As we transition this week from November into December, we are fully cemented in the holiday season. This is a season that can be defined by the busyness of activity and travel, but also by time spent with loved ones and celebration. If you are a Christian, at Christmas we celebrate the good news that Jesus came to Earth as a baby so that He might reveal Himself to us through miracles and die and rise so that we can one day live forever with Him. That is certainly worth celebrating.
But why do we celebrate in the first place? It doesn’t seem like a particularly productive use of time. We take time off work every year in December for the purpose of celebrating. We put the effort of our normal activities into time of leisure and enjoyment instead. In the next article we will look into practical reasons for celebration and the purpose of rest, but for now I want to focus on the more theoretical aspects of celebration.
What We Value
When talking about building the culture of an organization, we say that what we value is revealed in what an organization honors and shames. In other words, what we value comes out in what we celebrate. It also provides incentives for members to act in accordance with the organization’s values if they know that their contributions will be positively recognized.
Oftentimes we say we value something, like honesty, but we don’t actually condemn lying and honor the truth. If that is the case, then what we say is not lining up with what we do. Therefore, we can begin to act in accordance with what we say by celebrating what we claim to value.
Encouragement
Celebration is also worthwhile for the encouragement and satisfaction it provides. We celebrate each others’ birthdays every year as a way of acknowledging that you’re grateful for their presence in your life. Celebrating someone’s work can be an encouragement to them that they’re on the right track. Enjoying a celebration for someone else can provide incentive to get there yourself. And participating in a celebration in general can be a helpful reset to give your mind a break and help you be ready to take on the next task.
Remember, as a leader, your role is to influence others to get There. In order to do that, those you are leading must believe in and become active participants in the mission. They are not worker bees carrying out tasks. Participative are fully embodied human beings with skill sets and opinions who need encouragement and motivation. They need to feel like their work matters and like they are making a difference. Celebrating wins, both as a team and as individuals, and taking time off to celebrate with friends and family this holiday season, is a step in the right direction towards empowering those in your organization to get There.
Gracie McBride is the Content and Systems Management Coordinator for The Crossroad.
