Susan Riley | June 2013

Highlighters for Success

When was the last time that you received a thank you?  Was it today?  Yesterday? Longer?  I hope not!  We all need to hear thank you as frequently as possible.  And sometimes, hearing it is not enough, especially after a long, stressful school year.  So how do you celebrate people for their accomplishments and shine a spotlight on why they are valuable?  We need to become highlighters for success!

Thank you notes.  We can highlight the success of others in big, bold colors, or in more subtle shades.  For instance, I like to provide a handwritten note on an index card or note paper and place it on a teacher’s desk or mailbox about something I’ve noticed they have been working really hard at implementing.  You could certainly do this with students, too.

This kind of highlight lets people know that someone recognizes their efforts and that they aren’t just working in vain.  Plus, it’s nice to receive a handwritten note, rather than an email.  I’m all about digital communication, but there is something personal and more thoughtful about writing the note by hand that shows you put in the extra effort.  It takes you 2 minutes, and makes their whole day.

Value Statements. Another way to highlight others is in value statements.  I love this tool because it’s anonymous and puts a mirror up to others’ best qualities, which they may not recognize about themselves.  In value statements, everyone in the room picks another person and writes 3 things that they value about them.  The coordinator of the event collects the cards and compiles them for each person.  Some people may receive a lot of cards, while others may receive none.

The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that everyone receives a card back with just 3 statements, so they will need to either synthesize multiple statements or create statements for those who did not receive any.  Because it’s completely anonymous, no one knows who wrote the statements about them and they can be a positive way to let people know that they matter.

Group Celebrations. Big, bold highlights include full group celebrations, with personal touches to ensure that each person feels special about their work.  For instance, you can create a slideshow that displays the achievements of people in your staff or students in your school over the course of the year.  Or, you could present a portfolio gallery of the top projects from the year, along with a celebratory cupcake that is decorated to reflect each team member’s talent or hobby.  These kind of big highlights take the most time, but people leave with an understanding that they are important to an organization or to a school/classroom.

We don’t take enough time to celebrate the achievements of others because we are constantly running to the next “big thing”.  Just as it’s important to reflect on our professional practice, it’s important to celebrate those reflections in ways that build relationships.

Be someone’s highlighter of success today.  Because everyone wants to matter.