How do you celebrate your team's achievements without breaking the bank?

I developed a low-cost, high-impact, monthly recognition program for my department. It was a huge success. It praised individuals, team efforts, and it got non-performers to start changing their actions and attitudes so they could start getting positive recognition. This program obligated me to pay close attention to my people, I used the results to justify raises, and I saw promotion opportunities with people. For those who rarely received recognition, I had concrete data to use during performance reviews and coaching sessions. Now, as a solopreneur, I don't have people working for me and don't use my recognition program, but I still have it and wish others would/could use it. The work is done. It just needs usage.

The key to recognizing individual contributions is to identify what "form" makes the individual feel valued. One person may feel valued with a nominal gift or token when another may prefer "less ceremony" and a couple of hours off duty. Cater to what people value and makes them feel valued and watch them flourish.

A personal, heartfelt thank you note or verbal acknowledgment can be incredibly meaningful. Taking the time to personally express your appreciation for an individual's contribution can have a lasting impact. Create fun and meaningful awards that can be given to team members for different achievements.

As a manager of a high-performing team, celebrating milestones has been crucial for maintaining morale and motivation. Recently, when we reached a significant project milestone ahead of schedule, I organized a virtual game night and quiz about our project journey. This fun, inclusive celebration reflected our team's culture and helped everyone bond. Additionally, I created a team newsletter to showcase our achievements and shared it with the broader organization. These celebrations boosted team spirit and reinforced a sense of accomplishment, driving us to continue performing at our best.

Organise team sessions focused on reflecting on challenges and failures. Frame these discussions positively, focusing on lessons learned and how these insights can lead to improvement. Acknowledge and celebrate the resilience and effort shown by the team or individuals in the face of challenges. Recognising the hard work put into overcoming obstacles can be just as important as celebrating successes.

Hindsight is 20/20. We should always use our past successes and failures as learning moments. Guided reflection and analysis through Conversation Frameworks is a great way to reflect on the past. Post-mortems on steroids. The goal: repeat what went well on other projects and change strategies for those things that did not give the desired and needed outputs, outcomes, and results.

Offer opportunities for professional growth as a form of recognition. This could be access to online courses, webinars, or workshops that align with the team member’s interests and career goals. Offer team members the chance to lead a project or be part of a new, exciting initiative. This demonstrates trust in their abilities and provides them with a platform for growth.

True delegation with intentionality, growth and development, coaching, and mentoring. Stop the dumping! Start delegating or help those who need to learn how to delegate and hand-off activities and responsibilities by using a focused Conversation Framework on Delegation. Delegate well and with intentionality.

Sometimes just saying " Thank you" is enough to motivate people and show you can see they have tried hard. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just a polite thanks is sufficient.