How to Recognize and Celebrate Team Achievements

Recognition- Adding a Sweet Creative Twist… As promised here are some ways to creatively recognize and appreciate the hard work and achievements of our teams by using Starbursts, the Pillsbury Dough Boy, the California Raisins, an ET figurine, and even a Tootsie Roll! Star of the Week: Just like Starbursts bring a burst of flavor, recognize outstanding performance with the "Star of the Week / Month" award. This recognition can honor an individual who consistently goes above and beyond expectations, shining brightly in their role. Present them with a jar full of Starbursts, symbolizing their stellar efforts. Making the Dough: Salespeople play a vital role in driving business success. Acknowledge their accomplishments by awarding the "Making the Dough" recognition award. The Pillsbury Dough Boy can represent their ability to knead through challenges and continuously deliver while bringing home the dough! Gift them with a Pillsbury Dough Boy figurine and a basket of tasty baked goods. Raising the Bar: When someone exceeds expectations with an exceptional performance, it's time to raise the bar! The California Raisins, famous for their soulful performances, can represent this achievement. Present the deserving team member with a California Raisins figurine and a ticket to a concert or an event of their choice. Out of this World: When someone achieves something extraordinary, like a salesperson closing a hefty deal or a team accomplishing a remarkable project, it's time to celebrate their "Out of this World" performance. An ET figurine can symbolize their extraordinary effort and dedication. Accompany this recognition with a movie ticket to a sci-fi blockbuster or just let them out of the office to experience the world. On a Roll: Recognizing consistency is essential too. When someone is on a roll, hitting targets consistently, it's time to acknowledge their winning streak. Present them with a Tootsie Roll, representing their continuous success, and a personalized certificate highlighting their achievements. (There are tons of great examples using sweets as a form of recognition.) Remember, recognition is not just about rewards but also about engineering a positive work environment. Peer-to-peer recognition can be as impactful as formal recognition programs. By mixing it up and utilizing these iconic figures into our recognition efforts, we can create a climate of camaraderie, motivation, and appreciation in the workplace. It’s up to you to make recognition a sweet and memorable experience that impacts your culture! PS - Because these figurines are hard to find buy them once and then let the employee keep it for a month. Create a certificate for them to keep and place in their workspace. #Question what other creative ways can you think of to recognize great effort and accomplishments? Thank you as always for letting me share and take good care! #Recognition #CreativeRecognition #petehinojosa #thoughtleadership

TRANSFORMATION from near IMPOSSIBLE TO POSSIBLE comes down to PEOPLE 🚀 Back in 2007, the Icehouse brand faced fierce headwinds—shifts in consumer preferences left it overshadowed by trendy imports and cheap light beers. The challenge? Transform years of decline into growth. The answer? People. Crafting a vision and rallying internal and external forces required more than strategy; it demanded a deep belief in change. So, how did this dedicated team turn the tide? ✅ Consumer Focus: Identified a specific target—the 'Wolfpack,' mid-20s enthusiasts. ✅ Unique Product Offering: Embraced the distinct "ice" brewing process. ✅ Geographic Precision: Concentrated efforts in Mid Atlantic and the Southeast. ✅ Strategic Partnership: Aligned with Maxim Magazine for instant brand elevation. ✅ Galvanizing Momentum: Sparked belief and activated the system. But here's the often-forgotten finale: CELEBRATION! Our team deserved more than a pat on the back. Our WOLFPACK—those remarkable individuals behind the resurgence—deserved personal recognition. Enter custom Bobbleheads. Why Bobbleheads? Because they embody fun, uniqueness, and individuality—just like our team. Seeing them as athletes, I wanted to create a keepsake that puts the spotlight on their incredible achievement. Maybe Dwight Schrute from The Office was on to something. 😂 (PHOTO: My Bobblehead that have a keepsake to remember this moment AND as a reminder to do something special for others) Reflecting on this, I'd love to hear about impactful ways you've recognized or paid tribute to your team. Let's celebrate accomplishments in the most personal and memorable way possible! 🏆 #CultureFIRSTleadership #TeamRecognition #SuccessStory #BobbleheadMagic #culturetransformation

I’m repeatedly amazed at how many of the lessons I learned in improv translate to leading teams and organizations. Here’s another great one: Make your partner look good! Research by Goleman and Boyatzis (2008) emphasizes the significance of making your partner shine, not just for personal growth but for the collective success of your team and organization. When you actively work to make your partner look good, several incredible things happen: FOSTERING TRUST AND COLLABORATION Trust is the glue that holds any team together. By showcasing your partner's strengths and achievements, you're reinforcing the trust within your team. When your teammates see that you genuinely want them to succeed, collaboration becomes second nature. ENHANCED PROBLEM SOLVING Teams that amplify each other's strengths are better equipped to tackle complex challenges. By focusing on your partner's talents, you're essentially creating a powerhouse of skills that can tackle any problem head-on. BOOSTING MORALE Celebrating your partner's successes can be a morale booster for the entire team. It creates a positive atmosphere that encourages everyone to strive for excellence. YOUR OWN GROWTH By helping your partner shine, you also shine brighter. The act of empowering others fuels your own growth as a leader and contributes to your professional development. Let's challenge ourselves to put this into practice daily! Comment or share and tag a colleague who exemplifies this rule. #Leadership #Teamwork #improv #Empowerment #MakeYourPartnerLookGood #Growth #executivepresence #leadershippresence #organizationalleadership #strategicdoing Reference: Goleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. E. (2008). Social intelligence and the biology of leadership. Harvard Business Review, 86(9), 74-81.

Not enough product development teams focus on celebrating wins. There is always a next project, a new problem, a metric that is not quite right. Many product development teams bounce from one project, issue, and bug to the next without the proper appreciation for what they just delivered and how it helped the customer and company. Sometimes this is done in retros, but in my experience much more time is focused on "what could be done better" than on "what went well" because in our culture we have been trained to improve. My observation within teams that celebrate wins is that they have a better appreciation for what went well and they can tie that into future projects. They also have better morale because they feel a stronger sense of accomplishment. My hope is that more teams will take a moment to pull back, especially after big projects, and appreciate what they delivered. The celebration of a win does not have to be huge. It can be as simple as a Slack message -- "The developer experience team shipped a new API version that cut down on latency by 17%, and we got 3 notes from appreciative customers within the first week." Or, for big projects, it can be a happy hour or even more extravagant. I tend to like mini golf outings, but that's a personal preference. Pause for a moment to celebrate the wins. You will build stronger teams for it.

Every week I send out individually written birthday cards to members of my team.    It’s one of my favorite parts of leadership.    Why?    Because personalization communicates care.  And not just general care - but individualized care.    As our world becomes more infatuated with AI and automation, I’m convinced that handwritten notes and the like will become a highly valuable commodity.    More so than it already is.    Here are 3 ways as a company leader you can include personalization into your culture:    1. Individual Recognition and Appreciation   -Tailor recognition  Recognize and appreciate employees in ways that resonate with them personally.    This could involve public recognition for those who thrive on external validation or private, heartfelt acknowledgments for those who prefer discretion.   -Celebrate individual milestones Acknowledge personal milestones like work anniversaries, successful completion of projects, or personal achievements like educational advancements.    2. Offer Personalized Development Opportunities   -Customized learning paths Understand each team member's career goals and offer learning opportunities that align with them.   This could include specialized training, mentorship programs, or attendance at relevant workshops and conferences.   -Regular, personalized feedback Provide regular and constructive feedback tailored to each individual's work style and development needs.    3. Foster an Inclusive and Empathetic Leadership Style   -Be an active listener  This means fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what is being said.    -Empathetic approach Understand and acknowledge the unique challenges and situations of each team member.    IT Voice’s tagline is: World-Class Technology, Home-Town Service   That hometown service starts with me - the CEO.  It starts with how I treat the people in our building.    *How do you make individual team members feel valued?

Do we take saying 'thank you' for granted? My husband started a new job last week and is just getting to know the team he is leading. Yesterday a delivery of 70 cases was received and needed to be put away before they opened for business. One of the women on his team happily jumped in to help. She worked expeditiously and with a smile. After everything was put away, he said “Thank you for helping.” ✅ No big deal, right? ❌ Wrong! 🎇 It was a big deal to her. My husband was taken back by the appreciative look on her face. He said she looked as though this was the first ‘thank you’ she had ever received. To my husband, saying ‘thank you’ to an employee is his norm. To her, it meant she was seen. It was recognition of her effort. It was encouragement to keep going. I couldn’t help wonder about the leadership style of my husband’s predecessor. Had he taken the team for granted? Did he assume they weren’t capable of performing the physical aspects of the job because of their gender? Had he just lost site of simple norms of politeness? Rewards and recognition are important parts of motivating and engaging employees. The most effective rewards and recognition programs are flexible and adaptable to individual needs. Some people cringe at the idea of being publicly acknowledged for a job well done and others thrive on it. Some people live for the competition and the award, bonus or promotion that comes with winning; while others value the mission and shine from seeing the collective success of the team. One leader with whom I had the pleasure to work with, gives all her new hires a questionnaire specifically on what motivates them and how they prefer to be recognized. Simple and effective! Employees appreciate being asked and she ensures her recognition efforts produce the intended, positive results. As you work to wrap up the year, consider what your team members have accomplished, both big and small wins. Recognize their achievements. And don’t forget the power of a THANK YOU! #thankyou #employeeengagement #motivation #rewardsandrecognition

This past weekend, Chattanooga gave Usher Raymond the key to the city! This beautiful and overdue gesture made me think about the importance of showing appreciation - especially leaders. We recognize big public achievements, but what about the everyday contributions within our teams? As leaders, here’s how we can make sure our appreciation really hits home: 1. Timeliness: Don’t delay praise. Recognize achievements as they happen. 2. Consistency: Frequent acknowledgments are more impactful than once-a-year accolades. 3. Authenticity: Genuine appreciation goes a long way. Regular, heartfelt thanks mean more than empty gestures. 4. Personalization: Understand each team member’s preferences. Not everyone enjoys public praise; some prefer a private note or a quiet thank-you. To all leaders already doing this—keep up the great work! And if you haven’t started, it’s never too late to show your team they are valued. There are plenty of resources to guide you. Appreciation is crucial. Let’s make it meaningful!

As someone who has managed large institutional projects, I've learned a few valuable tips along the way that have proven instrumental in ensuring success. First and foremost, thorough planning is paramount. Take the time to develop a comprehensive project plan that outlines clear objectives, milestones, timelines, and responsibilities. Engage stakeholders early on to gather input and ensure alignment with organizational goals. Communication is another key factor in the success of large institutional projects. Establish regular channels of communication with stakeholders at all levels, keeping them informed of progress, challenges, and decisions. Transparency and open dialogue foster trust and collaboration, enabling teams to overcome obstacles and stay focused on achieving project goals. Additionally, effective risk management is essential when undertaking large institutional projects. Anticipate potential risks and develop contingency plans to mitigate them. Regularly monitor and assess risks throughout the project lifecycle, adjusting strategies as needed to address emerging challenges and uncertainties. Finally, celebrate milestones and recognize achievements along the way. Acknowledge the hard work and dedication of team members, and take the time to celebrate successes, both big and small. Positive reinforcement boosts morale, motivates teams, and reinforces a sense of accomplishment, driving momentum towards project completion. By following these tips and leveraging best practices in project management, large institutional projects can be successfully executed, delivering value and driving positive outcomes for the organization and its stakeholders. #Construction #Trends #TeamMembers #Communication #Collaboration #Innovation

As a Scrum Master, have you ever experienced a retrospective rut? Where it appears like there's nothing to talk about or there's no improvement items for the team to come up with? You have checked and it doesn't look like a case of "lack of awareness" on the team's part...there's just nothing. Try these instead: 1. Look outside your blind spot: Seek feedback from those with external perspectives. Ask for feedback from stakeholders, customers, or other teams. External perspectives can provide valuable insights and help the team uncover blind spots or potential areas for growth. 2. Celebrate your wins/successes: If the team has recently experienced a successful sprint or achieved their goals, it's an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments. Use the retrospective as a platform to acknowledge and appreciate their hard work. Discuss what went well, what contributed to their success, and how they can continue to build on those achievements. It doesn't always have to be "what's not working?" 3. Reflect on Team Dynamics: Use the retrospective as an opportunity to reflect on the team's dynamics and relationships. Discuss how well they are working together, whether there are any areas for improvement in terms of collaboration or communication. Encourage open and honest dialogue to foster a supportive and high-performing team environment. 4. Review Current Processes: Review your DoR, DoD or team working agreement. Take maturity assessments...they could also show areas that we are missing. 5. If applicable, revisit and prioritize old issues that came up in past retros...the ones that were voted down. Remember, the retrospective is not just about discussing problems but also about celebrating successes and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. As a Scrum Master, your role is to facilitate the retrospective and guide the team towards meaningful discussions and actions, even when there may not be many specific issues to address. #ScrumMaster #Retrospective #ContinuousImprovement #TeamDynamics #Celebration #scrummasters