5 Reasons to Celebrate Small Wins

Little things add up to big cultural impact. Just how big? Jim Kavney at Smart Brief explains.

Celebrating small wins…

1. Results in retention of staff. When you acknowledge a custodian for their efforts and note how impressed the visitors were with the cleanliness of the building or recognize a teacher by passing along the compliments of a parent, you communicate the value each brings. When your people know their contributions matter, they choose to stay.  So, tune in and notice the positive impact your people are having and make daily notes (texts/emails) of gratitude part of your leadership practice.
2. Triggers dopamine loops. “Every time someone experiences a win, the brain releases dopamine, the 'feel-good' neurotransmitter that reinforces the desire to repeat that behavior. By regularly recognizing micro-achievements, you’re creating a dopamine loop that keeps people motivated to hit their next milestone.” As Atomic Habits author James Clear says, “Success is the product of daily habits — not once-in-a-lifetime transformations” (Clear 2018).
3. Builds momentum...and self-efficacy, which leads to collective efficacy, which leads to HUGE impact for students! When you acknowledge each milestone staff attains along the way to achieving your school improvement goals, you fuel not only their energy to continue the journey but also their confidence in their ability to get there.
4. Creates psychological safety, leading to innovation. “When you recognize progress, even in its simplest forms, you create a culture where it’s okay for your team to experiment and improve gradually, knowing they won’t be penalized for trying something new, which ultimately leads to breakthroughs.”
5. Connects the dots from where we are now to where we are going. Celebrating small wins allows for staff to see their contributions toward the bigger building and district goals. It helps clarify the vision and the next steps needed to get there. 

Read the full article here.