As we near the end of the year, it’s important to remember the need to celebrate victories, no matter how small.

Too often we find that dental organizations save the celebrations for those big milestones or exceptional results.

At Spark, we know just how impactful it can be to celebrate the small but meaningful steps along the way. It may be that on a scale of 1 to 10 we are currently at a 3 and striving to move toward a 10, then we should be celebrating our movement to 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.

Small progress in the right direction, if celebrated, will reward the positive behaviors that moved the scale in that direction. Focusing on the small wins will also improve motivation and boost the confidence of your teams. We know that motivated and confident team members provide the best patient experiences, and that snowballs into future successes.

Another common misconception is that a celebration needs to be a big, elaborate, expensive event and that is not the case.

Often the most meaningful celebrations are those small gestures of appreciation, or those little thoughtful items that can mean the most to a team member.

We encourage our consulting clients to survey their teams to understand how they like to be recognized, rewarded, or congratulated. We are amazed to hear the results are often non-monetary items like a simple personal thank you, or a card or written note just to say thanks. A thank you goes a long way to show appreciation and celebrate successes, but to take it up a notch, always be sure to share the specific action or task that you are thankful for. The personalized and specific call out ensures that you are showing appreciation for the exact behavior you wish to see repeated.

Another method of celebration may be simple recognition amongst peers and/or the broader organization.

Consider your methods of communication to your teams: email, video calls, in person meetings, intranet, etc. How can you add an element of recognition to celebrate the progress and successes of your teams? Verbal and written recognition are another cost-effective way to celebrate your dental practices and team members!

Once you’ve celebrated those milestones along the way from 3 to 10, plan for the big celebration when you get to 10. But don’t leave out your team in the process of determining the big celebration. Let your teams get creative on how they want to celebrate – they will be even more motivated to get the big prize.

Our personal favorite big kahuna reward – a few nights at an all-inclusive resort!