PICTURES SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS – Snap a pic a day
Often I will take a photo of something that represents the small moments of success we have had as a team. When I look back on this picture it reminds me how we felt, what we achieved and what we learnt during that milestone. This goes into a little calendar or an app called Project 365. Reflecting back I can then identify not only the wins at work, but moments that I celebrated outside of working hours that made me smile. It’s so important to take time out to look back on how far we have come.
– Bel | CEO
CELEBRATION MORNING TEA – Bring your team together
At yLead HQ our team is often apart and on the road. Each term, or after a big event, we endeavour to come together for a celebration Morning Tea. It can include:
- Puzzle pieces for statistics annoucements – on a whiteboard or piece of paper write certain categories you want to measure. E.g. for the yLead team it could be: number of students reached, number of states worked in. Ask the team to match the statistic to the category.
- Food reflection – ask each member to bring a food to the morning tea that represents a highlight moment/learning/etc. E.g. Mint Slice biscuits – an event runs smoothly on the outside, behind the scenes brought some surprise, but when put together it was a big success.
- Sticky note standouts – get each team member to write two stand out moments on two sticky notes and put them up in the staffroom or office.
SWITCH OFF BY SWITCHING ON – Turn on your favourite show to give your mind a breather
To celebrate a small win I like to take some time off, reflecting on the win by doing some of the things that I would otherwise feel a little bit guilty for. For example, I like to watch a movie or tv show on Netflix!
– Zoe | REACH TEAM
I like to switch off at the end of the day by playing video games with my mates online.
– Mitch | REACH TEAM
JAR OF MEMORIES – Write down your favourite moments to reflect back on
In the hustle and bustle of life, we are so quick to move onto the next task that we often forget all the great moments we’ve experienced. At yLead HQ we have a jar where each team member is encouraged to write down highlight moments. When we celebrate together, we pull out the memories and read them out loud, celebrating some of the moments that often get overlooked.
How you could implement a ‘Memories Jar’:
- Place a jar in a central location, e.g. staff room
- At staff meetings/announcements encourage team members to write a stand out moment down and put it in the jar
- At a suitable time read some of the highlights – once a week, every term, etc.
HOUR OF POWER – Blocking out 60 minutes with something you love
I celebrate my small wins by spending an hour doing whatever I wish. Depending on how I’m feeling, this might include an episode of something I’m watching on Netflix, a bubble bath, eating a homemade baked good, a workout at my home gym or even just a nap! I know it’s important to allow my body to reset, so this ‘hour of power’ allows me to reenergise myself for the next task I need to set my mind to!
– Lucy | IMPACT TEAM
I celebrate my small wins with an action. An example of this would be that while working from home, I set a time by which I would like to have finished a task. Then, if I achieve my goal, I get to go for a 10 minute walk, read for 15 mins or go and have a snack! This is also a great way for me to make sure that I’m not sitting behind my desk all day!
– Izzy | REACH TEAM
PHONE A FRIEND – Share your success
I love to debrief after an event or at the end of day, so I will often call someone and chat through the small wins I’ve encountered that day. By talking it through, not only can I reflect on what went really great, but it’s also an opportunity to reflect on ways I can improve or things I could do differently next time.
– Amy | IMPACT TEAM