Tips for Building Momentum with Small Wins

Change fatigue is real. And it's a major threat to any transformation effort. 😩 When initiatives drag on without visible progress, employees disengage. Resistance creeps in. Momentum fizzles out. The antidote? Quick wins. 🎉 Break your change plan into milestones. Celebrate each achievement along the way. Showcase teams who are successfully adopting the change. Share their stories and insights. Mark the retirement of old systems with a symbolic event. Toast to the future while honoring the past. Recognize employees who are going above and beyond. Highlight their impact. Remember, change is a marathon, not a sprint. People need proof that their efforts are making a difference. By commemorating the small victories, you sustain motivation for the long haul. Quick wins today lead to lasting transformation tomorrow. #ChangeManagement #EmployeeMotivation #CelebrateSuccess

Recently, I went on my first backpacking ⛺ trip. The entire time I was the epitome of small wins for the win 🌟 .      At the start, the steep up-hill climb into the mountains ⛰ felt endless. Despite my best efforts, it felt like I wasn’t making any progress at all. The static view of my own shadow was relentless, mocking 😤 me after each step. But finally, I turned around, and I saw just how far I’d come.     In that moment, both of these things were true for me:       - I was on an amazing journey. I felt overwhelmed by how far I had walked, and how beautiful 😍 the trip had been.       - This sucked. It was hard, I felt overwhelmed 😫 by how far I had to go, and there was no way I’d make it.     So often, I’ve felt this exact way as a logistics leader. When you're in the middle of a big project, or a major disruption, or even just a regular freaking peak season ... each day, meeting, or minute starts to feel impossible 😰 . It feels like there's no success in sight. Because as soon as you get a moment to breathe, damn it if something else doesn't go wrong.     Even though there is no time ⏳ for it, we have to plan and systematize our mindset. This is the moment to reflect (for yourself and your team) on what you have accomplished 🌿 . What are your small wins?  Trust me, you are making progress, and you need to recognize it.       I use my small wins process every week in my team meetings. We end every meeting by going around the room and telling a success story. It can be one we had ourselves, or it can be recognizing a teammate's success 🏆 . But it always takes priority, and we jettison all other items if time runs short.     How have you made recognizing small wins part of your processes?  #leadership #management #teambuilding #burnout #processimprovement 

Your companies success will be defined by how good you are at pulling out of stagnation or a “rut” In good times, praise from leadership is flowing, PR comes easy, big deals walk through the front door, raises and bonuses are generous. Everyone is winning and it feels good. But in tough times, pressure from the top is immense. Layoffs shake the foundations. Employees are working hard and yet again and again experiments fail. Morale starts to falter. Company politics become ugly. Some good employees disconnect and work at 20% efficiency. Some great employees walk away. Everyone feels like they are operating under fear. Is the great experiment falling apart? But at some point you have to take hold of the narrative. You have to change the tune and right the course. Here is how I have seen it done well... 1) Celebrate small wins. You might not be hitting targets yet, but are you beating last month? Are you widening the pipeline? Did you get a great feature out the door? Weekly meetings that are constant doom and gloom will sap a team’s energy and drive. You can not let a "culture of failure" take hold. 2) Leaders own mistakes. This one is critical. Accountability is vital to a company pulling out of stagnation. You need folks to not be pointing fingers and perpetuating a narrative of external blame. But that has to start at the very top. The leaders in your organization need to let the company know where they have fallen short and the changes they are making to fix it. When done authentically, that will galvanize the rest of the organization to embrace the same mentality. 3) Celebrate customers. I find few things energize folks like happy customer testimonials. Get them shared on social media, share internally on slack. Make sure your team is seeing these. The work you do at this company matters, it changes lives. You are a part of something bigger, and it’s all possible because of these customers. 4) Celebrate people. Who is going above and beyond to deliver for customers? Leadership recognition is more important than ever when folks are feeling unsteady in hard times. Recognition from who an employee views controls their salary is the recognition that is most appreciated. Be generous, and think experiences. I still remember three years ago, after a tough week, when my CEO sent me a giftcard to go eat at a really nice restaurant I would normally never splurge on. It was an experience for my wife and I and engendered a ton of good will.

Right now, I’m teaching my two girls how to surf 🏄🏻♂️ As a Dad, I have to tell myself not to over-teach, overreact, or get in their way as my girls are learning. It reminds me of running a remote team. Here’s 6 things you need to do both... ------ 1. Calm, far-reaching patience. I’m talking about the kind of patience where you can calmly explain how to do the same thing in five ways. Remember to be the "beginner", again. To teach my girls how to surf, I’ve needed to explain many times how to wait for the right, smallish waves. ------ 2. Let them fail. Yes this is hard. REALLY hard. But you have to be willing to let whoever you’re teaching or managing fail, because they’ll learn more when they do. (That goes for kids learning to surf and employees just starting out in your business.) Also, just learning how to handle failure—and react to it—is part of learning anything. ------ 3. Tiny successes = BIG wins. Tiny wins add up. Be excited to celebrate each one. For my girls, that’s watching them stand up on their surf boards on tiny waves for the first time. In your business, it might be watching your newest employee develop a skill she never knew she had. ------ 4. Embrace the beginner mindset. No one knows what you know. If you’re teaching or managing, be comfortable with that fact. Also, there are MANY, many basic things you don’t know you don’t know—until you face them for the first time. It’s called the beginner mindset. Welcome it. Embrace it. ------ 5. Expect varying degrees of fear and bravery. A “small wave” for me is huge for my girls as they’re learning how to surf. I watched my youngest approach the first small wave with a mix of fear and bravery. In business and in life, you usually get varying degrees of both fear and bravery. Expect both. ------ 6. Wins add up, if you don’t give up. Every day compounds. On Day #1, my youngest couldn’t stand up on her surfboard. By Day #3, she got better. She kept trying. That’s the win. If you’re managing a remote team, look for the small wins that have a compounding effect every day. ------ Final thought... If you’re managing a remote team, be willing to teach and learn every day. That’s how you lead. Tell me: What other lessons should be on this list?   🤜🏻 Like this? Drop a 👍🏻 below. ♻️ Repost if you found this useful ✍️ What am I missing? What other lessons do you need to know to run a remote team? #surfdad #girldad

The most powerful tool for workplace engagement and performance costs... $0. (and you already have it.) Gratitude. Most leaders and teams think success comes from pushing harder for results. Focusing solely on metrics. Demanding constant output. But here's what the research and best practices show about a culture of gratitude as appreciation and feedback: Teams where gratitude is expressed are... ➟ 70% more engaged (feeling seen & valued) ➟ 40% more resilient (bouncing back faster) ➟ 21% more productive (motivated by recognition) ➟ 4x more likely to stay (feeling connected & supported) Because gratitude isn't just a feeling. It's an engagement multiplier. It transforms average teams into exceptional ones. Think about it: When someone genuinely expresses appreciation for your work, or gives thoughtful feedback that helps you grow, you feel seen. Valued. You trust more. You can be your best self. That's why great leaders and thriving teams practice these daily: • They give specific encouragement: "Great job on the Q2 report, particularly how you analyzed X data point." • They offer constructive feedback with care: "Your presentation was strong, and adding a summary slide at the end could make it even more impactful." • They celebrate small wins: Not just major milestones, but the daily efforts that contribute. • They defend colleagues who aren't in the room: Speaking positively and with respect. • They respect boundaries and off-hours: Showing appreciation for personal time. • They lead with active listening: Truly hearing team members' challenges and ideas. • They offer help before being asked: Demonstrating support and valuing collaboration. • They include all voices: Ensuring everyone feels their contribution is appreciated. • They share knowledge freely: Fostering growth and collective success. • They give credit generously and publicly: Highlighting individual contributions to team success. We can make progress with strategy. But if we want to truly thrive, we need to pay attention to human connection. Nothing fuels performance, retention, and a positive culture more than genuine gratitude expressed as appreciation and constructive feedback. Make gratitude your workplace's competitive advantage. Your team will thank you. Your results will show it. Your legacy will reflect it. Want to transform your workplace culture? Start with gratitude. The rest will follow. How do you practice and receive gratitude (as appreciation or feedback) in your workplace?

Ted Lasso's Lessons in Safety Leadership 3.0 - "Small Wins & Listening" In the early episodes of Ted Lasso, the Greyhounds are not amused by the presence of Ted Lasso as their coach. Ted recognizes that and embarks on a 'listening' tour to understand the issues the team is facing. He picks one simple problem that has not been solved for years. Nice showers with strong water pressure. Having fixed this issue and shown genuine caring for the team, the ice between him and his team slowly starts to crack. It's a first step in gaining trust with the team. Quick wins have long been identified as a critical component of any change strategy. Chip Heath and Dan Heath call them 'small wins" and "shrinking the change in their book "Switch." John Kotter has used the term "quick wins' for decades in his approach to change. For safety professionals, here are some things you can do based upon Ted's leadership style: 1) Go out and listen to your team. Find out what's been bothering them. 2) To effectively listen, get out of your office and go to where the work is done (Go to Gemba!) 3) Find small, quick and visible interventions to improve safety. Don't shout about it. Let the team do the talking. 4) Do it again! You'll find that quick wins build trust and relationships! SafetyAnd Consulting Associates, Inc. #safety #safetyleadership

LinkedIn fam, it's great to be back with you for another week! Today let's talk about the power of incremental progress and the mindset of getting better every single day. As athletes, entrepreneurs, professionals, or simply as human beings, we all have goals and aspirations. Whether it's mastering a new skill, honing technique on or off the field, growing our business, or becoming the best version of ourselves, the journey to success is paved with small, consistent steps forward. Here are a few thoughts on how we can embrace the mindset of continuous improvement and strive for progress every day: 1. Set Small, Achievable Goals - Instead of focusing solely on the end goal, break it down into smaller, more manageable milestones. By setting achievable goals, we create a roadmap for success and build momentum with each small victory. Celebrate the progress, no matter how small, and keep moving forward. 2. Embrace the Process - Success isn't just about reaching the finish line; it's about enjoying the journey along the way. Embrace the process of growth and learning, and understand that every setback and challenge is an opportunity for growth. Trust in the process, stay committed to your goals, and keep pushing forward. 3. Learn from Failure - Failure is not the opposite of success; it's a stepping stone to success. It stings when we lose a game, especially when it's in the playoffs. But it's not failure, it's a learning opportunity that will help us get better. Embrace failure as a natural part of the learning process, and use it as an opportunity to reflect, learn, and grow. Each setback is a chance to course-correct and come back stronger than before. 4. Stay Consistent - Consistency is key to long-term success. Make a commitment to showing up every day and putting in the work, even when it's hard or when progress feels slow. Small, consistent actions over time lead to big results, so stay disciplined, stay focused, and stay consistent. 5. Surround Yourself with Support - No one achieves success alone. Surround yourself with a supportive community of mentors, peers, and teammates who inspire and encourage you to be your best self. Lean on their guidance, share your wins and challenges, and celebrate each other's progress along the way. Here's to embracing the journey of continuous improvement, to setting small goals, embracing the process, learning from failure, staying consistent, and surrounding ourselves with support. Together, let's commit to getting better every single day and creating the success and fulfillment we deserve. What small steps are you taking every day to progress and move closer to your goals? I encourage you to share them in the comments below! Together, let's inspire each other to keep pushing forward and never stop growing. #Progress #ContinuousImprovement #GrowthMindset #ForgedIngold