There will always be highs and lows in business. That’s why it’s important to celebrate the wins and keep team momentum high, so you can ride out the losses as a team.
A common misconception is that you should only celebrate the ‘big wins’ like landing that big client or getting a considerable quote approved. But that simply isn’t true.
According to Spark Recruitment, making a big deal out of the small wins can enhance company culture, and build a happier work environment.
Spark suggests, “During daily or weekly huddles, you need to recognise and talk about the small achievements with your team. This verbal recognition is a great reward for the winner and helps keep the team excited.”
What counts as a ‘win?’
At our plumbing business, Dr DRiP, during our fortnightly toolbox meetings, we celebrate the ‘wins’ for the past few weeks and give each other a pat on the back for a job well done.
A ‘win’ for us is based on the team hitting above and beyond the standard KPIs (key performance indicators) for the week. This could be upselling an additional product or service whilst on-site — check out our KPI breakdown for what elements we track.
We also celebrate personal wins, like an employee finishing their home renovations project, their footy team making the grand finals, or buying their first home.
A win is anything good in your business or team’s personal life that should be celebrated and acknowledged. This allows team members to feel like their work doesn’t go unnoticed. They are essential and a part of the team — cultivating solid feelings of belonging and recognition are vital tools towards building a great work culture.
Is verbal praise enough?
Usually, verbal praise is enough, especially when it’s sincere.
However, At Dr DRiP we do offer monetary incentives for hitting over the KPIs or upselling on products. The motivation is $10 per upsell; however, our team can quickly rack up an additional $100 bonus each fortnight if they’re putting the work in.
Money is always a great motivator, and if your team are highly motivated to work harder for you, then that’s the biggest win of all.
For personal wins, depending on its significance, verbal recognition is usually enough… however, a bottle of wine or congratulatory card never goes astray.
Fun ways to celebrate
- People love hitting stuff! Some offices have big gongs, drums or bells to ring when a quote is approved. It’s a great way to have a quick laugh and a break.
- “Big Win Fridays”, where if the entire team smash their KPIs for the fortnight or gets a few big quotes approved, the entire staff get a half-day off and a kick-start to their weekend.
- Surprise and delight! If your team has been working super hard and doing their best to make your trade business thrive — show some appreciation! A free pub lunch as a team or pizza party never gets scoffed at. Or, if it’s hard for everyone to take a break at the same time, share movie vouchers or gift cards.
Overall, the sentiment is that celebrating the wins — small or big-is necessary to run an excellent trade business. It not only helps to keep your staff smiling, but it also helps to build a healthy work environment which often leads to staff retention.
Happy staff = happy clients.
If your knee-jerk reaction is “this will never work for my team”, book in a Strategy Session with Andy, co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie and Dr DRiP Plumbing owner, to discuss what might be the right solution for your trade business.
