Have you ever stopped to think how successful a hockey team would be if they didn’t celebrate each and every goal they score? Or any sports team every time they put a point on the board? You sat in the stands and wondered what would happen if they didn’t. Hockey teams celebrate every goal. It doesn’t matter if they are losing, they still celebrate every time they put the puck in the back of the net.
So why do companies seem to ignore small goals? In small business IT consulting, leaders seem to overlook when their staff achieve the smallest win and sometimes even overlook the big wins in their business. These are the same companies I talk to when they’re struggling, when workplace morale is low, or when they’re on a losing streak with customers leaving.
In hockey, when teams struggle to win games, they still celebrate every goal scored by every player on the team. The same should happen in your business. I once worked with a company that lost some good clients for various reasons and most of them were not service related, just a turn in the economy and few of their clients decided to merge with other companies and their services were no longer maintained. They lost four clients, however, they also gained three new ones in the same time period.
When talking about what was going on with the business, the executive was so focused on the business that they lost, that he didn’t realize that they had just scored three goals and if this was a hockey game, they would have lost 4-3 that night. . Do you think every Stanley Cup dynasty hasn’t lost a few games 4-3 on the season? When the focus on the negative is allowed to continue, a 4 – 3 loss will turn into a 2 and then a 3 and before you know it, you’ll have some serious challenges.
Leaders of any organization need to celebrate every goal they score and every win they win. This includes when a member of your team achieves a new certification or skill and when he wins a new client. Celebrations must be done as a team. You can queue up all your little wins for one big monthly gathering; however, recognition must also occur immediately. It can be done by posting it on your internal website, an email to your team, or a special entry in your company newsletter, and then having a monthly celebration with your entire team. Take an early Friday afternoon and have a company function where everyone is privy to every accomplishment.
When customers are involved in your victories, it is very important that you invite them to celebrate your victory as a company. Remember, they were the reason for your victory. If you win an award in your industry it is because you were allowed to use their name for this victory. Including them is a good measure for ongoing relationships with your customers.
The minimal dollar investment to have a celebration of your wins will translate into greater employee loyalty, especially in this world of hard to find skilled team members. Increased employee and customer loyalty will eventually translate into additional revenue for your company.
It’s also okay to celebrate in private, if you’re a sales or technical professional at an IT consulting company doing something you’re proud of; it is perfectly acceptable to celebrate your victories with yourself. This self-recognition will lead to an increase in your self-confidence because you know that you have what it takes.
When you celebrate every goal you score, every point your team scores, you’ll be on your way to winning the Stanley Cup of your own world.