Dear friend and former colleague Kees last week sent me this picture. Immediately my thoughts returned to one of the most impressive projects I have been part of: the transition of more than a thousand bank employees to the technology organisation we were working at.

Being part of the HR Transition Team we worked really hard back then, often literally day and night. On the eve of the official transfer date we had managed to complete the main challenges, and the atmosphere in the teams was better than we could have hoped for at the beginning of the project.
So we decided to celebrate!
Dressed up in our party clothes we spent the evening at the office, formally handing over badges and documentation to all our new colleagues. At midnight bottles of champagne were opened and we toasted with our newly joined teams.

This of course was a great happening and definitely a reason to celebrate. Yet, do we always have to wait for such occasion? What about the smaller events, how do we celebrate them if they go well? Do we celebrate?

Celebrations can be held and felt in individuals as well. Let me ask you: what was the last time somebody gave you a compliment? Think back to that occasion and remember the emotion it gave you. How did the world look and feel the rest of the day?
Actually when someone gives me a compliment for a job I worked hard for, I feel on-top-of-the-world. And the funny thing is, I start to look for ways to do my job even better!

So if you are a manager, you have the power to initiate this in your team, in your colleagues. If you are able to distinguish and mark the moments people really do a good job, you can make them work even better and have them celebrate their day!

Best wishes for now and enjoy your celebrations!