What do you do when your colleague experiences a success? Do you share a ‘congratulations’ or a ‘good job’ and then head back to work? In our non-stop fast paced world it’s easy to forget to take time to reflect on achievements and only focus on the next steps.
This might not seem like an important or urgent issue, but celebrating success actually drives a team forward. Here’s why success should be shared and celebrated as part of your job:
Happy teams are successful teams
A very simple reason to celebrating success at work: it’s fun. Camaraderie and a positive work environment are important contributors to happiness at work. And we know happy teams are strong teams. As a remote team is it especially important to make successes visible troughout the company. This helps to feel connected with the colleagues you don’t see everyday and feel more as one team.
Negatives vs. positives balance
Our brains are wired to focus more on the negatives and forget about the positives, and that’s especially true in a work environment, where you are expected to do a good job and quickly fix any mistakes you might make.
Therefore, to keep a good balance, the positives need to get extra attention to stand out between the negatives that weigh more heavy. So celebrate them and give them a little bit more attention than you normally would; think superhero capes and bottles of champagne.
Motivation and engagement
Recognizing success is very powerful, especially when it’s public. Regocnition by celebrating success makes people feel more competent and valued which increases motivation and engagement (and in turn productivity). It also works as a positive reinforcement to contribute to team goals and it boosts self esteem. Research even shows that employees value recognition as more important than money.
What is your personal success moment of the week? No matter how big or small, take the time to celebrate!
