Before talking about the value of a celebration to your auto workshop, it may help if we examine the origins of this age-old ritual. It’s a lot more than a round of drinks and a speech by the boss. In fact, the ritual of celebration may be one of the most important ingredients for our success as human beings. It’s all about value, and as we know, value is the very stuff of life.

We call it a ritual because a ritual is any activity that is meant to shift the state of mind or state of relationship for those who participate in it. It follows that a celebration is a ritual – a ritual about value, and its sole purpose is to acknowledge or appreciate the impact and meaning of something or someone valuable to our lives.

Now apply this ritual to your workshop where the thing of value is a worthwhile and meaningful job.

Unfortunately, workshops can be hectic places, where it is all too easy to overlook a job well done, or a milestone that has been reached. For an industry struggling with staff shortages, this is a missed opportunity, because celebrating wins and milestones is important for fostering a positive work culture and keeping or finding staff.

Recognising and acknowledging achievements not only boosts morale but also creates a sense of pride and accomplishment. It will reinforce the belief that hard work and dedication

pay off and will boost individual and team confidence to tackle more significant challenges in the future.

The value of celebration:

Motivation – it’s human nature to strive for recognition, so when employees are acknowledged for their achievements, they automatically become motivated to keep doing good work. Celebrating work achievements can also have a positive effect on employees whose performance might need a boost.

Recognition of jobs well done will enhance morale, which leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Celebrating your team’s successes boosts team spirit and makes everyone feel valued.

Team bonding – celebrating a business milestone sends an important message to all staff. It is an acknowledgement that everyone in the business had a role in making it happen.

It brings people together as a team and reinforces the idea that everyone’s contribution matters. This creates a sense of camaraderie, which can boost morale and motivate employees to do their best.

Branding and marketing –a celebration of a workshop milestone can be used to great advantage to promote the business and build relationships with customers. Say you are celebrating your first successful decade in business. That’s a milestone you share with staff, all your customers

and potential customers in your neighbourhood. It’s a chance to tell your story and highlight your technical achievements. It shows that you take pride in what you’ve achieved and the service you have provided to the community. Your customers will enjoy being on the winning team. The bond between your brand and your customers becomes stronger, and a happy customer is always the best business promoter you will ever have.

A promising future – celebrating company milestones sends a strong message about the future of the business. Stagnant or failing businesses rarely celebrate anything, so your celebration creates excitement for the future and the potential growth of the business.

Finding things to celebrate is easy.

The most obvious one would be a business anniversary, perhaps every five or ten years. Get your staff involved in organising an anniversary party, invite your customers and neighbours and you will be surprised how such a simple event can generate so much goodwill.

Now look at your staff. Think of the message you are sending to your customers if you go out of your way to honour an employee who has been on the tools for 20 years, or since the workshop first opened. At the very minimum a special gift to the employee and a letter of congratulations will do a power of good.

Another good reason to celebrate, even if only within the workshop, is when a business reaches a financial goal, or wins a big contract to look after a vehicle fleet. Employees feel more comfortable about their futures if they know the business is doing well and kicking goals.

When it comes to recognising individuals for exceptional performance or achievement, occasions deserving of celebration could range from breaking a sales record through to completing an industry qualification. Depending on the circumstance, the celebration could be a gift, a form of official recognition (such as a certificate) or even a “thank you” lunch held in their honour.

Personal milestones are those unrelated to work but mean a lot to an employee’s personal life. This covers birthdays, engagements, new babies or study and sporting achievements. These are often simple to organise, but generate great goodwill within the team. It could be as simple as a decorated cake in the lunchroom.

Celebrating milestones builds morale and fosters collaboration. Invest the time required to make your celebration a meaningful and genuine event because this is how your staff and other participants will measure how much you value them.