As children we are always told to remain humble. When I was growing up it was important for me to establish a good work ethic, making sure that all of my work was done on time and that goals were met (Who am I kidding? I always wanted to surpass my goals!). But rarely did I keep track of my accomplishments after they were over, nonetheless celebrate them. Milestones, whether personal or work-related, are inspiring memories that we need to hang on to—they shouldn’t go unrecognized. is a way for us to see how far we’ve come and can serve as our motivation for the next big move.

As important as it is to honor milestones in our personal life—like graduations for example—it is also important to celebrate them in our work environment. Yes, businesses accomplish things every day, but securing that big client or crushing a sales goal are things that need to be consistently recognized and celebrated to provide motivation and inspiration for the next big feat. According to a 2015 report commissioned by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce, employee recognition has a huge effect on the bottom-line and helps cultivate a positive work culture. There were 823 HR professionals who took part in the survey and this is what they had to say about employee recognition:

• 90 percent say it positively impacted engagement.
• 86 percent say it increased employee happiness.
• 84 percent say it improved employee relationships.
• 68 percent say it positively impacted retention.

Those are some impressive stats, right? Setting aside time to honor your most recent accomplishments will allow you to visually see your company’s growth and happiness and keep the team motivated. Deadlines and distance issues may not make it easy for you to celebrate with your team(s) as much as you’d like, but you definitely need to dedicate time to treating yourself and the rest of your group for working together and making things happen.

So, how do you start planning your meaningful celebration? Here are some tips:

1. Travel back in time and write down the top five business accomplishments you had last year (ask your team to weigh in if you need some help). Reflect on the steps you took and use those thoughts as part of your celebratory message to help congratulate yourself and your team for finishing the journey.
2. When you celebrate a milestone, you tend to celebrate with others (that means you share the rewards, too). Remember that individual recognition is important—don’t worry if you make someone blush! Find opportunities to single out each member of the group for something great that they did. Receiving encouragement from others is a great form of motivation and empowerment.
3. Hosting a celebration is just another way to tell your team, “Yes! Let’s do more of this!” It tells everyone that whatever just happened was a big deal and that things should be done at that pace more often. Company-wide celebrations will also boost morale and refresh everyone after what may have been a long, stressful journey. You can celebrate in various ways such as taking everyone to lunch, hosting a staff retreat or by getting innovative and inviting Drum Cafe to do a powerful interactive experience for your team.

Thought-leader and best-selling author John Stahl-Wart once said, “When we celebrate a milestone, we are reminded to give thanks for the rest of our everyday moment.” When you honor your milestones you’ll find that the memory of the accomplishment stays in the forefront of your mind and your heart—and you will want to work harder so you can experience that feeling again.

Does your company celebrate milestones?
If so, which one was the most memorable?

Natalie Spiro Drum Cafe