Top 10 Ways to Build a Culture of Celebration

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Do you ever pause to celebrate when your team wins?

Celebration is essential, you know. At least it is if you want to stay the course long enough to have any hope of reaching your preferred future.

Arriving at your preferred future, or even enough milestones on the journey to be confident you will arrive one day, absolutely requires the kinds of celebrations that build endurance and perseverance.

So...do you ever celebrate when your team wins?

There are several reasons we fail to celebrate wins.

We may come from a long line of non-celebratory grinders. Keep your head down and your nose clean. And just get the job done.
We may feel like pausing to celebrate will result in lost momentum.
We may work in an organization that doesn't encourage celebration or even frowns on it.
Or we may simply not be investing the right amount of energy in building a team culture of celebration.

I don't know about you, but I want it to be said that, "It must be fun to be on the Groups Team. They work hard and they're always celebrating!"

So, if you're new to the idea of celebrating wins and you want to grow in your capacity to celebrate, here are some ideas:

Keep a supply of Thank You cards and never miss an opportunity to say, "You did an awesome job!" It also helps to include a Starbucks gift card along with your note of appreciation (or Einstein's Bagel, Duncan Donuts. Panera Bread, etc.)
Bring in coffee and treats spontaneously (Note: Start by paying attention to the coffee orders of your teammates).
Hijack the team meeting agenda and take the team out to lunch. If you have a volunteer team and your meetings tend to happen in the evening, make it appetizers or dinner.
Arrange for some "spontaneous" fun. Take your team to play putt putt, drive go-carts, an escape room, laser tag, paint ball, or anything that drives laughter and fun. And don't forget to celebrate the winners!
Add the practice of celebrating small wins in your meetings. Take the time to tell stories about "winning" groups, group leaders and coaches.
Give out trophies, plaques or the "game ball." These can be inexpensive and fun. Just remember to make a big deal about the winner.
Send a company-wide email to highlight wins. Don't forget to name names!
Including senior leaders whenever possible elevates the celebration. When your boss pops in to celebrate with the team it deepens the sense of accomplishment.
Celebrate Birthdays! Cards from everyone. Cake. Gifts. Even balloons.
Celebrate the personal wins of your team members. Family wins, health wins, graduations, accomplishments and promotions all beg to be celebrated.

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