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Celebrations Build Community

December 13, 1999

"Celebrations - whether to recognize the accomplishment of one person or to cheer the achievements of many - are opportunities to promote individual health, but also opportunities for leaders to build healthier groups.  Highly visible public recognition builds the self-esteem of the recipients, and it builds a sense of community and belonging, of working together to achieve shared goals and shared victories.  Deal and key express it in this way: 'Celebrations infuse life with passion and purpose...They bond people together and connect us to shared values and myths.  Ceremonies and rituals create community, fusing individual souls with corporate spirit.  When everything is going well, ritual occasions allow us to revel in our glory.  When times are tough, ceremonies draw us together, kindling hope and faith that better times lie ahead.'

As members of your organization interact on more than just a professional level, they're likely to come to know and care about one another.  When you have a high level of participation not just in the work itself but in the celebration of achievements, you reinforce people's common stake in reaching their goals.  Making people feel included is a central function of any celebration, and the more people you can encourage through well-designed and participatory celebrations, the more your organization's people grow close.  We all want to feel we are part of a team, but it's even more important to fell part of something larger than ourselves (Kouzes & Posner, 1999, pp.120-121)."

Reference: Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z., (1999).  Encouraging the heart: A leader's guide to rewarding and recognizing others.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc.

How does your organization build community?

* Encouraging the Heart is available on loan at the OSU Leadership Center.  A listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~leaders

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Created: 2009-01-06, Updated: 2009-01-16