Who Are You Celebrating?
This week we hosted our annual Core Value Awards Party at Footers Catering. This tradition is our opportunity to celebrate what we accomplished the previous year and acknowledge the individuals who made a significant impact on Footers Catering. We recognize nine team members (one for each of our nine core values) for demonstrating the behaviors that align with that respective value throughout the year. Winners are given a Tiger Trophy as a tribute to our acronym for our core values: “FAB TIGERS.” We also take time to highlight the year’s successes, thank the people who made them possible, and provide a preview for what is to come in the year ahead. This is one of my favorite events of the year and this year did not disappoint. To see the camaraderie among our team and their enjoyment of being together brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face. It’s something that I am incredibly grateful for and very proud to be part of.
What stood out most to me this year was the genuine excitement and joy our team had for the people winning the awards. The room erupted with applause, cheers, hoots, and hugs as each winner was announced, providing a resounding endorsement that the person being honored was in fact deserving of their respective award. As our team has grown, it has gotten more difficult each year to narrow down the finalists and select the winners. I sometimes worry that a smaller percentage of our team gets recognition, yet we rely on more people than ever in order for us all to be successful. And on top of that, when other people are celebrated it can be easy for others to slip into a state of jealousy or resentment. This year reassured me though that our team does not necessarily see recognition of others coming at the expense of their own.
When we celebrate the success of others, it creates optimism, enhances trust, and builds community. It can improve our own willpower, help us recognize our personal successes and it inspires us to be even better. Seeing our team lean into this reality at our Core Value Awards was a humbling experience. It made me so proud of the winners and I gained even more respect for the team as a whole. It was a reminder that the best leaders don’t step on others to get to the top, they create raving fans that want to help them succeed. The best leaders support the growth of others and pour into the people on their team. They ironically are cheerleaders for others and in return, everyone cheers for them - creating a virtuous cycle within an organization.
We all aspire to be recognized. It’s part of human nature and our need to confirm belonging. That desire should not however prevent us from our ability to genuinely be happy for others when they succeed. Even in competitive situations when we lose or fall short, there are silver linings and lessons that can be learned that can propel us moving forward. And if one of the best ways to be celebrated is to celebrate others, then recognition might be more in our own hands than we realize.
My question to you this week is Who are you cheering on and supporting in their journey? Who are you shining a light on? Who are you celebrating? Feel free to share with us in the comments!
