Thank you for listening to The Champion Forum Podcast with Jeff Hancher! When it comes to new employees, a powerful way to build culture and independence is by celebrating the small wins. This simple but often overlooked activity will help you create star employees who understand what it means to succeed and feel valued by their company. Overall, small wins will help your company achieve its big-picture goals. Tune in to learn how to identify, create, and celebrate small goals on your team.
Identify the steps to success.
Leaders often miss the small milestones their new employees are meeting. Don’t forget that there are many little steps that will lead to your employee’s first big success. As a leader, you need to give those small steps just as much attention as the big project. Set your team up to win, even if it is a small win.
Q: Do you find it easier to look at the big picture or all of the small details? Why? Describe a time when you underestimated the work it would take to finish a project. How did it affect you? Your team?
Celebrate the small steps
We spend a lot of time celebrating our peak performers, but new employees often get missed because they aren’t providing excellent value at first as they learn their new positions. When you celebrate the small wins, you show your team that you appreciate their efforts and build their morale.
Q: Why do you think people don’t celebrate the small things? Have you ever been celebrated for what seemed like a small success? Describe the situation. How did you feel? How did it impact your effort and enthusiasm?
Set your employees up for greater success by helping them achieve incremental goals.
Get your employees in on the process! By bringing them into the process and understanding both the small and big-picture goals, you will help them be more invested in the process and its success. It can be especially gratifying when your team finds success together as everyone involved is recognized for their contribution.
Q: How do you approach goals with the people on your team? Describe the planning process. How do you follow up? Do you think everyone on your team understands their goals and responsibilities? Why or why not?
Reflect on these questions:
Do I make it a habit to celebrate the small wins as a leader?
How can I create an environment that allows people to achieve the small wins?
What recognition can I put into place so that everyone knows that their contributions, big or small, are valued?
Application Activities:
Break down one of the projects your team works on into small goals. Try to be as specific as possible. Which of those goals do you think is a good milestone? Which objective is more complex than it looks on the surface? Highlight 3-5 of those goals and show them to your team. Discuss how you will celebrate each of those goals and why they are essential to the bigger picture.
How well do you celebrate your team? If you’re not sure, take a look at your last performance review. What are your employees saying about you? How often are people leaving your team for jobs at other companies? What is the overall attitude of your team? You can also send out an anonymous survey or ask a mentor if you need more information. Take this feedback seriously and brainstorm a few ways to celebrate your team this month.
What reward system do you have for your team? I recommend setting up different levels of rewards to help keep your team feeling motivated and appreciated all year long. Yearly award banquets are a great place to start, but consider giving awards for significant milestones as well. For example, the first sale, first upsell, 10k month, etc. Make the awards specific for your industry, and keep it fun! Keep an eye on what kinds of rewards your team prefers (i.e., fun trophies, certificates, special dinners, etc.) If you don’t have a reward system set up, start by creating an award you can give out this month! Set yourself and your team up for an easy win.
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