Case Study: Boosting Engagement and Productivity Through Celebrating Small Wins at Titan Assembly Group
Titan Assembly Group, a manufacturer of large-scale industrial equipment assemblies, had implemented a Management Operating System (MOS) with structured daily huddles, performance boards, and action item tracking. However, while the processes were being followed, employee engagement was lagging, and teams often viewed the MOS as just another set of tasks rather than a driver of continuous improvement. Leadership noticed that while performance was trending upward, teams rarely paused to acknowledge their accomplishments, leading to low morale and inconsistent follow-through on initiatives.
To change this, Titan introduced a deliberate strategy to celebrate small wins as part of their daily and weekly MOS routines. Supervisors were encouraged to recognize teams when recurring issues were resolved, safety goals were met, or when KPIs, such as cycle time or downtime reduction targets, were achieved. These celebrations ranged from simple verbal recognition during shift huddles to team lunches and spot awards. Success stories were shared plant-wide to highlight how proactive use of the MOS was directly contributing to performance gains.
The cultural shift created immediate results. Within two months, Titan saw a 13% increase in employee-reported engagement scores and a 15% improvement in on-time production completions. Teams became more motivated to solve problems quickly and take ownership of action items, knowing their efforts would be recognized. Improvements in areas such as equipment uptime, scrap reduction, and inventory accuracy accelerated, as teams became more collaborative and proactive in driving MOS initiatives to success.
The practice of celebrating small wins also strengthened accountability and reinforced a continuous improvement mindset across the plant. Employees felt their contributions were visible and valued, which led to more open communication during huddles and a greater willingness to suggest process improvements. By embedding recognition into its MOS, Titan Assembly Group built a positive feedback loop where celebrating progress drove higher engagement, which in turn led to faster problem resolution and sustainable productivity gains.