When a spirit of appreciation, encouragement and respect arises among people, it’s a beautiful thing.

Last week I had a front-row seat to this phenomenon. It was a moving experience and offered lessons useful inside and outside the workplace.

The setting was a celebration for Twin Cities RISE! (TCR!) participants. Most spend 12 to 18 months in TCR!’s anti-poverty program, learning fundamental job skills along with how to value themselves and be empowered in their decision-making. A major part of the latter is choosing thoughts and feelings that lead to positive, productive behaviors.

The Little Earth Singers opened the celebration with an honor song. The purpose is to recognize a tribe’s, family’s or individual’s accomplishments. The lead singer said many people tend to view life as a sprint when actually it’s a long crawl. Among the American Indian teenage boys they mentor, the singers use honor songs to let them know they’re doing just fine moving along their paths in life and that others are cheering for them.

The singing was moving – and not only because of the powerful voices and drumbeats. To think of people coming together to publicly lift up others is inspirational. And I appreciate that it’s not because of a singular accomplishment. The point is to recognize where someone is today and to encourage them onward.

This theme continued throughout the TCR! celebration at the Wilder Center in St. Paul. One after another, participants at every stage in their program talked with deep appreciation about where they have come from, where they are today, and what they’re learning from others. From their stories and the honor song, here’s what I’m taking with me.

Appreciate the journey. In the spirit of Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu’s “a journey of a thousand miles,” the first step often is the most important because it starts you in a new direction. And once you’ve taken that first step, TCR! participants unknowingly reminded me, it’s valuable to acknowledge and appreciate what you learn and accomplish along the way. Doing so reminds you where you’ve come from, reinforces what you learn and motivates you to continue. It’s similar to the continuous-improvement philosophy in business but with a view well beyond the destination we tend to prize.

Encourage others along the way. The camaraderie at the celebration was contagious. Every participant who spoke thanked peers for their support and encouraged them to press on, regardless of the challenges they encounter. It was powerful to hear others admit to an occasional desire to stop at particularly difficult times. But a thread keeping them on course was encouragement from others – voices championing “you can do it” and “I’m here for you no matter what” and “we’re in this together.”

Respect, all around. Another highly evident characteristic in the evening was the respect participants have for one another and, especially, for the TCR! staff. It was clear that respect must be earned as well as given. I consistently observe this in the staff valuing, guiding, serving and encouraging participants, who in turn fully engage in, support others in and advance the program. It’s impressive to see how this respect-based environment fosters a healthy culture where people flourish and strive to help others do the same. Another benefit: Countless participants proclaimed how they sing TCR!’s praises among friends and family and encourage them to enroll in the program or support the organization. Talk about brand advocacy!

Appreciation, encouragement and respect altogether are helping TCR! participants and staff to accomplish amazing things, transforming individuals and their families along with the organization and our community. Imagine how we all could advance even further by following their lead.