In the course of day-to-day business dynamics, we can sometimes get so caught up in the fast-paced flow that we miss the crucial small building blocks to a more successful future. It is always very exciting to celebrate the big wins—those large sales, the completion of a significant project, the implementation of a new system or technology, and many more large-scale initiatives that are completed in a timely and productive fashion. This is when there is a special excitement in the air at the organization.
Celebrating those big wins deserves the attention they receive. It acknowledges for everyone involved that the organization has taken another step forward along the path to success. Unfortunately, organizations don’t take the time for more subtle but equally important smaller wins by individuals and departments that are achieved and directly contribute to the organization’s growth.
An organization’s growth is built upon the direct growth and contribution of the individuals who strive for excellence within the business. Although the business brand might be attached to the win, the people ultimately make it happen. In all the years spent with very successful organizations, we have yet to witness an entity achieving a victory. It takes a team of people focused on achieving a new level of excellence to bring the win home.
What causes the team members to pursue higher levels of contribution continually? Celebrating the small wins along the path to the big win. It seems almost too obvious when you read this statement, but too often, leadership at various organizational levels take the small wins for granted. They chalk them up to people just doing their jobs. How small is that thinking?
We are not suggesting that each step forward be celebrated. For example, suppose you have witnessed a baby’s first steps. In that case, the room is filled with major celebrations, with lots of recognition and reinforcement for the child in this significant step (pun intended) forward. The next day, when the child again steps forward, the celebration almost does not exist from the onlookers. There might be some added reinforcement from the parents but no major celebration. We could view the first steps as the big win and, thus, the major celebration. The following steps over the course of a few days are, in fact, celebrated but on a more intimate level. The parent coaches and encourages the effort and resulting progress of the child’s steps. Mentoring or coaching with the child is a small but critical celebration, motivating the child to continue to take risks and improve.
As leaders, we need to take the time to coach and mentor in the small wins with our teams and the individuals that make them up. Each small win builds on more successive wins, each being another step toward the organization’s progress.
This week, take extra steps to recognize the small wins in your organization. First, acknowledge the small wins with individuals and teams. Second, use coaching and mentoring to elevate the small wins and link them back to the contribution being made and how that ties in with the organization’s goals and strategies. Pass along your small wins behaviors to your other leaders so they also recognize and coach small wins with their teams.
By building on both small and large wins, the organization celebrates growth along the path to success, not just at the end. This fuels the energy to navigate the slow, distracted times. The behavior is straightforward. It just takes a conscious commitment to recognizing it and making it happen.
Need a Promise Guide to work with you to assist in the acknowledgement of your small and big wins? Contact JKL Associates at MI (313) 527-7945 or FL (40-7) 984-7246
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