Our people crave woo-hoos, high-fives, fist bumps, and applause.
Instead we question them in meetings, overrule them in emails, and judge them in performance reviews.
Which is all rather unnecessary because they already question their self-worth and judge their performance on a daily basis. Is flaming their self-doubt really the best use of our role as their leader?
What they really need from us is a spotlight on their wins, a highlighter for their progress, and limelight for their successes. Our people need us to celebrate them!
What does celebration look like?
- a shout-out: “You’re a rock star! “Great idea!” “Congratulations!”
- a compliment: “Your report was solid.”
- a progress marker: “I’m so impressed with how you are managing this project.”
- an effort acknowledgement: “I love that you took a chance to improve it.”
- a good news advancement: “The client loves it. Great work!”
And the reality is that it’s a lot more fun to lead people in celebration than it is to lead them in condemnation.
ps. Thursday January 21 is “Thank Your Mentor Day” – a perfect time to start celebrating others!