The picture? That’s my youngest, proudly holding up two medals. What I love most about it isn’t the trophies — it’s how he carried himself afterwards. He showed them to family, a few friends, and then moved on. The next day, he didn’t even tell one of his coaches about the wins. That’s some serious leadership stuff. Celebrate the win... and then move on. It’s a great lesson in humility and keeping your eye on the next goal.
When I talk about celebrating small wins, I’m really getting at appreciating your people. Whether you’re working with colleagues, donors, or patients, you want them to feel good. Use that famous tip from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Celebrating your people isn’t just about pats on the back; it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels valued. And let’s face it, happy people work harder. When we celebrate the wins, big or small, we do several things:
Make them feel welcome
Motivate them to keep pushing
Energize them to bring their best
Help them feel smart
You might think celebrating small wins is no big deal, but trust me, it makes all the difference. When someone gets promoted or celebrates another year with your organization, take them out to lunch! It sounds small, but trust me, they care. My last manager used to take me out for my anniversary, my promotion, and my birthday. And we would grab lunch together even when it wasn’t a special occasion. Those moments allowed us to connect beyond just work, and honestly, it made me work harder.
This is especially important in the work-from-home world. Now, don’t get me wrong — work from home has its perks (so many!), but it can be tough on connection. And connection is the secret sauce.
I’ll never forget my first internship at an insurance company. On my very first day, the CEO took five minutes out of his busy schedule to come down and welcome me. I was 19, completely nervous, and had no idea what I was doing. But that gesture made me feel like I could take on the world. Small acts make huge impacts.
The reality is, you can’t always give someone a raise, but you can always offer them an atmosphere of encouragement and appreciation.
You might be thinking, “That sounds great, but how can I do this in real life?” Here’s the thing, it’s not as hard as you think. You don’t need a huge budget or grand plans. You just need to get creative and find ways to make your people feel special. When you focus too much on the negatives, it chips away at confidence, and we all know — confidence is king.
Here are a few simple ways to celebrate wins that will energize your office:
Highlight employees regularly, not just once a year. It could be a quick company-wide email like, “Meet Ron, he works in marketing. Ron enjoys spending time with his kids, watching movies, and writing. At work, he’s curious about leveraging AI to improve efficiency. If that’s your jam, email him at…”
Win a client, deal, or donor? Send out an email to the whole team. Thank everyone involved and share how excited you are about the success!
Lunch, coffee, breakfast, or a walk — plan some time to get together outside of the office. Whether it’s about work or just a casual catch-up, ask, “What’s going on with you?”
Idea Day: Pick one day a year to meet over lunch and share new ideas for anything and everything! Think of it as a Shark Tank episode, except everyone is nice. The most feasible idea is the next work project.
Gifts for tenure: Celebrate milestones by giving gift cards after every 5 years of tenure. Start small ($20 for 5 years) and increase the amount every five years. This is in addition to a lunch or a small party (with treats and coffee).
Being an empathetic organization really makes a difference. And beyond celebrating wins, check in on your people. Put down the phone, be present, and make sure your team is doing okay. Stress is higher than ever for many reasons. Let them talk about it if they need to. Paying attention to the signs is crucial in preventing burnout and spotting other issues.
And if you do win big, celebrate it! But only for a day. After that, it’s just bragging. 😄
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