Celebration is an underutilized resource in most coach relationships. What I mean is, when a leader meets a milestone, accomplishes something extraordinary or overcomes a barrier – it is easy to miss the opportunity to celebrate. Celebration comes in many forms, however, what I have learned is that it is not necessarily the method of celebration that matters but rather the heart behind such recognition. In other words, it must be MEANINGFUL! Let me share a story.
As you might imagine from the photo above, this month I celebrated my son’s Joel recent college decision. One of our favorite forms of celebration is an early Friday afternoon pizza at our favorite restaurant. This is not unusual for us.
For the last couple of years I’ve been taking Joel to pizza about once a month. These are special times for us to check-in, discuss issues of the heart, and to explore future direction. Of course, I can’t help myself and these conversations morph into coach-like conversations that focus on issues that have propelled Joel forward. Oh how I look forward to these times with my son!
When mentoring coaches I help them see the value of celebration by asking the following questions:
- What does meaningful celebration look like for you?
- When was the last time you celebrated?
- How did you celebrate?
- How do you help people you coach celebrate?
- What are some of the ways people you coach like to celebrate?
What kinds of things have you helped leaders celebrate?
Please comment below, I’d love to hear your experience.
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Have a wonderful week!
