Why the Celebration of Team Wins Is Crucial

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving work environment, building team trust is one of the most important aspects of creating a good working environment. Trust is a critical element that fuels team members' seamless interaction and commitment. And one vital building block of trust is recognizing and celebrating team wins—big and small.

Celebrating achievements not only acknowledges the hard work and dedication of individuals and teams but also reinforces the bonds that contribute to a project’s—and, ultimately, the team’s—success. It’s about creating moments that matter, experiences that resonate, and memories that form a foundation of camaraderie and motivation.

As we examine the various strategies for celebrating team wins, it’s worth remembering the power of appreciation for cultivating a positive and productive work culture. This approach elevates morale and aligns with Agile’s ethos of adaptability, continuous improvement, and, most importantly, people over processes.

Definitions: 

• Trust: In the context of Agile, trust has an elevated meaning. Trust is a foundational element that supports the framework’s principles of collaboration, adaptability, and transparent communication. Trust within an Agile environment refers to team members' confidence in one another to fulfill their roles, deliver on their commitments, and work together effectively toward common goals.
  

• Sprint: In the context of Agile, a Sprint is a short, fixed time period—typically ranging from one to four weeks—during which a development team works to complete a set amount of work. Sprints are a core component of Scrum, a popular Agile framework, and are designed to create a regular, predictable schedule for delivering features, bug fixes, and other work items.

Going from Suck to Awesome

• Sucks – Never celebrating the wins, small or large. Never even acknowledging milestones or successes.
  

• Still sucks – Mentioning successes but not giving credit where it is deserved. Not taking enough time or effort to really create a meaningful experience.
  

• Sucks a little less – Sporadically celebrating successes but not being inclusive with acknowledging those who helped make the success possible.
  

• Awesome – Regularly celebrating successes with individuals, teams, and members outside the team.
  

A Perfect System or a Grind?

One of my peers, Michael Basil, likes to say, “No system is perfect, but some are better than others.” Every so often, an article comes across my news feed that professes that Agile is dead or dying. Undoubtedly, Agile has changed and is far from perfect, but ultimately, as a leader, you must implement some system to get things done. Even better, you must implement some system to get the RIGHT things done.

Returning to the reality that no system is perfect, there are some things that Agile is still sorting out. My overall experience has been that when something in Agile isn’t working, it has much more to do with a poor implementation than a broken system. A common complaint among teams is that Agile is exhausting and somewhat of a grind—a never-ending stream of stories to work on.

Yet, one of the Agile Manifesto tenants is that Agile should promote sustainable development. The team should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. I talked about this before (see “Small Team Agile Best Practices”), but I believe this concept was added because of existing conditions in the work environment that insisted on unrealistic work hours to get more done. When I started my career, people sleeping under their desks or falling asleep while driving because of unsustainable workloads wasn’t unheard of.    

So, assuming this isn’t the case at your company, what is creating the “this is a grind” attitude? A couple of possibilities pop into my mind:

• Bad culture

• Unorganized work and poor processes

• Lack of inclusion or a sense of belonging

• Low safety (See “Large Team Agile Best Practices” blog)

• Lack of direction or vision

• No acknowledgment of successes or milestones
  

Let’s look at the last item. I’d like to explore some tactics to pause every now and then to acknowledge successes.

Creating a Culture of Celebration of Team Wins

Agile doesn’t have an explicit process to celebrate. It’s a framework, not a step-by-step set of instructions. Agile doesn’t include many aspects of what is required to run a team, let alone an entire business.

Teams should “self-organize” and create processes and patterns to succeed. Each team is unique, and that is what makes celebrations so fun. I have worked with many teams. Here are a couple of grass-root celebratory ideas from teams I have worked with:

• Meet after work to solve an escape room

• Skiing for the day

• Hike followed by a beer

• A morning run and a homemade breakfast at somebody’s house

• A trophy that rotates between different members of the team who were particularly instrumental in accomplishing the goal

• Go-kart racing at a local track

• Specialty (not grocery store) desserts of the team’s choice

• Taking a Sprint off and letting the team work on whatever they want

I have been at several companies that don’t really celebrate, mainly because they didn’t have the “people” part of HR figured out. I am all for letting everyone know how well the team did and how much fun they had at their celebration. Trust me, other teams and managers will notice!

At some point, the management will either tell you to stop celebrating, or they will have to adopt the concept of celebrating successes. It is very difficult to prevent teams from celebrating, as it’s sort of a buzzkill, so management will tread lightly and usually do the right thing and evolve their culture.

Maybe your first thought is, well, my company doesn’t celebrate anything. Hmmm… That sort of sucks. So perhaps you can inspire the company to celebrate by setting a good example. Here are just a few good ways to celebrate:

• Just Because

• Celebrating Individual Wins

• Celebrating the Team Wins

• Celebrating the Company
  

Just Because

It’s easy to get caught up in the continuous productivity that defines Agile. Yet there’s immense value in pausing to celebrate “just because.” This practice goes beyond celebrating conventional milestones, achievements, or events.

Spontaneous recognition can be a powerful reminder that the journey is just as important as the destination. It’s a nod to the human aspect of work, rather than just roles, responsibilities, and to-do lists.

Moments of unscripted appreciation also foster inclusivity and belonging, where team members feel valued for their presence and personalities, not just their contributions. Celebrating “just because” can act as a catalyst for creativity, innovation, and stronger interpersonal bonds. Bonds that ultimately enhance team cohesion and drive sustained performance.

What if you’re not good at organizing celebrations? I’m not good at a lot of things either, but this is critical, so being sincere is much more important than being good. Most likely, somebody on the team will be good at organizing a celebration, so leverage them. You will get the desired result, the team will have an opportunity to celebrate, and the person helping you out will do what they are good at. A win all around.

Celebrating Individual Wins

Celebrating what individual team members bring to the table is also important. This acknowledgment not only boosts their morale but highlights their value to the team. It also nurtures their sense of ownership and pride in their work, encouraging continuous growth and learning. In addition, it can motivate others by demonstrating the team’s commitment to celebrating personal milestones along with team successes.

• Remember, little things count. Not every celebration has to be a big party. Acknowledging an individual for completing a complex milestone in front of the team or management can go a long way. Taking the person to their favorite lunch place or coffee shop is a nice way of acknowledging somebody.

• Keep in mind that everyone is starting in a different place. Not everyone is an expert or at the height of their career. Completing their first big project could be a significant milestone for somebody new to their career or job. When celebrating successes for individuals, be mindful of where the person is in their career. Too often, new team members feel unappreciated because what seems normal for the team is extraordinary for a person who has never done it before.

• Post something in a public area for all to see. This felt good in kindergarten, and it still feels good now. Of course, we are not in kindergarten anymore, so posting must be age-appropriate, but I have worked with a lot of great companies that have a place to post individual successes. Don’t overdo it, but tasteful postings acknowledging people will be appreciated. It also helps everyone learn about what major victory was won. Sometimes, people are in so much of a grind they don’t even realize a team member has done something significant.
  

Celebrating the Team Wins

Team celebrations are a great way to build a strong, cohesive unit that thrives on collaboration and mutual respect. Taking the time to recognize collective efforts and achievement reinforces that success is not the result of individual efforts alone. Rather, it’s the outcome of a group’s shared vision, hard work, and perseverance.

The celebration of team wins can be a pivotal moment that not only boosts morale but also fosters a deeper sense of belonging and unity. It can also help build team identity, engagement, and enthusiasm. These celebrations remind team members of their combined talents and dedication, which allow them to reach milestones and overcome challenges.

• Plan as a team, work as a team, celebrate as a team – When possible, I like celebrating as a team. Besides acknowledging everyone, it helps build a cohesive team. Teams that interact on a social basis tend to be teams that have a higher level of trust between members.
  

• Mix it up – Different people are going to like different things. Team members are going to have different constraints. Some members may like very physical activities; other team members might be intimidated by physical activity. Some members may be parents and have commitments to their children’s activities. Alternate between different activities, days of the week, time of day, and location.
  

• Token team swag – Having swag specific to the team is always great. Teams, as they mature, may create their own brand. Swag should be personal and involve input from as many team members as possible. The value of the T-shirt isn’t the cost of the shirt but rather the pride somebody gets from wearing it. The value should be a shared value across the team.
  

• Expand the concept of your team – When appropriate, include vendors and contractors in your celebration. In tightly coupled supply chains or dependent businesses, vendors and contract workers may feel like an extension of the team. Including these outside team members is an opportunity to demonstrate what a great team they are working with. Building trust shouldn’t be limited to the team; it should extend out as much as possible in your business.
  

Celebrating the Company

Celebrating the accomplishments of the entire company is integral to nurturing a positive organizational culture. It encourages everyone to feel connected to the broader mission and values. It provides the opportunity to step back and appreciate the larger picture and understand how each contribution fits into the organization’s success. Again, it helps reinforce the unity and shared purpose across different levels and departments. It reminds everyone that their hard work contributes to something greater, fostering a culture of pride, loyalty, and shared accomplishment, inspiring the team to continue contributing to the company’s success and growth.  

• Find the strengths – Just as no system is perfect, no company is perfect. Look for positive attributes and strengths of your company and leverage them. If your company is good at charitable giving, a celebration incorporating a local charity is a great way to leverage a company’s strength. You may also find team members support the chosen charity, meaning not only is there value in celebrating the success, but there are also extra efforts to help a local charity.
  

• Invite some guests – I use this tactic on small teams all the time. Allow each person to bring a guest. Remember, most companies aren’t good at celebrating, so it is likely that your guest hasn’t participated in such an event. This will elevate the team member’s feelings about the company. Plus, it may spread the word that where you work is doing great things, and it should overall create a better environment for the community.
  

• Be real – Yeah, most companies have issues. If your company has a lot of issues, celebrations can feel awkward. My counter to this is that every company must start somewhere if they want to be better and grow. Your team can be that spark that helps a company improve. Keep celebrations in good taste. For example, spending a ton of money on a party right after doing a round of layoffs isn’t going to help. In fact, it will make the situation worse. In the case of tough financial situations or other large issues, modesty will be appreciated.
  

• Invite some people from other teams – You never know when you might end up working on other teams. Wouldn’t it be great if other teams also celebrated wins? Inviting others is an opportunity to teach other teams. It allows for positive interactions that may not normally occur.
  

Conclusion

I advocate for the celebration of team wins within teams and organizations as a means to break the relentless grind of Agile Sprints. Recognizing both small and large successes not only bolsters team morale but also fosters a culture of appreciation and inclusion. By implementing diverse and meaningful ways to celebrate—ranging from individual acknowledgments to team and company-wide events—leaders can create a more engaged, motivated, and cohesive workforce.

Regularly pausing to celebrate achievements can transform the perception of Agile from a tiresome cycle into a sustainable and fulfilling process, ultimately driving better outcomes and a more positive work environment.