How to Celebrate Success at Work

As a culture, Brits approach success differently. We either don’t acknowledge our achievements or try to minimise them. In the workplace, we’ve created a culture of overworking and over productivity, where our successes get lost in the daily grind. Take a step back and look at what your team has achieved.  

The truth is, celebrating success is a compelling motivator. As a team leader, it’s important to recognise your team’s efforts to keep them engaged outwardly. Unfortunately, 39% of employees feel under-appreciated at work and are 2x more likely to disengage at work.  

So, how can leaders keep their teams engaged? And how can you create a culture of celebration at work that teams respond to? 

How to keep teams engaged and celebrate success at work 

The best way to keep team members engaged is to celebrate their achievements. Leaders are 30x more likely to engage employees actively if they focus on their strengths. 69% of employees say they would work harder if they received regular feedback, showing just how important it is to acknowledge their efforts and provide positive feedback.  

To create a culture of celebration in the workplace and celebrate success at work, try implementing some of the following things in your leadership practice. 

Start meetings with praise 

Meetings can be a drag, especially if the whole time is focused on what went wrong or what didn’t get done. This creates fear among team members surrounding meetings, making them much less productive.  

However, if you keep a log of small achievements during the work week and open the meeting with those, the team feels at ease, recognised and energised. As a result, they will be much more likely to continue achieving and problem-solve to achieve more.  

Make time for kudos and make it meaningful 

There’s no point in giving out praise that isn’t sincere. In fact, insincere praise can actually damage relationships by appearing passive-aggressive and condescending. So instead, praise something specific, like the hours it took to pull together a pitch presentation or thanks for helping out with a specific problem.  

Be timely about giving out praise, too. If the help and response were fast, like someone coming in to help you with something small, thank them immediately. However, if the work is building up to something larger, like hosting an event or launching a campaign, let things calm down and return to normal before congratulating them for their success. 

Take time for company celebrations 

Company celebrations, like dinners, parties and days out, create bonds among team members that will positively impact the workplace. If a project has gone well, or you’re just relieved to get to the end of it, celebrate it by doing something as a company.  

The team will have just completed something stressful as a group, and it’s beneficial for them to relax together. It’s a gesture that will leave the team feeling relaxed, refreshed and appreciated, and motivated to achieve more.  

Remember, celebrating success helps you work better 

Unsurprisingly, 78% of employees are motivated to do more when they feel recognised and celebrated. It’s time we shed the notion of overworking and underappreciation.  

Managers will see a rise in success and engagement by celebrating those successes, and team members will be less likely to churn out of the workforce.  

Consider how you will go forward and the ways you will celebrate success at work.