How to Celebrate a Victory
In light of the historic health care reform victory early this week, we thought it would be nice to take a moment to reflect on productive ways to follow up a win. Sometimes it seems those victories are few and far between (at least for those of us on the progressive side of the political aisle), and we’ve seen movements, causes, and candidates lose momentum a lot faster than they ought to after a big win. So we’re offering up our 3 things on how to make the most of a victory.
1. Enjoy the moment. Even the biggest wins usually include some compromises. Nobody ever gets everything they want (and there’s not always agreement about what “everything” means). Take the time in the immediate aftermath of the win to just celebrate the win. Be inspired and inspiring. Give high fives all around. Yes, there’s still much work to do and you’ll get right on that – but for a little while, take the lead in enjoying the win rather than focusing on what’s still on the horizon.
2. Be generous with gratitude. This is a big one. Whether a volunteer made 1 call or 1,000, it is vital that you really take the time to thank everyone who was involved in the victory; including: the staff, the board, the volunteers and the movement partners. And don’t just thank those who helped you in the final stretch. Usually these victories have come as the result of years, or decades, of struggle. Putting the win into perspective will also help you better enjoy the moment (see #1).
Thank yous can involve everything from blast emails, to personal emails, to hand-written notes. The more involved a person was, the more time-consuming the thank you should be. An email is fine for all those volunteers who came out every once in a while; but, those 20 individuals who were there every week, rain or shine, deserve at least a hand-written note from someone important in the organization (Executive Director or Board President).
And don’t forget about the organizational partners you’ve been working with. Make sure you draw attention to their efforts in your public communications. Now is the time for generosity as nothing builds strong teams like victories.
3. Use the Momentum. So, you probably didn’t get everything you wanted this time around. Now is the time to ride the wave and flex your newly toned muscles to tackle the next big thing – whether it’s tweaking this bill, or looking at another issue altogether. You will never have this much support, focus and good-will again, so make sure you’ve got the plans and capacity to take the next steps once the celebration is over.
And, 3a. Learn Lessons. Before you rearm for battle, it is vital to get all the major players – whether within your organization or with external movement partners – in a room (think retreat style brain-storming getaway) and make an honest assessment of what went well and what you could have done better (even with a win, there is always room for improvement). Then look at how to apply those lessons learned to the next challenge.
Did we miss anything from the list? Drop us a line and let us know about some of your hard-fought wins how you celebrated the victories! And happy health care, to one and all! Thanks for anything and everything you did to help expand coverage, protect the covered from having their policies rescinded when care is needed, and ensure no one can be denied coverage for a preexisting condition.