The Art of Celebration
What Businesses Should Learn from Sports
As a kid I watched the Atlanta Braves celebrate 14 straight division titles. Each time, when the final out was called, the players would run to the center of the infield, hugging and high-fiving to celebrate another trip to the playoffs.
At Whiteboard HQ, we try to emulate this excitement when something good happens for the team or an individual team member. No, we don’t bring our baseball gloves to work, but when it’s time to celebrate you can hear howls from each corner of the office.
Each person smiles, bangs on a desk, or struts around out of excitement. For a few moments we’re kids again, rushing the field, happy to be on a team. Happy to be with one another.
No one knows the art of celebration like athletes do. They’re professionals at giving affirmation when small actions create big effects. It’s not always the person with the ball who made the big play. Sometimes it’s the block or the assist that deserves all the credit for a game-changing moment.
And yes…sometimes there’s the walk-off home-run.
Companies experience all these dynamics too.
I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but it took place during a stressful moment in our company’s history.
We were feeling the pressure.
Equivalent to calling a timeout we made fourth quarter adjustments.
In the end, our strategic shift worked.
The client felt a boost of momentum and in return we did too.
We needed to be reminded that winning feels good.
“B-O-O-M” rushed out my mouth.
It stuck.
Years later “boom” is still the four-letter word that marks our greatest accomplishments. Fist-bumps and high-fives evolved into an award. A monument in our office (appropriately shaped like a bomb) states, “While others were dreaming about it, I was getting it done.”
Every other week the boom-elect passes it to a deserving teammate, alongside requests for a speech, and a collective tribal shout, “B-O-O-M.”
Even our #boom channel in Slack reflects a team full of encouragement, gratitude, and enthusiasm.
So for the ones asking questions: why does celebration matter in a company setting? What value does a culture of celebration create? How can your company create a ritual of celebration? And…isn’t money the best form of celebration?
Again, I think professional athletes model the best example for what celebration should look like in a company.
What the best teams in the world celebrate is a window into what a company truly values.
Profitability must be celebrated, but profitability never tells the entire story. Teams are made of individuals and each individual should fill a strategic role that results in a stronger team. A company has to value the input, talent, and outputs of the team it employs.
How the best teams celebrate is a barometer into the kind of camaraderie a team bestows.
Even the professionals practice day-in and day-out. Great camaraderie is an attribute that makes every team better. Camaraderie challenges, sharpens, and holds accountable the actions an individual makes. We all love watching our favorite team when they have great communication and chemistry on the field.
The best teams are always making adjustments while maintaining rituals of celebration.
It’s the high-five before a free throw. It’s the team greeting at home plate after a home-run. It’s the celebration dance after a touchdown pass. It’s the sideline conversation with the Offensive Coordinator after an interception. It’s the heart piercing “let’s go” when the losing team enters the fourth quarter.
Even when continual adjustments are being made it’s important to create a culture; or rather a lifeblood of celebration.
Celebration is about practicing honor and respect alongside accountability and improvement. The best teams in the world are always worth celebrating.
Sports really are great at telling this story.
If you’re not leading a team that celebrates what truly matters, I’d suggest making a fourth quarter adjustment.
It’s never too late to make a comeback. 💥
