The real spirit of Cheer Leadership is encouraging others, boosting morale and having fun as a team! Did you know that every day has been deemed a national recognition day? Yes, there are actual holidays such as “Jamaican Patties Day,” “Sneak Some Zucchini into Your Neighbor’s Porch Day,” “Wiggle Your Toes Day” and even “Chop Suey Day!” You’ll find one long list of the recognized reasons to be festive at NationalDayCalendar.com. To excel at this tip, find a really fun “Nation

One of the most overlooked, simple ways to encourage people, especially when they are struggling, is also one of the most powerful. Listen. Put down the phone, turn away from the keyboard, look someone in the eyes and truly listen! Being fully present and giving someone your undivided attention is a rare and cherished gift. The best listeners seek to understand both what’s being said verbally and what’s being felt by the speaker. In his book “The Lost Art of Listening,” Micha

Okay, let’s face it. Throughout the year, your group will appreciate your efforts to encourage them and, therefore, engagement and loyalty will increase. To mix things up, you may want to consider bringing in a “guest coach” to fire up the troops. It is critical that people know that you have their best interest and their career growth at heart, just as any faithful leader would. In addition, when you surprise them by bringing in a motivational speaker or local celebrity to p

If the company picnic only comes once a year (and sadly, that is a fading tradition), it’s hard to keep the buzz of bonding from the company softball game going for 364 days. Be confident in calling a flag on that play when the going gets tough. Blow the whistle and rally the troops to get outside the office. Make an impromptu outing to the nearby sports grill to watch the national playoffs, catch the opening pitch at the local ball field, or just find the closest pool hall.

Make note of personal matters of your co-workers. The more you know about what is going on with them as a human being, the more you will be able to cheer them on! Be intentional about asking, calling, or texting to ask about other things that aren’t just work related. Questions like, “How’d your uncle’s surgery go, Tyrone?” or “How’s the Little League team doing, Bianca?” go a long way in showing people that you care about them on a personal level. Did you know that giving an

Remember that time you were new in a role and someone gave you that “insider tip” that made your job so much easier? Go on the offense and do the same for a colleague! When you see someone struggling, share that shortcut guide or little known job hack. Just jump in and help them out! Inviting Cedric out for a coffee break and explaining “the rules of the game” so that he ramps up more smoothly and fits into the company’s culture will long be remembered by this rookie. You’ll

Highlight individual accomplishments on company-approved social media sites. So often, companies share information that is primarily centered around the happenings of the organization and its products and services. Get personal! Assuming this is allowed through company policy, tag the employee’s personal accounts so they are able to share their accolades with friends and family. The ripple effect of others close to them being able to further cheer them on will be a major hit.

There are few joys in the world that can bring people together like music. While preferences will vary and it might be hard to get a team to agree, music helps us to feel alive. Keep the playing field fair by allowing each team player to choose the genre to be played on the office music system for a designated amount of time. Or you can turn it up loud and take a music dance break where you forward the company phone lines, get out of your cubicle, close the break room door an

Set aside one week each quarter, twice a year, or even once annually during a special event (the company conference, picnic or holiday party) and place “MVP comment boxes” around the venue. Instruct your people to fill out “MVP sheets” naming their team players and sharing the reasons for a job well done. These sheets can be randomly selected and read aloud as part of the program, announcing to all what a great job people are doing within the organization. This Cheer Leadersh

The power of words. You’ll make someone’s day when you notice them. Just a few simple words of “I really like that new print you hung in your office, Rafael,” “I’ve noticed you’re a really good communicator, Kathy,” or “I appreciate how professional you are with our vendors, Tucker” always make people feel special just because you noticed and took the time to acknowledge them. Did you know that we have anywhere from 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day and roughly 80% of them ar

Imagine the surprise and buzz you’ll create first thing in the morning when everyone shows up to a beautiful fresh daisy, carnation or rose on their desk? Your endorphins will kick in with the rush of knowing you delivered the anonymous flower power. You don’t need to provide vases. Your crew will find a way to display this unexpected treasure—even an empty water bottle will work! Did you know that research has shown that keeping plants and flowers in the workplace stimulates

Most companies include a list of work anniversaries in the company newsletter, but how many truly make it a special occasion? The days of awarding the clock and ultimately the gold watch are long past. Even picking out “your special award” with your allotted number of points based on your pay grade and tenure just don’t seem very personal any more. What if you implemented an onboarding program where you photographed each new hire and even made recognition of their first 30 or

When you’re preparing to tackle a big project or are in the heat of the battle, it’s time for jumping jacks, combined with a battle cry! My football coach taught us in our pre-game warmup routine to follow a certain pattern of exercises led by our team captains. Near the end of the series of stretches, we would count our jumping jacks out loud in unison with the exception of the very last one. Instead of a typical numerical count-off at the end, we would flex our muscles, dis

Show you care by forwarding an email or article that addresses a subject that you know your work partner will enjoy. First, you have to know what’s important to those with whom you spend 40-plus hours a week working alongside. There are many ways to uncover this insider information. Whether it’s actually going for coffee together during a morning break, doing lunch or just asking casually after a meeting, “Hey, Devetrice, I never asked you about how you like to spend your wee

Look for opportunities to cheer everyone on! Hold the door open for others; restock the drinks in the breakroom fridge; smile and say, “Good day, Tamatha!” to everyone you pass; load paper in the copier when it is running low and start a fresh pot of coffee even if that’s not your cup of tea. The opportunities are endless when you begin to be intentional about lifting others up. Did you know that “behavioral contagion” (i.e. behavior being contagious) is a well-documented phe

Everyone loves new clothes. What if you adorned your team with a fresh cotton company T-shirt, especially if it means they can dress more casually at work? What is the message you want everyone to remember during a season of tight deadlines, long hours, tough work challenges, the dreaded annual audit, or grueling inventory? Put it on a T-shirt! According to a study by Stormline, 61 percent of employees are more productive when the dress code is relaxed. Reinforce your current

Who is not a fan of ice cream? A cooler full of everyone’s favorite frosty treats will help melt away even the toughest day. Reward your crew with this surprise break. You can even invite your favorite customers over on a Friday afternoon for a big win. Recruit members of the team that may not get out of the office regularly and reward them with this hall pass to go purchase this concession stand staple. I haven’t done the research, but I’m pretty sure no one has ever been ab

As simple as this may seem, people feel valued when you ask their opinion. Be intentional about inviting Candice, that new staff member or one who typically isn’t part of the decision- making team, to sit in on the next planning meeting and offer a different perspective. Or make it a spur-of-the-moment invitation to your office to ask, “From your experience working with banks in the past, how would we best market to this new prospect?” They’ll be floored and feel like they we

Headed for a bio break? Grab that dry erase marker and your favorite quote. Write the quote or message of encouragement on the restroom mirror to inspire your team in an unexpected way. They’ll appreciate the dose of inspiration while washing their hands and wondering who the mystery motivator is. Did you know that according to professor and author Ward Farnsworth, words hold inherent power and people have an appetite for well-expressed wisdom, motivational or otherwise? We a