It never ceases to amaze me how early Christmas decorations hit the local shelves. In a visit this weekend to a craft store, not only were there Halloween decorations, but Thanksgiving and Christmas decor covered the aisles — as if time is not moving fast enough these days, without the constant reminder of the holiday just around the corner. Does this constant reminder, and therefore implied responsibility and task list, add to our ever growing need to be looking for what’s next in a bigger, better and faster way?

Think about this as it relates to business. We are frustrated because our employees are always looking for the next raise, promotion or some other recognition, and we feel they haven’t been happy enough with the last one yet. We want that satisfaction to linger on for as long as possible.

When we hit a business goal (be it quarterly, annually or some other significant milestone), we immediately start moving toward the next. Now, I’m not suggesting that we should rest on our laurels or take an exorbitant amount of time refocusing after a goal is achieved. What I am suggesting, though, is that we take a breath and celebrate. Celebrate the small accomplishments as well as the big ones.

If we want our employees and our families to enjoy the little things and to appreciate what we and/or the world provides, we must model the behavior. Belonging to something bigger than ourselves, being able to contribute to the success of that thing, and have a leader that understands the importance of that contribution is what really engages employees.

How are you going to celebrate your successes in 2014? To understand how your leadership style could be impacting the engagement of your employees, contact us for a free leadership assessment at 480.426.1652.