When people feel valued and respected they tend to perform better. Creating an environment in our organization that practices rewards and recognition goes a long way to improving engagement and morale. When employees feel appreciated they function better, care more about quality, and can even boost the morale of others. Most people feel good when they receive praise for a job well done, or celebrate a win. Inspiring people to keep up the good work is not just part of a leader’s job. It’s part of everyone’s job. It’s up to us to make sure our associates feel like a part of the company. Nothing encourages this type of work environment like celebrating wins as a team and sharing in our co-worker’s success.

We are all motivated for different reasons. Surprisingly, monetary rewards are not always the best way to acknowledge someone’s efforts. We should always remember that human beings are fundamentally social creatures and celebration is fundamental for social connections. When we celebrate together it helps us to identify with, and feel that we belong to, a team or organization. When we experience this feeling of belonging and identifying, it strengthens our feelings of loyalty, and helps to build a strong uplifting work culture.

Achievement is not just about getting from one project to another. It’s about promoting a way of working that nurtures creativity, raises job satisfaction, and cultivates relationships. When we recognize our team for making progress, we produce a team that “wants” to make progress. Its up to us as leaders and team members to find opportunities to recognize and appreciate each other. When people feel unappreciated they are often open to opportunities at other companies. Many say they would work harder at their current position if their efforts were recognized, even if infrequently. If we are concerned about our associates looking for other opportunities just think for a moment about the effects of unappreciated people that stay.