We are delighted to announce that our very own Michelle Gudgeon (or M as she’s known to us – as she really is the mastermind behind all that we do!!) was the proud recipient of the Virtual-ly The Best Assistant in the world at this year’s Superstar Awards. Michelle received her award as recognition of the hard work, aptitude, diversity and quality of the work she contributes to the Company Shortcuts business.
We don’t celebrate enough …. We need to celebrate more.
Big and small celebrations count and add value to your company. Indeed every owner, founder or leader should look for excuses every day to find things to celebrate.
What is wrong with looking to be outstanding, what is wrong with aiming to be competitive? I was brought up to compete and in this world, this is the new currency for commercial survival and we are rubbish at it.
Britain may be getting somewhat better at celebrating success, yet we remain, I think as a whole, generally too reserved about our ambitions to be big players on the international stage. There are always small triumphs for people in companies to celebrate and to build on positive momentum, continual improvement and each time we celebrate we encourage others to do more / do better / to look for improvements.
Celebration need not cost. A well-timed and appropriately communicated “Thank you” can go a long way. Congratulate someone how they wish to be congratulated. Some like public recognition, not all do. Some like flowers, some definitely prefer chocolates or a bottle of gin and a straw. (If I worked for me that is what I’d want!)
Have you asked your team how they like to be rewarded and celebrated? It’s not that tough, ask for different values of gifts and then start gifting – it need not cost a fortune and the paybacks are vast.
My biggest frustration is the lack of really great salespeople proud of their success (when has someone proudly introduced themselves at a networking event – as lead salesperson, (all I ever get is a mele of “account manager” non-descript introductions), instead of being proud of driving the growth engines of their companies with humility.
Today I wish to advertise the brilliance of a company I am building Company Shortcuts, which is building selling with confidence and professionalism in Britain.
Awards make a difference to companies in many ways, even if you don’t always win.
The process of entering can teach a company where they are perhaps falling short and undoubtedly the publicity and networking opportunities are worth the effort.
I also remember the overwhelming benefits of winning awards when I ran Pacific (the business I grew from scratch, then sold for £20M) as any company award happens with a team effort and as ambitious entrepreneurs and growth leaders, we should work hard to show off the brilliance of the teams that we gather around us to build growth success.
So, what 3 things can you do to make celebration part of your ongoing culture?
Here are some ideas;
- Celebrate every sale with some form of energy injection (see how the guys at recruitment firm The IT Job Board do it – watch the Bosh video here)
- Surprise your team with an occasional thank you card. Make them feel really appreciated. (A handwritten card is much more meaningful than a text or an email – although your team will always appreciate any and all praise)
- Agree as a group a big team reward for a significant achievement. After a team brainstorm, where some bright spark piped up “we should all go to Barbados”, I famously took all of my team (and their partners) for a weeks holiday when my Pacific business passed the £1M profit mark. Check them out in the pool
- Introduce a cultural ‘shout out’ mentality. We have an end of week roundup email that team members send out, and the subject line is entitled ‘& this week I’m celebrating….’
- Make a commitment to enter all and relevant awards. The pay-offs are huge in so many areas, not least in boosting morale and increasing loyalty.
- A great resource to search for all types of industry awards in both the UK and Internationally http://www.boost-marketing.co.uk/awards-lists/
Lara Morgan is the straight-talking, no-nonsense entrepreneur who is best known for growing Pacific Direct from start-up through to successful exit 23years later. Her vast experience includes first-hand knowledge of manufacturing, licensing, export and global sales as well as leadership and developing entrepreneurial talent.
To find out more on how Company Shortcuts can help your organisation growth accelerate email info@companyshortcuts.com, call the team on +44 (0) 203 397 6714 or book for our next event. Click here to find out details of our upcoming events.