Isn't a Paycheck Enough?
Why Do I Have to Recognize People
Anyway?
An Excerpt from Chicken Soup for the Soul..
Who You Are Makes A Difference...
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by
telling them the difference they each made. Using a process developed by Helice
Bridges of Del Mar, California, she called each student to the front of the class,
one at a time. First she told them how the student made a difference to her and
the class. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with
gold letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact
recognition would have on a community. She gave each of the students three
more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgment
ceremony. Then they were to follow up on the results, see who honored whom
and report back to the class in about a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and
honored him for helping him with his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon
and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons, and said, "We're
doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to go out, find somebody
to honor, give them a blue ribbon then give them the extra blue ribbon so they
can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgment ceremony going.
Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted,
by the way, as being kind of grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and he told
him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed
very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the
blue ribbon nd would he give him permission to put it on him. His surprised boss
said, "Well, sure." The junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right
on his boss's jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he
said, "Would you do me a favor? would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on
by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is
doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going
and find out how it affects people."
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son and sat him down. He
said, "The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and
one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a
blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius.
Then he put this blue ribbon that says 'Who I Am Makes A Difference' on my
jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find
somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about
whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor
you.
"My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to
you. Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school
and for your bedroom being a mess, but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit
here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. besides
your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You're a great kid and
I love you!"
The startled boy started to sob and sob, and he couldn't stop crying. His whole
body shook. He looked up at his father and said through his tears, "I was
planning on committing suicide tomorrow, Dad, because I didn't think you loved
me. Now I don't need to."
Call 800 690 1860 today for your Recognition Program. Show your team how
much you care.
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