Field Notes

Colleagues who care about their teammates naturally want to celebrate each other’s personal accomplishments and milestones. 

They do this as well for those overcoming sickness, personal challenges, and setbacks, recognizing their resilience or fight. They host parties, sponsor charitable events, and stage receptions for those they believe deserve a boost of recognition. 

Team cohesion benefits from the positive spirit of these collaborative celebrations. 

Unfortunately for leaders, these events put them in a tough spot. Not because they don’t want to recognize people, but because of the precedent it sets for future celebrations. 

Once the organization, team, or leadership endorses, sponsors, or funds such an event, it becomes symbolic that they do so in the future for everyone with the same good or bad news.  

When leaders host a party for a newlywed or formally endorse a charity run for a colleague with cancer, they are now obligated to do the same for everyone in the future, or they will face the criticism of favoritism, bias, and discrimination. 

Those who perceive that they’ve been treated differently will often keep it to themselves. But the taste of dissatisfaction often stays with them. Sometimes for their entire career. 

The answer to this problem is obvious. 

Leaders should encourage colleagues to stand for and celebrate each other. But they must draw the line at leading the charge and officially endorsing the event. This sets the precedent for how to celebrate anyone who receives a similar accolade. 

Think about this example. A leader throws a reception for a trusted and long-tenured colleague to celebrate the birth of a child. They use team resources and support to make this celebration even more special. 

Over the next few months, multiple people on the team have had children but did not receive the same attention, celebration, or recognition for their great news. In fact, all they got were congratulations from their colleagues and perhaps a few cards. 

What might they likely conclude about the leader and team? 

Good leaders don’t wash their hands of this dilemma by avoiding all recognition and celebration. Instead, they encourage others to arrange such celebrations on their own, without the organization’s official support or the leadership’s sponsorship. 

The leaders, too, can partake in the event as long as they represent themselves and not the organization or team.

Good leaders are fair-minded and equitable when it comes to opportunities and rewards. The kind of precedents they might set when celebrating others for personal attainments always require thoughtful consideration. 

In far too many cases, leaders make a big deal over some people regarding personal milestones and not for others. This misstep can be costly for their credibility and undermine the goodwill of those who are treated differently. 

Good colleagues want to celebrate and honor others. That’s great for team camaraderie. But leaders need to step out of their roles to join them. Organizations need to stand down as well. 

Otherwise, the perception of unfairness can become symbolic and be used to further distinguish between who counts and who doesn’t. The best leaders believe everyone counts and prove it by the precedents they set or don’t.