One of your many responsibilities as a leader/manager is to keep track of progress, goals, and projects. You most likely already understand and follow the concept of breaking down large goals/projects into smaller, more achievable ones, but do you take the time to acknowledge the successful completion of those smaller goals? Even further – do you take the time to celebrate them? This is a very simple but powerful idea.
Breaking down large goals/projects to make them more manageable is only half of the story. As your employees complete the smaller steps, take the time to recognize and celebrate their success. In doing so, you will not only highlight the results of their efforts, but also underline the progress that is made towards the larger goal/project. Help your employees to see both the obvious and the not-so-obvious.
There are many ways to recognize the results of your employees’ efforts. Use your imagination and get creative. For example, you can use an existing meeting as an opportunity to note the latest success. Taking a few minutes to personally praise each person’s work is a very positive and personal way to encourage further success (of course the number of employees directly involved with the project will limit your ability to do this). Something as simple as buying bagels or pizza to mark the successful completion of each stage can be very effective. Whatever you do will send a message, so take the opportunity to send the right kind of message. By recognizing your employees for their hard work and underlining the successful completion of each step, you will encourage people to move forward and help them to see the progress brought on by their efforts.
