A Really Smart Watch

In an effort to improve my health and fitness I wear a watch that tracks my daily activity level. I really like it. 

It syncs data with my phone and computer, tracks my runs with GPS, alerts me to messages and calls, and pairs with my heart rate monitor when I exercise. The technology is pretty awesome.

One of my favourite features allows me to set a daily activity goal. Factoring in my mostly sedentary worklife it adds up how much I move during the day, displaying a bar on the screen that shows me how close I’m getting to my target. If I reach my goal it gives me a pleasing little chirp and displays this congratulations screen:  
I’m a big advocate of celebration.

I’m convinced that it represents a huge amount of untapped loyalty, energy, motivation, and optimism in people and organizations. I get kinda preachy about it in some of the leadership sessions I lead.

The thing is, some people are hesitant when I talk about promoting a culture of celebration because they think celebration is something frivolous and silly. I suppose it can be that, but that’s not at all what I’m talking about. I want your organization to be more like my watch. I want you to set specific goals that represent progress toward the biggest, most impactful and important objectives you can imagine. And I want you to learn how to strategically celebrate the events that make up the process of getting there.

How you celebrate is up to you. There are all kinds of workable options. What’s essential is that you begin celebrating relevant progress in ways that are meaningful to your team, and that you all begin to anticipate those celebrations. That’s when the beauty happens.

I’m not the only person with a fitness tracker who has done a few laps of the yard or living room before bed to make sure I reach that day’s goal. Those little bits of extra effort add up and eventually help me become the healthy person I so much want to be. The celebration on my watch changes my behaviour for the better.

What can you do to celebrate real progress more often with your team?