Celebration Time?
It’s my birthday month and a time for celebration. I look forward to a party, presents, reflections and some memories from younger years. When taking some time to reflect I also realise that there are many events from the preceding months which also gave an opportunity to celebrate – yet some of these passed by, eclipsed by the busy routine of every-day life.
As in our personal lives sometimes our work celebrations can become routine and follow patterns of birthdays and anniversaries. A few positive comments at our performance appraisal are all we can expect. It can take months for us to be recognised for all that effort, hard work and the sheer genius of our outputs!
Why Should We Celebrate?
Quite simply it makes a difference! It energises individuals and motivates them to embrace new challenges. Success breeds success…
By taking time to sincerely celebrate success, no matter how big or small, confidence improves and the path to reach those large-scale future SMART goals is eased; not to mention, a celebration can give closure on goals that have been worked toward for a while, provide encouragement to continue and make every success even more worthwhile.
The Community Constable Approach
Other HR Professionals see themselves as in the business to support people, to ensure they have the tools they need and to guide behaviours around recruitment, retention and engagement. In our police analogy I would describe these as the ‘Community Constables’. They build relationships, look for places to add value, coach best practice, provide a support mechanism people can draw on when required and offer a reassuring presence within the organisation – showing that the community is being engaged and supported.
How Should We Celebrate?
In 2009 Kenneth Thomas stated that extrinsic [external] rewards played a dominant role in earlier work eras when work was generally more routine and bureaucratic and when complying with rules and procedures was paramount. Extrinsic rewards remain significant for workers, of course. Pay is an important consideration for most workers in accepting a job and unfair pay can be a strong de-motivator. However, after people have taken a job and issues of unfairness have been settled, we find that extrinsic rewards are now less important, as day-to-day motivation is more strongly driven by intrinsic rewards. Examples of extrinsic rewards include:
- Recognition
- Pay rise
- Bonuses
- Paid leave
- Awards
For many staff being recognised and valued for their contributions is key part of celebration – the monetary value of the celebration or reward becomes secondary to the value of being made to feel an important and having their work or achievements noticed and talked about.
In addition to extrinsic rewards we also encourage a coaching approach where great questions are asked to promote self-reflection that facilitate intrinsic rewards (which will also help build a high-engagement culture). You could ask someone:
- What have been your 3 greatest achievements?
- What surprises did you have through this process?
- What do you wish to acknowledge yourself for?
- How do you want to celebrate success?
So When Should We Celebrate?
Whenever we have success! Keep in mind that in order to get the most out of the celebration, it should be done immediately after accomplishing the objective. It is important to take time to celebrate each success in the goal setting process, from mini-goals all the way up to long-term SMART goals.
Who Should Celebrate Success?
Celebration doesn’t have to be a big deal. It can be something an individual does alone or something that is shared with others. Often the boss leads it and sometimes an individual (for example through their personal journaling) can celebrate success privately.
It just has to make the individual feel good and help them enjoy their accomplishment. Engagement doesn’t have to be expensive, we just have to remember that birthdays and anniversaries aren’t our only chance to smile and celebrate!
So When Should We Celebrate?
Whenever we have success! Keep in mind that in order to get the most out of the celebration, it should be done immediately after accomplishing the objective. It is important to take time to celebrate each success in the goal setting process, from mini-goals all the way up to long-term SMART goals. What do you do to celebrate your success, or someone that you manage?