How to Foster Positive Work Culture Through Small Wins

#Sales can be tough, with long stretches of rejections and no wins. As a manager, you can boost your team’s performance during these difficult periods with positive recognition. → Recognize every win, big or small. Positive recognition fosters a healthy attitude on the team, which motivates them during tough times and helps them celebrate the good times. It’s also important to set up reward systems that emphasize not only quota attainment but also your company’s core values. → Reward high performers across different channels. Positive recognition is more impactful when you deliver it in a timely, comprehensive manner on various channels. At SalesRoads, we broadcast shoutouts every day on Slack. Teammates and managers applaud each other when they book an appointment, close a deal, or perform an action that embodies our core values. We also give accolades during meetings and coaching sessions, as well as present awards at our quarterly town halls to star employees and others who exemplify the company’s values. → Collect feedback to improve your reward systems. Every quarter, we conduct a pulse survey to help us understand if our employees feel appreciated or recognized enough. This practice uncovers insights into how the team feels, so we can course-correct and improve our reward systems. Sales is already a tough job. Don’t make it unnecessarily harder by underappreciating your team. Sometimes, all you need to achieve outstanding results is to create a supportive and encouraging environment — and that’s your responsibility as the manager. #Management #leadership

Not that anyone’s counting, but there are only 50 days until LDOC at Duke! Before you start thinking about all of the big things you need to do in the next month and a half, do this first…   Celebrate your small wins.   We spend a ton of time on our “To Do” list…lists?..but what about your Already Done List? It’s Tuesday, just think of all the things you’ve already accomplished this week: ⏰ You got to that 8:30am class from East to Science Dr. on time like a champ. 🏀 You caught that epic women’s basketball game at UNC, and high-fived the players like a true fan. 🍔 You had lunch with a friend because friendships, like flowers, need TLC.   People who are always on the grind, always working toward excellence often forget that excellence is built on small tasks and incremental improvements.   ✅ Yeah! for holding onto your Duolingo streak! Consistency is key to learning. 📩 You pressed send on that awkward email--handled that like a pro. 💻 You closed some tabs of your browser. Decluttering you desktop is no easy feat!   Small wins, y’all!   It’s so, so easy to blow past these little accomplishments on the way to the big wins, but celebrating the small wins has huge benefits: ☑ It helps to feel a sense of progress when completion seems really far away. ☑ It reminds us that success is totally attainable. We can do hard things, just chip away at them. ☑ When things go wrong, it’ll be easier to remember the times when you persevered. ☑ It fosters a positive mind-set, which is great for problem solving and navigating future challenges.   Celebrating small wins is habit worth building. It'll fuel long term success. So, let’s take a moment to celebrate these mini victories because, upon reflection, they accumulate to some pretty amazing stuff. You got this!

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

If you want a happy team, end every week with a moment of appreciation. Our marketing team starts Fridays by going around the horn with each person having to either give someone else a shout out or state a win for the week. It's just 10 minutes of the week, but I think it's a critical part of creating a strong team. 1. Little wins are still wins. It's easy to focus on what needs to be done or what's gone wrong. Don't forget that things go well. Or maybe they all go wrong, but you appreciate that someone was in the muck with you. 2. People want to be seen and recognized. "Shout out to Bob for helping me fix my Photoshop issue" goes a long way. You're not just thanking Bob, you're thanking him in front of everyone. 3. Winning is a good habit to form. If you don't notice the wins, how do you cultivate more of them? And if we all celebrate the little things, then the little things begin to matter. I had two influences in instituting this. Long ago, at EA, I'd seen a deck from a predecessor celebrating a fiscal milestone. It was the most joyous, ugliest, and most non-marketing marketing deck I'd ever seen. Work can be fun?? The other influence was more direct. The leader I always looked up to, Zoe Chen, would do this on leadership syncs. Try it out. Take some joy together every week. Don't bottle it up for launch.

Take a lesson from a child's gymnastics practice. ⬇ The sight of a bell at my daughter's gymnastics practice left a lasting impression on me. When a child accomplishes something significant, they rush to ring it, igniting a wave of cheers and applause from everyone in the gym. Witnessing the pure joy on a child's face as they bask in the support and celebration of their achievement is truly heartwarming. This simple ritual holds a powerful lesson applicable to all aspects of life: cheering on others' successes costs us nothing but has the potential to add immense positivity to our own lives. By celebrating the accomplishments of those around us, we foster a culture of encouragement and support that uplifts everyone involved. Translating this ethos beyond the gym, we can apply it to our workplaces, friendships, and personal endeavors. Rather than feeling threatened or envious of others' achievements, we can choose to celebrate them wholeheartedly. Doing so not only boosts morale and strengthens relationships but also cultivates a sense of unity and shared success. Incorporating this mindset into our daily interactions can have a profound impact, leading to increased happiness, stronger bonds, and a more fulfilling life overall. So let's embrace the opportunity to cheer on each other's victories, no matter how big or small, and create a culture of support and positivity wherever we go.

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 

Congratulations to you! Yes, YOU!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Can you believe we are here? We made it to the last Friday in October! So let’s celebrate that!🎉 Admittedly, for myself, there was a time when I would accomplish something really important to me and not celebrate it. I would say to myself, “That’s good. Now on to the next one.” But then I found myself tired of this cycle. It made me feel like life was an endless grind. Not 👏🏾fun 👏🏾at👏🏾 all!👏🏾 I started to learn that it is not about the destination but the journey itself. Celebrating through the journey was hard, initially, but with each milestone, each new endeavor, I am learning to, “Stop and smell the roses!”🌹🌹🌹 The Wealth Gap Closers™️ Method sessions are underway. We have completed Week 2 and, let me tell you! This is a group of winners. 🥳 Because I know, personally, what it’s like to just keep it moving and be “on to the next one,” I am challenging each participant to share a win each time we meet. I provide a prompt called “Financial Friday Wins” and it’s helping them get in the habit of celebration. I believe if you aren’t sharing wins you’re either not doing the work or you aren’t owning your success. Neither is fruitful or productive. Here’s an example of the “wins” we are celebrating thus far: - Checking/Updating beneficiaries - Canceling unused subscriptions - Opening a high yields savings - Pulling the credit report - Completing a task on the checklist - Getting clear on your Why? - And the list goes on… Now that you are aware of celebrating wins - big or small, it’s time to decide 𝒉𝒐𝒘 you will celebrate. I find this is challenging when you’ve practiced the “on to the next one,” mentality. So starting today, brainstorm some ways that you will celebrate your wins. Here are some ideas: 1. Treat yourself to a spa treatment 2. Buy yourself your favorite yummy treat 3. Volunteer at a local non-profit 4. Take a vacation to your favorite destination or a staycation 5. Take a day off What are some ways that you have celebrated your wins or will celebrate your next win? ••••••••••••••••• Hi👋🏾 I’m Shehara (Sha-Hair-Rah). 💰I’m on a mission to do my part in closing the racial wealth gap by helping Black women STEM professionals achieve financial freedom and security. 🗣️I’ll be sharing more concepts like this, on Saturday, October 28th at the National Coalition of 100 Black Women - Phoenix Chapter Sister-Nomic$ Event. If you want to join me, then please check out the link in the comments.

In the intricate dance of leadership and organizational culture, sometimes we encounter rhythms that are less than harmonious. While these challenges are often part of the growth journey, recognizing and addressing them directly is crucial for a healthy work environment. Here’s a reflective approach for leaders: 1. Promote Genuine Dialogue 🗣️ Creating spaces for honest and open communication is vital. It's not just about talking; it's about listening - truly listening - to the undercurrents within your team. 2. Commit to Transparency 🌟 Transparency isn't just sharing information; it's about fostering a culture where honesty is valued and ambiguity doesn't cloud our day-to-day operations. 3. Build Robust Support Structures 🛠️ Look beyond standard protocols. Develop support systems that genuinely address the unique stressors and challenges your team faces. 4. Reassess Work-Life Boundaries ⚖️ In our pursuit of excellence, let's not blur the lines between professional dedication and personal well-being. A culture that respects personal boundaries is key. Someone who doesn’t work after 5pm isn’t “lazy”, they might have other commitments like family they put their energy towards or they might want to spend time developing themselves and nurturing their health. It doesn’t make them less committed or competent. 5. Maintain a Respectful Environment 🤝 Every interaction should be founded on respect. Address any negative behaviors promptly to maintain a positive and productive atmosphere. 6. Encourage Real Growth Opportunities 🌱 Growth isn't only about titles and promotions. It's about creating pathways for meaningful development, where skills and passions can be nurtured. 7. Foster a Positively Reinforcing Culture 🌈 While constructive feedback is crucial, overly critical environments can erode trust and morale. Balance is key — recognize achievements and focus on building a culture that uplifts and supports. Celebrate the wins, no matter how small, and strive for a positive reinforcement loop. For those in leadership roles, these reflections are not just items on a checklist, but rather a call to introspect and act. Have you faced challenges in shifting workplace dynamics? Share your insights on navigating and transforming these situations. #LeadershipReflections #WorkplaceCulture #TeamDynamics #HealthyWorkEnvironment #LeadershipChallenge