Troy Nix

2020 has changed the world in so many ways, some of which we will not fully understand for years to come. For my team, almost every goal we intended to accomplish this year was canceled or significantly altered. This can be disheartening for leaders and team members from top to bottom. Everyone likes the thrill of accomplishment and having to cancel or reimagine everything in your business can be overwhelming and discouraging.

However, this new era of business post-COVID also creates opportunities for new and innovative ways to do business and fill in gaps that were not there before.

Not hitting goals is something that my team dreads, but just because the 2020 landscape looks different doesn’t mean that there can’t be celebrations for small wins and victories. In fact, as a leader, if you are not finding ways to celebrate more now, you are missing the boat entirely. Celebrating small wins and small accomplishments are more important than ever for building individual and team morale and creating connectivity.

Many employees are motivated and find joy in the work itself, and sometimes that not just the end goal of the work, but the progress made towards the end goal. And don’t just take my word for it, science connects improved brain chemical flow directly to celebrations. An article recently published entitled, The Science of Celebration by Erin Wildermuth, relates the brain’s release of endorphins to those giddy feeling of being on top of the world. For me, developing ways to aid endorphin release for my employees is part of my leadership strategy – the release of dopamine is your own personal motivation machine! As Wildermuth explains, “Endorphins can be triggered by laughter, dopamine by reward, and serotonin by community.”

When was the last time you celebrated your employees for progress made? Time spent on celebrating your team’s small wins and progress will never be time wasted. It is time that will ultimately lead to more productivity in the end and accomplishing goals a regular event.

Look around your business – can you catch someone doing good? I encourage you to start tomorrow spreading kindness and celebration around your staff. It will come back to you two-fold.

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