In public accounting, summer is promotion season. Right around July 1, LinkedIn fills up with people announcing they’ve made partner, principal, director or manager.

It’s time to celebrate those accomplishments. But here’s the deal: public accounting firms are really good at giving promotions. They’re not so great at celebrating them.

A Standing Ovation, Then Back to Work

When I was promoted to partner, many moons ago, I was sitting in my office when I heard my name over the PA system. I marched down to the partner meeting and walked into a standing ovation.

That was great. I got a couple of hugs, which was nice.

Then we went right into a partner meeting for the next 90 minutes. Afterward, I went back to work.

The Limo in My Front Yard

Two months later, I was standing in my kitchen washing a dish while my wife got ready for a date night. I looked out the window and saw a limo pull up to the curb. Strange.

The window rolled down, and a beer can launched out of the limo and landed in my front yard.

I called to my wife, “Hey, honey, someone just threw a beer can in our yard.”

I watched a little longer. The window rolled down again, and another beer can lined up and found its way onto my front yard.

Now I was mad. I marched out there, pounded on the window, and it rolled all the way down. Inside was a crew of my best friends, who had shown up to celebrate my promotion to partner.

I have great friends, and I have an amazing wife. And that moment brought a kind of closure to my accomplishment. It almost made it all worth it. It really struck me.

Don’t Miss the Celebration

As Ferris Bueller said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Don’t miss the celebration. Whether you got promoted, sold a new client or landed a new job, take a moment to celebrate.

We work so hard to accomplish things, and then the moment we do, we go straight to the next thing. We don’t give the moment its due.

So pause. Stop. Celebrate your accomplishments, and take the extra time to make it worth it.

Why Celebration Matters

Celebration isn’t just a nice gesture. It:

• Improves your motivation to accomplish more
• Builds stronger teams
• Defines your culture in a positive way
• Recognizes the accomplishment and acknowledges you for what you’ve done

Find Your Way to Celebrate

Go on a date night. Get a steak. Go away for the weekend. Buy yourself a watch. However you do it, celebrate.

And if you know someone who should be celebrating, pass this along. At the very least, send them a message to congratulate them. At best, rent a limo, show up at their house and start chucking beer cans.

Make Room for the Wins

If you’re a CPA firm partner, owner or leader, executive coaching can help you build a culture that recognizes progress, not just the next deadline.

Explore coaching with The CPA Coach →

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