In the mind of Erica Keim, Global Director Learning & Workforce Development 

Life is full of moments worth celebrating, big and small. Each of these moments, whether it’s a major milestone or a tiny victory, adds happiness, curiosity, and excitement to our personal and professional lives. Celebrations remind us to pause, appreciate, and have fun, making the journey itself as fulfilling as reaching the destination.  

Seize all moments and have fun along the way  

In my professional journey, I've realized the importance of recognizing all wins, whether they're monumental achievements like completing a major project or securing a key client, or smaller, everyday victories like a productive meeting or positive feedback from a colleague. These smaller moments may seem insignificant on their own, but together they can create a lot of positive noise.  

Celebrating our wins cultivates an environment where curiosity and fun thrive. When we acknowledge each other's efforts, we encourage everyone to explore new ideas and take creative risks. Curiosity drives innovation and keeps work exciting. And let's not forget the fun! Having fun at work is crucial to maintain high spirits and foster a positive team dynamic. Simple activities like a virtual coffee or an IRL celebration can make a significant difference in how we feel about our workplace. When we enjoy what we do and the people we work with, our productivity and job satisfaction naturally increase.  

Celebrating wins is easy, but don’t forget the failures   

Yes, don’t forget to celebrate failures! When we celebrate not just the end goal, but the entire process, we can go further. We encourage our teams to celebrate the noise, the failures, the wins and we make sure to recognize the resilience and determination required to keep up the momentum at the speed needed to reach our deadlines. Celebrating these moments creates a positive atmosphere that I think is the ultimate success factor in any project.  

In my experience, one of the most valuable lessons we can get in our personal and professional lives is having the courage to celebrate failures. Instead of seeing them as setbacks, we should view them as valuable learning experiences. By acknowledging and celebrating our failures, we keep improving as we go. It takes guts and trust to highlight what is going wrong, but it also shows our commitment to growth.  

So, let’s embrace every moment - because in the end, it's the journey that makes all the difference. 

 
Erica Keim   
Global Director Learning & Workforce Development