Celebrations and ceremonies have always marked human endeavors. From birthdays to weddings to retirement dinners, people find ways to come together and celebrate milestones.
In the military, we have prescribed ceremonies for promotions, re-enlistments, retirements and changes of command. More informally, commands typically host regular Hails and Farewell events to welcome new members and say good-bye to departing members.
In business, we can create various celebratory events as well. We need to be deliberate about these celebrations. We can have Win Parties and Launch Parties to mark the successful win of a contract or completion of a project. We can mark the end of a fiscal quarter or fiscal year. Or simply give folks a shout-out at an All Hands meeting.
Celebrations mark success and provide encouragement. They lift the spirits as well as clearly identify the behaviors and the results that the organization values. They inspire us to live up to the best among us.
Leaders know that the celebration can be small and still be meaningful. The trick, if you will, is to be thoughtful about the gift or the event. At one command, an officer was retiring after over 20 years of Navy service. He said that he didn’t want a ceremony. So we took an American flag, had it flown over Bancroft Hall (at the US Naval Academy) and then flown over his last command (where we were stationed). A simple presentation at the end of the day, along with letters of thanks to his family members, was all that it took to mark the day, celebrate his service and demonstrate to everyone else how much we all valued his service.
How do you celebrate? What ceremonies do you use?