Ceremony has its place in every culture.
It’s an occasion for recognizing distinctive people or acts of valor.
As opposed to guilt and shame, praise and recognition validate achievement.
Maslow ranks this need right above survival and security need. Self-esteem.
Martial Arts and Military subscribe to ranking and recognition more than often:
black belt and red belt, purple heart and silver star.
As of this writing, the Pentagon has just lifted the ban on women in combat.
Half of the population has just been recognized.
Long way from those bras-burning days.
Students got special stickers from teachers; workers special parking.
Sales folks are paid by performance, but non-sales counterparts should also be recognized for their contribution (1001 ways to reward your employees).
Knowledge workers volunteer their best minds, software coders give up their sleep.
Best way to recognize go-beyond-the-call-of-duty is to point it out publicly.
Applause does wonder to the soul, brings tears to actors at Golden Globe Awards.
There is nothing staged when being recognized. Instant elation.
It touches us. We are more than a profile. We are proud people.
We rise above ourselves and our circumstances. We enlist and enlarge qualities long laid dormant: heroism, sacrifice and quick reflexes.
Those soft skills and abilities are not activated until circumstances call them out (United flight 93 over Pennsylvania on 9/11, for instance).
Kids should be exposed to many worlds: Sahara, Salvador and Saks Fifth. And not just Saks Fifth. We will never know how we act when in want. But people do survive the worst of times, selflessly and secretly. Mother Theresa identified with the poorest of the poor. In losing herself, she ended up being recognized. Survivors of the Holocaust still have tales to tell.
Recognition, while a reward for excellence, is also a motivator, from the standpoint of management. Recognize your employee of the month, but spot and validate their initiatives every day (positive reinforcement). People and company, military or martial arts, all need to build up ranking and recognition into their reward system.
Praises go a long way, while put down is counter-productive.
Thang Nguyen 555 