Not too long ago, I interviewed a technician for a position in my previous business. Everything about him said he was a good fit — the skills, the experience, the references. But what truly stuck with me wasn’t his resume. It was why he was leaving his current job.
He was tired of being publicly shamed.
Every time a mistake was made, it became office gossip. Management would bring it up in meetings. He felt humiliated — not just once, but again and again, as though his error was branded into his identity. And he wasn’t the only one. The culture of fear spread like wildfire, crushing morale and engagement.
It was a wake-up call that reminded me of the invisible line we all walk as leaders.
Public Recognition. Private Conversations.
At my previous company, we believed in sharing team metrics each week — performance scores, goal tracking, utilization rates. It wasn’t about naming and shaming; it was about gamifying our goals, seeing progress in real time, and having open, encouraging conversations about how to push forward.
Metrics were our scoreboard, not a punishment tool. And that made all the difference.
Every Friday, our team looked forward to a quick performance rundown. We celebrated wins — like when we hit our quarterly uptime goal or improved our average response time. Small wins turned into big ones when the team started owning their part in the journey.
It created a healthy pressure. A sense of pride.
And when someone was underperforming? We’d never put them on blast. Those were private conversations. Honest, respectful, and supportive. Our goal was to coach — not to embarrass.
The ROI of Positivity
Positive culture isn’t about toxic optimism or sweeping issues under the rug. It’s about fostering an environment where people feel safe to grow. Where they know their efforts matter, and where they can fail forward without ridicule.
Because let’s be real — no one performs better when they’re afraid. Shame doesn’t build stronger teams; it breaks them apart.
When culture and metrics align, magic happens. Your team becomes self-motivated. Peer accountability takes over. People want to improve because they care about the mission — not because they’re afraid of the consequences.
That’s when a business stops being a collection of individuals and starts becoming a movement.
Leading Through Crisis — A Personal Reflection
A powerful example of the impact a strong culture can have came during one of the most trying times for businesses: the COVID-19 pandemic. While many companies scrambled to reinvent their workplace cultures to retain staff, we didn’t have to.
Why? Because we already had a culture worth staying for.
While others were talking about finally “respecting their employees” or “investing in positive environments,” I couldn’t help but wonder — why did it take a global pandemic for them to realize this?
By fostering a healthy, positive environment from day one, we navigated the COVID employment retention crisis without losing a single one of our top team members. We didn’t need grand gestures or desperate measures. We had trust. We had respect. We had a team that genuinely wanted to be there.
At the end of the day, as business leaders, it’s our job to serve both sides of our client base — the paying customers and our employees. Both are crucial to your success. If your employees love where they work, they’ll outperform your competitors, delight your customers, and help turn your vision into reality.
Celebrating Wins — The Right Way
If you’re not celebrating your wins, your team will forget why they’re trying so hard.
Every goal reached deserves a moment — whether it’s a Slack emoji party, a team lunch, or a simple shout-out in your weekly update. These moments don’t just reward; they reinforce. They remind your people why they show up every day.
But just as important is what you don’t say in public. Mistakes should be opportunities to learn, not weapons to humiliate.
Leading with Intention
At Upsociate, we believe that metrics matter — but only when they serve the culture, not the other way around. As a founder or business owner, your role is to build an ecosystem that fuels growth, not fear.
That’s why we champion practices like:
- Weekly metric reviews with the entire team.
- Public celebrations for individual and group achievements.
- Private coaching for performance concerns.
- Immutable laws that protect team morale and values.
These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re the foundation of a sustainable, high-performing company.
If you’re building a business right now, ask yourself:
- Does my team look forward to our metric reviews?
- Do they feel psychologically safe to speak up?
- Are wins genuinely celebrated?
- Do performance issues get addressed with dignity?
If the answer to any of these is “no,” it might be time to reset the culture.
Because at the end of the day, people don’t just work for money — they work for meaning. They stay for the mission. And they perform for leaders who lift them up, not tear them down.
