Celebrations should figure into your leadership model. The following article by Dr. John T. Felt makes the case for celebrating successes and we encourage you to consider what he says. The truth is, a celebration can benefit the entire group you lead, stimulating collaboration and increasing morale, to name just a few benefits. And as the leader, once you decide to celebrate an event, it's easy to get people involved. The key is that the celebration be authentic, or heartfelt, and not just an exercise in "checking off a box."

Celebration.

What a wonderful word. But, if you're anything like me, it's one that you won't use very often. Why is that? Why can't we not only use the word, but also put it into action? After all, it just takes a quick look around to notice many, many reasons to celebrate. I'll bet there are hordes of events, people or occasions that are crying out to be celebrated. If you're proud of something or someone, celebrate!

The event can be either small or monumental; the point is that it be fun and significant. Besides the following examples, you're free to be creative. Create annual or monthly awards that are significant to your company, that mean something to the individual and the team that's honored. Be imaginative and be innovative, but do it. You will be surprised at how company culture and morale can be both heightened and made stronger by this addition to your customer service arsenal.

For example:

Events: look forward to the future and start planning now for events that will happen in the next 12 months. You'll have to ask; people typically don't even realize that they may be coming up on some significant event.

• The anniversary of the founding of your company or product
• The anniversary of the opening of your location or branch
• The first time your location or company went over one million dollars (or ten million, or one billion)
• The date that your company opened its 100th location (or second)
• The date of your 10,000th customer

As Kevin and Jackie Frieberg list in their book, Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, there are benefits to celebrating:

• It provides an opportunity for building relationships.
• It transmits a sense of history.
• It helps us to envision the future.
• It's a way to recognize major milestones.
• It helps reduce stress.
• It inspires motivation and re-energizes people.
• It helps us mourn the losses associated with change.
• It builds self-confidence and removes fear.

The Freibergs go on to describe Southwest Airlines' celebration guidelines:

• The celebration must be authentic -- it must be for a real occasion that signifies a success for the individual and for the company.
• The celebration must raise people's dignity and self-esteem.
• The celebration must be done right.
• The celebration must appeal to all the senses.
• The celebration must be seen as an investment. Southwest Airlines sees the cost of celebrations as an investment in the morale of their company, not just as an expense.
• The celebration must be cost-effective. Use your own people as much as possible or consider bartering for goods and services to keep the cost down.

Just as Ken Blanchard's One Minute Manager realized that he(or she) would get the most accomplished by making one-minute praisings and reprimands, so too can celebrations lend themselves to reinforcing the joy of an occasion that a common certificate or simple praise cannot. The team spirit fostered by celebrating the wonders of the job and of your people lasts far longer and runs much deeper than formalities that typically come to be both expected and soon forgotten.

Body Language/Body Position

How you position your body when you are dealing with others speaks volumes. Test out different body positions or postures and notice the reactions!

• Sit up and forward (leading with your chest) when leading a meeting if you want to lead powerfully. Notice how others react if you stay up and forward - do they sit back? Do they join you in the forward position? Does their spoken demeanor change?
• If you're naturally powerful and want to draw people in, sit back and keep your arms open. Notice who moves up and forward in response. What changes do you notice in what they say?
• If a situation becomes highly charged and tempers are flaring, notice body positions (usually you are up and forward) and change them.
• To indicate listening and receptivity, face people with arms open or at your sides and make eye contact.

Facial Expressions

The "Mona Lisa smile." Need I say more? Her smile is the most famously debated facial expression around. If someone gives you a "Mona Lisa smile," what does it mean? Is it a noncommittal smile? An enigmatic smile? What are you conveying with your facial expressions? Here are some facial expressions you may want to think about:

• Eye rolling typically means skepticism in our culture. The person on the receiving end of the eye roll usually feels discounted. As a leader, avoid this one at all costs.
• Eye contact is a good thing. Make generous use of eye contact to signal that you are paying attention. Evasive eye contact is a big signal of inattention or that there is something not being said.
• Knitting, furrowing and wrinkling of the brow can mean concentration to some people, anger to others. If brow furrowing is one of your habits, then tell the people you are with what you are doing or feeling: "I'm thinking hard on this issue, " or "I'm really frustrated at the moment."
• Pursed lips get interpreted as irritation, impatience or frustration. If you feel yourself pursing your lips, take a deep breath. It loosens the lips and helps you think clearly so you can address the issue head on.

Vocal Variety

It's not what you say, but how you say it. Tried and true wisdom. Varying the tone, pitch or volume of your voice can significantly alter your spoken message. Consider the following:

• Short. Clipped. Terse. Are we stressed, angry, impatient or just out of time? Reasonable people could interpret things differently so don't let your voice convey something you don't mean. If you're stressed, angry, impatient or out of time, SAY so.
• LOUD IS GOOD IF YOU ARE YELLING ACROSS THE GRAND CANYON. What do you need it for otherwise? Getting louder does not mean someone will necessarily understand or agree with you. Many times we repeat ourselves, getting louder and louder because we need acknowledgement from the listeners or because we want them to agree. Consider asking "Do you agree with what I'm saying" in a normal tone of voice.
• Whispering can be used effectively to get attention. Or hide something. Or signal insecurity. What do you use it for?

These are just a few of the many types of non- verbal ways we communicate. The statistics on how much of our communication is conveyed non-verbally range from 70-90%. Wow! Take a moment and make your communications more effective by experimenting with any of the items mentioned above.

M. Palermo, Associate Principal, STUDIOS Architecture