This Professional Development lecture was given at the 3rd Annual Fall Leadership Summit on November 30, 2019

1. Who’s got time to
celebrate?
3rd Annual Fall Leadership Summit
Dr. Heather Dillard
Middle Tennessee State University
November 20, 2019

2. Would you ever consider skipping your child’s
birthday party?

3. Why do we skip celebrating our own success?

4. Reasons people do not
recognize others
1. No time for it
2. It is too “soft”
3. Don’t feel comfortable doing it
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

5. If you are after results
then you should pay
attention to encouraging
the heart!
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

6. Encouragement
comes from the Latin
word Cor which means
Heart
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

7. Heart provides
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

8. Heart provides
1. Courage to face challenges
2. Hope for confronting great
difficulties
3. Fortitude to give your best
even against great odds.
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

9. “There is overwhelming
evidence that hope spurs
on achievement.”
Kouzes & Barry, 1999, Encouraging the Heart

11. Celebrations and the Brain
Celebrations “literally
work wonders in the brain”
Judith Glasser, 2015, Psychology Today

12. Celebrations release Endorphins
which “gives us a sense of well being,
creating a safety space that enables us
to experiment, take risks, learn and
handle challenges”
Judith Glasser, 2015, Psychology Today

13. Celebrations release Serotonin
“adds focus, support innovative or
disruptive solutions, increases
motivation and can even transform
stress into success”
Judith Glasser, 2015, Psychology Today

14. Celebrations release Dopamine
“pay attention to critical tasks, ignore
distracting information, and update only
the most relevant task information in
working memory during problem-solving
tasks”
Judith Glasser, 2015, Psychology Today

15. Celebrations lowers levels of Cortisol
Cortisol damages and kills cells in the
hippocampus which shut down learning,
create anxiety attacks, cause depression &
premature brain aging
Judith Glasser, 2015, Psychology Today

16. Celebrations & the Brain
•Safe to take risks
•Supports innovation
•Increases motivation
•Improves attention span
•Reduces chances of brain’s reaction
to fight – flight – freeze

17. Who’s got time to celebrate?
Your Brain
has time to
celebrate!

18. Moll, T. Jordet, G. & Pepping, G. (2010)
Emotional Contagion in Soccer Penalty
Shoutouts. Journal of Sports Science.
When teams celebrated
a successful penalty
kick it increases the
likelihood of winning
the penalty shootout.

20. Power of Celebrations
•Contribute to the offense and
the defense
•False Starts, Botched snaps
•Boost confidence of home team
•Demoralize the visiting team

22. How the Seahawks Tapped the Power of the 12th Man
Forbes Magazine, February 4, 2014
4 Step Plan to Inspire the Support of the 12th man in
your own team
1. Paint a clear picture of success
2. Invite, empower, & encourage people to join by
creating a welcoming environment
3. Celebrate wins
4. Never let up

23. Trust

24. The Neuroscience of
Trust
Psychology Today, August 12, 2015
•Lack of trust causes cortisol to rise and
endorphins to decrease
•Collaboration and trust are essential
for building healthy and strong
interpersonal relationships.

25. Teachers & Trust
“The actions of the principal
certainly help set the general
tone of school trust, but
teachers’ trust in their colleagues
has a more direct impact on
student learning” (p. 123)

26. Teachers & Trust
“When teachers in a school do
not trust one another, they are
likely to be guarded in their
interactions. Energy is diverted
from common goals and
channels into self-protection.
Collaboration deteriorates.” (p. 149)

27. Fine Art of Celebrations
Michael Hyatt Podcast
from July 17, 2019

28. Fine Art of Celebrations
WHO is Celebrating?
If you want to build celebration
in to the culture of the
organization then the leader has
to go first.

29. Fine Art of Celebrations
Fundatory
Mandatory + Fun

30. Fine Art of Celebrations
WHAT is Celebrated?
Look for opportunities
Major accomplishments
Meeting Goals
Unrecognized contributions

31. Fine Art of Celebrations
HOW TO Celebrate?
In writing
In the presence of others
Scheduled events
Out of the ordinary events

32. Fine Art of Celebrations
HOW TO Celebrate?
Delegate the planning to
someone who is good at it if you
are not good at it!

33. Fine Art of Celebrations
WHEN to Celebrate?
Soon & Often
Close to the event you are trying
to reinforce
Do it consistently

34. Fine Art of Celebrations
We cannot make more
time, but we can make
time more valuable
through our
celebrations.

35. Who’s got time to celebrate?
Leaders have time to
celebrate!

36. PLC Teams and Celebrations
“research shows that a shift to
celebrating the collective
achievements of collaborative
teams of teachers within PLCs
would better serve educators” p. 14

37. PLC Coaches
“a good coach celebrates when
we succeed and supports us when
we struggle.” p. 24

38. Who’s got time to Celebrate?
PLC Coaches and
Teams have time
to celebrate!

39. Why should we celebrate?
“We celebrate what we value,
and by celebrating, we
communicate what we value.”
(Eaker & Keating, 2012, p. 41-42)

40. Why should we celebrate?
“How and how often leaders
publicly recognize the work of
individuals and groups is critically
important.”
(Eaker & Keating, 2012, p. 41-42)

41. Why should we celebrate?
“Frequent and meaningful celebration will
not only motivate students, faculty and staff
but will go a long way to influence parents’
perceptions of the school and district.
Remember we are in control of the
messages we send!”
(Eaker & Keating, 2012, p. 41-42)

42. Why should we celebrate?
“Frequent Public
acknowledgments for a job well
done…are far more powerful
tools for communicating
priorities than infrequent grand
prizes that create a few winners
and many losers.” (p. 223)

43. How do you
celebrate?
•Avoid Generic or Private
Praise
•Does not convey to
members at large the
specific actions &
commitments that are
valued

44. How do you
celebrate?
1. Explicitly state the purpose of the
celebration
2. Make celebration everyone’s
responsibility
3. Establish a clear link between the
recognition and the behavior you
are encouraging
4. Create opportunities to have many
winners

46. What causes you to be reflective, serene, relaxed,
tranquil, & peaceful?

47. Don’t be afraid to praise the tallest poppy!

48. Find Something to Celebrate!!!

49. Who’s got time
to Celebrate?
You do!