As we grow as people, business owners, and professionals, there are many milestones that we reach. These achievements give us cause to celebrate and recognize all of the work that has gone into achieving them.

As you begin to appreciate what your colleagues, superiors, and friends have done for you, it is important to acknowledge their efforts. It is also good to note these successes down in some sort of notebook or diary so that you can refer back to them later.

It is very common to feel overwhelmed after a big success, which sometimes makes congratulating someone else look like an impossible task. This is totally normal! Thankfully, though, there are ways to do this gracefully and without too much hassle.

Below, I will share with you some tips on how to congratulate others on their success.

Tell them how proud you are

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When someone achieves their goal, whether it’s changing careers or starting their own business, it is important to celebrate this success with them.

It can be tricky to know what to say when someone announces they have accomplished something, but there are some universal congratulations that apply to almost any situation.

When someone aches to reach a goal, we often don’t recognize the effort that it takes to get there. It seems like no matter where you look, everyone has a story of how they didn’t think they could succeed, so achieving that goal comes as a surprise.

Give them a gift

When someone achieves their goal, whether it’s buying a car or starting their own business, they deserve recognition.

Give them a special gift that symbolizes your gratitude and encouragement of their success. If you see something you want, get it for them!

This can be given as a birthday present, anniversary present, Christmas present, etc. Don’t worry about what kind of gift you give them, because this is not the time to be materialistic.

It’s their day, so why should you? Let them know how much they mean to you with a nice gift.

Thank them

As we have discussed, celebrating with others is one of the most powerful ways to boost your own self-confidence. When you celebrate with people that are outside of your circle, it teaches you about teamwork and how to work with different personalities.

Celebrating with colleagues or friends can be tricky at times because some may feel left out. That’s totally okay! Sometimes you just need to acknowledge their success as individuals while also acknowledging what they helped contribute to the team’s success.

As an entrepreneur, you will meet many other business owners who are like me — we love talking about our businesses and what we are working on. We share stories, tips, and tricks, and it’s so much fun!

It’s not only motivating for us, but it can be inspiring for those looking to start their own business. So why not keep sharing and growing each other’s knowledge?

If you ever find yourself struggling to speak about your career, get into a rhythm of celebrating together. Make meeting for drinks or lunch a regular occurrence to strengthen your relationship.

And don’t forget to give each other appropriate credit for achievements throughout the year, from winning awards to completing projects. This encourages others to follow your lead and achieve their dreams.

Connect with them

Congratulations your business has succeeded! Whether it’s because you worked hard, had incredible talent supporting you, or both, your success comes down to how well you connect with people.

This may sound simple, but it’s something many entrepreneurs struggle with. Why? Because they don’t understand the difference between connecting and interacting.

Connecting is when you greet someone and say hello. It could be at a party where everyone greets each other, or next door where you exchange pleasantries during lunch.

Interacting is talking about things that matter to you – why you opened up this restaurant, what products you are promoting, etc.

It’s staying focused on these topics instead of getting lost in smaller talk. By being more conscious of this, you will realize that most people already have their stories so you can choose to add yours or not.

If you feel like there isn’t much conversation happening, try asking questions or offering comments that relate to theirs. Or simply keep an eye on what they are doing and do the same.

The easiest way to stay connected is by using tools such as LinkedIn. With its ever-growing collection of features, you can find out who they are and what they're interested in. You also get the opportunity to share your story and learn more about theirs.

By creating conversations around things that mean something to you, you'll enjoy meeting more people.

Tell them you look forward to doing business with them in the future

When someone receives great news, they usually feel good about themselves. They may laugh or smile as they celebrate their success, but beyond that, they can sometimes be a little bit nervous or unsure of what to do next.

This is natural — it’s human nature!

When we are told that something good has happened to us, it can make us a little bit anxious. We have to acknowledge this internal struggle, because it’s normal to worry how others will react to the new information.

However, aside from being annoying, these worries also prevent you from celebrating your own achievements properly.

Tell them what you like about the company

Now, this is not something that should be done every time someone gets a promotion or receives an award. It’s more appropriate when they earn a prestigious honor such as being awarded with an Excellence Award from your organization.

When it comes to awards and acknowledgements, there are two main reasons to celebrate. The first is because it brings recognition to the winner which can motivate them to keep working hard.

The second is because it gives other people credit for their work, which is an important part of leadership.

So whether you know the person receiving the award or not, try to identify some qualities about the company that make up for this success.

You could say “I love how [insert quality here] teaches employees their worth.” Or “This year I was able to achieve my goal so I will use that knowledge to help me grow.”
or even “It looks like they value education very much!”

If you feel comfortable, add “Congratulations on your achievement!” at the end of the compliment to close the conversation nicely.

Ask them about their business

Asking around about your friend or colleague’s career is an excellent way to get some great tips. What kind of clients does he or she work with? Is he or she in leadership position? If so, what level? What projects has he or she been involved with recently?

It’s also worth asking if they go through any formal training or take courses outside of work. This could be for personal development or professional growth.

By bringing these topics out into the open, you can gain valuable insights that may not have emerged otherwise.

Another good question to ask is how they manage their time. Are there certain times when they feel stressed or overwhelmed? A lot of people don’t realize it until you bring it up, but we all have limits as to how much we can handle at a given moment.

For example, I would say that most people are unaware of theirs. They might spend hours every day making phone calls, sending emails, preparing documents, and the like, and then wonder why nothing ever gets done.

There’s just a limit to how many things one person can do at a time. It depends on each individual what their internal clock tells them they can no longer handle. It’s best to know yours well before trying to help others achieve the same.

Ask them to tell you about some of their successes

Asking successful people about their success is a great way to get inspiration and tips. When was your business last closed? What have you been doing with your life since that time? These are all excellent questions to ask when trying to learn more from others.

It’s also a good way to show an appreciation for what they do, by asking how they achieved their latest success.

Another good question to ask is what strategies did they use to achieve their goal. Some people keep notes or diary entries as proof of how effective certain tactics were. Others may share examples of businesses like theirs so that you can pick up helpful ideas.

By paying attention, you will probably find something new you can try.