Congratulations, you were just awarded the person of the year
It is that time of the year when some of the world’s most coveted awards are presented to deserving winners. These awards are sometimes given at end-of-year dinners with glitz and glamour. Many firms offer awards to the most deserving employees.
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Trade and professional associations also confer awards on distinguished professionals who have excelled or pioneered new ideas and methods in the industry or profession. And there are award programs sold by entrepreneurs who seek to profit from man’s need for recognition.
This insatiable desire for recognition and validation resulted in the well-known UN awards ceremony in Ghana, which was shrouded in controversy. Some individuals were hoodwinked into thinking they were receiving awards from a legitimate institution.
Despite the scandal, the popularity of these awards has not waned, and they continue with great pomp and splendour.
However, the presence of all these other awards does not diminish the credibility of awards such as the TIME Person of the Year, The Nobel Peace Prize, The CIMG Ghana Awards, etc.
Congratulations to all swifties:
I was not surprised when Taylor Swift received the Person of the Year Award. In a tradition that dates back to 1927, The Time Person of the Year is presented to an individual, group, or concept that has had the most influence on the world throughout the previous 12 months.
In 2022, TIME’s Person of the Year was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the “spirit of Ukraine.” The economics behind Taylor Swift's talent is staggering. The strategies used to achieve these feats are paying attention to by other professionals in pursuit of excellence.
I have come close to winning some of these awards. I also know some colleagues, friends in other professions and family members who have won awards. Most importantly, my consulting firm was a technical advisor to one of the most prestigious industry awards.
The representatives from various firms determined the award criteria, and the entire industry funded the award event.
These awards are not just celebratory, they set the benchmark for the industry. It gives a sense of accomplishment to the winners and makes all the efforts they have put in over the period worth it. We should not detract from the celebrations.
Many professionals and leader do not get the recognition they deserve. In most cases, their leadership efforts may not be recognisable enough to be celebrated.
They may be making significant contributions not yet captured by the current award criteria.
If you are a leader or professional in this category, I will encourage you to keep going. Many professionals were never recognised for their work when they started, but we celebrate them today for their contributions.
The Famous Employee of the Year:
One type of award which evokes raw emotions, on many occasions, is the Employee of the Year award in organisations. I know that sometimes the committee may have favourites.
It is possible that the person expected to receive the award may not be selected. And the award may be given to the person who was most effective in delivering “eye service”, ( It is used to refer to situations where individuals put in the effort only to please the master when he or she is around and can see their effort)
Don’t get too emotional:
Not being selected for an award should not affect your professionalism, even if you feel others are more deserving of the award.
Some professionals get carried away by this. First and foremost, you are a professional because of your practice and not the awards you may receive. When you start practicing our craft to win a prize, you have set the wrong objective.
This mindset can lead any professional on a wrong path. If you are not selected for the best employee award, this is not the time to withhold your effort and contribution.
Your world needs your contribution. You cannot hate the person selected (more so when the person chosen did not influence the award in any way). You may not like it, but you should overcome your emotions and focus on the work you perform for your stakeholders and clients.
What can you do as a professional or a leader?
Create Your Award:
Your award should represent the peak of your practice and effort in your put in the endeavour you have chosen for yourself. This award should inspire and guide your effort and practice every day. What award are you seeking to win? Define what the award represents clearly. Your description of the award will shine a light on your way to superior performance. Creating as many awards as possible for all the significant aspects of your life where winning matters to you will help you to improve your life.
Rate yourself:
You can rate yourself on the award criteria to evaluate your progress. What areas have you excelled in? What aspects of your practice require improvement? Undertaking this exercise will dramatically improve your performance in the following year. Pick yourself, award yourself, celebrate yourself. You know your hustle better than anyone else. The good book tells us, "To whom much is given, much is expected." Reflect on your progress and devise a plan for improvement.
Celebrate your achievement:
Celebrate yourself, write your acceptance speech and promise to work smart in 2024.
The award you give to yourself means that a new chapter has opened for you to do even greater work and contribute to creating a better world. Get to work again after you have received your awards for work done in 2023.
…..be of good cheer!
The writer is the Founder of the CEO Accelerator Program and Chief Learning Strategist at TEMPLE Advisory. He specializes in leadership development, executive coaching and strategy consulting.
The mission of The Leadership Project is to harvest highly effective leadership practices and share them in a manner that other leaders can easily incorporate into their leadership practice.
If you have an idea or leadership practice to share, kindly write to [email protected]. Until you read from us again, keep leading…..from leader to leader, one practice at a time.