Did you know that according to a study by Socialcast, 69% of employees would work harder if they felt like their company better appreciated their efforts? It’s inherent in human nature to appreciate rewards and praise when one excels, whether it comes from the company, a manager, or a coach. This not only boosts individual motivation but also fosters the development of high-performance teams.

Developing High-Performance Teams

An integral makeup of a high-performance and resilient team is the establishment of both short-term and long-term goals that can be celebrated upon achievement. Celebrating success is a powerful motivational tool. It releases endorphins that reinforce the amazing feeling of seeing your hard work pay off.

Celebrating success also shows appreciation for team members and demonstrates how to show up for new challenges and obstacles. It builds confidence and self-esteem needed to accomplish bigger goals.

Why Celebrate After a Win?

Take, for example, the intense training to become a whitewater rafting guide. Think 12-hour days in freezing, early-spring temperatures combined with overcoming all types of obstacles. Think of being pinned underwater while your life jacket is caught on a rock. Think swimming through a Class 5 rapid—without a raft.

One of the best and most memorable parts of the training, though, is the celebration that comes after. Traditionally, experienced rafters create fun team-building exercises to celebrate rookies “surviving” the training. Experienced rafters, like accomplished business leaders, realize that celebrating success is a big part of leadership.

Before jumping into celebrating success, though, consider the following questions to determine how to best serve your team:

• Think about your goals and objectives for your team. How can you ensure your team celebrates success after accomplishing the desired goals?
• How can you make your team members feel valued and appreciated for their hard work depending on their needs?
• What would your team value the most in terms of a celebration? What would mean the most to them?
• How do certain members feel about celebrating success? Do they like being in the spotlight or would they rather have a personal celebration?

Now that you understand what your plan is for celebrating and how your team might want to be recognized, what are some ways, big and small, that you can celebrate success?

1. Sharing Internally and Externally – When your team achieves a victory, share the success both within the company and externally. This can be done through internal channels such as bulletins and the company newsletter, as well as externally on social media. This demonstrates to your team how proud you are of them.
2. Recognition During a Meeting – Recognize the team and the work that they have accomplished during a team meeting or have them present their project. This allows them to be celebrated by their peers and to show off their hard work.
3. Retreat or Party – For significant achievements, consider planning a celebration or retreat for your team if it aligns with the budget. This demonstrates appreciation for their substantial success and fosters a positive team spirit where they can celebrate together in a big way.
4. Team Lunch – Something as simple as ordering food for the team or all getting together to go out for a meal and activity could be a fun way to celebrate together. Make sure it’s known, though, that this get-together is in celebration of the win.
5. Bonuses – Recognize hard work with bonuses, whether monetary or in the form of extra time off. Providing incentives demonstrates appreciation for employees’ efforts and motivates them to continue delivering exceptional performance.

Recognizing your team and celebrating success is extremely important to building confidence, morale, and motivation. Next time you are setting goals for your team, make sure you have a plan in place on how to celebrate their success also!