How Celebrating Wins Increases Motivation

Performance isn’t only fueled by KPIs, strategy, or feedback loops. It’s fueled by something far more human: being seen. When people feel appreciated, their nervous systems settle. Their ideas flow. Their energy returns. They stop performing to survive — and start showing up to contribute. And the best part? Appreciation doesn’t need to be grand or complex. It just needs to be consistent and genuine. Here’s what I’ve seen high-impact leaders do: 🔹 Start team meetings with shoutouts → Create space for peer recognition. 🔹 Send thank-you notes on Fridays → A simple message can shift someone’s entire week. 🔹 Celebrate micro-wins, not just milestones — → Progress and consistent efforts matter. 🔹 Personalize praise → Tailor it to what each person values most. 🔹 Publicly spotlight effort, not just results → Reinforce the behaviors that lead to outcomes. These aren’t soft skills. They’re performance accelerators. Because when people feel seen, they show up more fully. And when appreciation becomes a ritual, not a one-off — culture transforms. It’s not about flattery. It’s about honoring effort, reinforcing value, and reminding people that what they do matters.

I almost lost my best employee over 2 words. Sounds dramatic, right? But it’s true. They were quiet. Reliable. The person who always showed up, always delivered, and never asked for praise. I assumed they were fine. After all, they never complained. Then one Tuesday, I casually said: “Your calm during last week’s crisis saved us. Thank you.” Their face changed. Their energy shifted. Suddenly, their work seemed bolder, their ideas louder, and their confidence stronger. Those two words changed everything. Too many leaders underestimate the power of recognition. ➔ 78% of employees say being thanked motivates them to work harder. (Gallup, 2024) ➔ 54% of employees would stay longer at companies that regularly recognize them. (Workhuman, 2023) ➔ Yet 60% of employees go weeks without hearing a simple “good job.” (O.C. Tanner, 2024) People don’t just leave for better pay; they leave when they feel invisible. Here’s How I Weaponize Gratitude Now 1️⃣ The 10-Second Rule ↳ When you notice something good — say it now. ↳ Don’t wait until the next meeting or review. Those small moments build trust. 2️⃣ Public Praise ↳ Don’t just save feedback for “corrections.” Celebrate wins — even small ones — in front of others. ↳ That quiet team member? They’re watching. 3️⃣ The “Why” Rule ↳ Skip the empty “good job.” Be specific. ↳ “Thank you for staying late — it made a huge difference for the launch.” Gratitude isn’t fluff. It’s fuel. 💥 It sparks engagement. 💥 It builds loyalty. 💥 It keeps your best people from quietly walking out the door. So here’s my challenge to you: Who’s the quiet star on your team that deserves a shout-out? Tag them below! 👇 P.S: hopefully this is the last day I'll wear this for the winter:-) ♻️ Repost with someone who needs this! 📌 Found it helpful? Save for later. 👉🏻 Follow Glenda Carnate for more tips on leadership! #leadership #entrepreneurship #innovation #data #ai 

Do we take saying 'thank you' for granted? My husband started a new job last week and is just getting to know the team he is leading. Yesterday a delivery of 70 cases was received and needed to be put away before they opened for business. One of the women on his team happily jumped in to help. She worked expeditiously and with a smile. After everything was put away, he said “Thank you for helping.” ✅ No big deal, right? ❌ Wrong! 🎇 It was a big deal to her. My husband was taken back by the appreciative look on her face. He said she looked as though this was the first ‘thank you’ she had ever received. To my husband, saying ‘thank you’ to an employee is his norm. To her, it meant she was seen. It was recognition of her effort. It was encouragement to keep going. I couldn’t help wonder about the leadership style of my husband’s predecessor. Had he taken the team for granted? Did he assume they weren’t capable of performing the physical aspects of the job because of their gender? Had he just lost site of simple norms of politeness? Rewards and recognition are important parts of motivating and engaging employees. The most effective rewards and recognition programs are flexible and adaptable to individual needs. Some people cringe at the idea of being publicly acknowledged for a job well done and others thrive on it. Some people live for the competition and the award, bonus or promotion that comes with winning; while others value the mission and shine from seeing the collective success of the team. One leader with whom I had the pleasure to work with, gives all her new hires a questionnaire specifically on what motivates them and how they prefer to be recognized. Simple and effective! Employees appreciate being asked and she ensures her recognition efforts produce the intended, positive results. As you work to wrap up the year, consider what your team members have accomplished, both big and small wins. Recognize their achievements. And don’t forget the power of a THANK YOU! #thankyou #employeeengagement #motivation #rewardsandrecognition

Recently, I went on my first backpacking ⛺ trip. The entire time I was the epitome of small wins for the win 🌟 .      At the start, the steep up-hill climb into the mountains ⛰ felt endless. Despite my best efforts, it felt like I wasn’t making any progress at all. The static view of my own shadow was relentless, mocking 😤 me after each step. But finally, I turned around, and I saw just how far I’d come.     In that moment, both of these things were true for me:       - I was on an amazing journey. I felt overwhelmed by how far I had walked, and how beautiful 😍 the trip had been.       - This sucked. It was hard, I felt overwhelmed 😫 by how far I had to go, and there was no way I’d make it.     So often, I’ve felt this exact way as a logistics leader. When you're in the middle of a big project, or a major disruption, or even just a regular freaking peak season ... each day, meeting, or minute starts to feel impossible 😰 . It feels like there's no success in sight. Because as soon as you get a moment to breathe, damn it if something else doesn't go wrong.     Even though there is no time ⏳ for it, we have to plan and systematize our mindset. This is the moment to reflect (for yourself and your team) on what you have accomplished 🌿 . What are your small wins?  Trust me, you are making progress, and you need to recognize it.       I use my small wins process every week in my team meetings. We end every meeting by going around the room and telling a success story. It can be one we had ourselves, or it can be recognizing a teammate's success 🏆 . But it always takes priority, and we jettison all other items if time runs short.     How have you made recognizing small wins part of your processes?  #leadership #management #teambuilding #burnout #processimprovement