of organizations think a lot about celebrating. Although they may not be the Guinness you were thinking of with that quote, they do think about celebrations. They consider what, when and where to celebrate. Sometimes they are right. They fail far too often.
Although celebrations are important, it is even more important to manage them properly.
You should consider the following four points: what, when, where, and how to Celebrate. But, it is important to remember that you must also think about how and what to celebrate. Let’s first consider the underlying principle of why we celebrate.
Why to celebrate – Think about the Underlying Purpose
There are at most three reasons to celebrate your company’s success:
To remember achievements and efforts.
Recognize people’s achievements and contributions.
to appreciate people.
It is easier to decide when to celebrate when you consider these purposes, especially in organizational contexts.
Before we get into details, let’s think about the five most recent celebrations you organized or participated in, and the reasons for them. Perhaps more important, are there any situations where you didn’t celebrate the above-mentioned events?
Why to Celebrate – Take a Look at Your Reasons
You will find celebrations important in any book about team building, employee engagement, or project management. There are many reasons to celebrate, which can include:
Celebrate when you. . .
Attain a goal.
Reach a milestone
You can win a significant client.
Create a new product.
Get an award.
These are obvious occasions to celebrate, as many experts remind us. These types of “big accomplishments” are often celebrated by most organizations. But, you can celebrate in many other ways than the one you just mentioned. What if you celebrated when?
Are people willing to work extremely hard?
People delighted a customer?
Your organizational values were lived by people in an important or unique way.
Are people deserving of our gratitude?
Even if the project isn’t finished yet, people have reached a milestone.
These lists could be much longer, but you will notice a crucial difference. The first list is all about success and completion, while the second one is all about people. The first list is obvious and should be celebrated; however, the second list may surprise you more and hold greater significance for those being honored.
Celebrations that are successful are achieved when people are celebrating the right reasons and the reasons are clear to all involved.
Celebrate with a Positive Attitude
Have you ever been to a party that went wrong? It wasn’t all about the food, drink or environment. People are simply going through the motions and that is why many celebrations fail.
As if a leader arrives late and makes a proclamation, then rushes to his or her meeting.
