Celebrating during the tough times might be even more important than celebrating when times are good. Good celebrations should happen because of, and in spite of, tough times.
I like a good celebration. I'm guessing you like to celebrate too. And what about the people you work with - do they like to celebrate? So if most everybody likes to celebrate, how often do they get the opportunity? Regrettably, celebrations at work don't happen very often.
Why celebrate?
- It creates camaraderie, essential to teamwork
- A celebration recognises and commemorates something worthwhile or important
- A celebration can reward an individual or team for the good work they've done
- It is just plain fun, and fun not only makes the workplace more enjoyable, it raises energy levels as well
Companies, on average, don't celebrate enough when times are good. They definitely don't celebrate enough when times are tough. With budget cuts and belt-tightening, lots of good stuff disappears.
Celebrating individual success proves how much you value the person. I've yet to work with a company where employees told me the company celebrated them too much. More often I get the comment that "... no matter how hard we work, nobody seems to notice".
Organisational success needs to be celebrated too. Business is off 30% this year? Maybe you should celebrate that it isn't off 50%! I am pretty sure that the downturn your company is experiencing isn't your fault, or the fault of your employees, so why not celebrate anyway? Maybe people will feel a little better about themselves and where they work. And they'll feel a little less down about the challenges and travails of the times.
Here's a crash course in becoming a world-class celebrator:
- Celebrate frequently - You're familiar with the old adage, "Life is short. Eat dessert first". I think we should also remember: "Life is short. Celebrate often".
- Celebrate big and celebrate small - Most people are familiar with the expensive celebrations (off-sites, restaurants, sporting events, invite your spouse, etc.). Done less well are the little celebrations. Bringing in donuts one morning to celebrate "beginning of the week" or "end of the week" (or both!) is an example.
- Celebrate creatively - Don't just think dollars (cost), think different (creative). Throwing money into a celebration won't necessarily make it a success, and in times like these, that probably isn't an option anyhow. Instead, consider what little things you can do to note, recognise and reward individual and team success. Start with the basic '3 Fs': food, fellowship and fun. How can you enhance each when you celebrate?
- Involve others - Rotate who is in charge of celebrations. Don't get caught in a "party committee" trap. Different people will bring different perspectives on how to celebrate.
- Don't worry - Some celebrations will be silly, a little goofy or imperfect. So what? I'd rather be occasionally silly than permanently rigid. While I am a big believer in results, celebrations are a good example of how intentions can sometimes be as important as the outcomes they create. Most people will appreciate the intention behind a good celebration, even the imperfect and silly ones.
So what are you going to celebrate this month?