Seven Steps of Celebration

Thursday, September 15, 2011 7:11 PM by Betty Brennan in Design and Planning


This week we have been awarded an astounding FOUR industry awards – two for graphic design from Graphic Design USA through their American Graphic Design Awards program, one for multimedia, and one for interior exhibit from the National Association for Interpretation, or NAI, through their Media Awards program.  I think, without even recognizing it, that I completed a modified form of the seven steps of grief.

  1. Step one: shock and denial.  Translation: just shock. Upon arriving back from lunch on Monday, two, not one, but TWO award certificates lay atop my desk.  Hell yes.

  2. Step two: pain and guilt.  Translation: excitement.  I absolutely cannot wait to share this news with the whole company.

  3. Step three: anger and bargaining. Translation: just frustration.  I checked my email and realized that Phil, our Sr. Graphic Designer, had already sent a company-wide email announcing the great news.

  4. Step four: depression, reflection, and loneliness.  Translation: reflect…via email. I hit “reply to all” to the company-wide email that Phil already sent.

  5. Step five: the upward turn.  Translation: celebrate.  Our staff truly deserves a high-five on the matter and should be absolutely proud of themselves and of each other.  This is a huge accomplishment. Marketing should celebrate for having obtained the jobs from the get-go (and because they now have more marketing material to blast all over the website.)  Design should celebrate because they are responsible for the concept and design of these creative elements, and for the thorough award submissions that won.  Accounting should celebrate because they are probably really fun to be around when they’re celebrating something.  The PMO should celebrate for keeping everything in line, including happy clients, and Fabrication should celebrate because they make it all come to life.  Clients should celebrate because now they can say they have an award-winning Taylor Studios exhibit. Congratulatory email sent.

  6. Step six: reconstruction and working through.  Translation: snap back to reality. Even though I don’t want to.

  7. Step seven: acceptance and hope.  Translation: revel in the success of our hard work and excellent team work.  Awesome job to all; get ready to raise the bar for next year.  This feeling is too good to not want more.  And reality can wait until Monday.

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