The Problem with Giving Credit Where It’s Due
In the nonprofit area, there is always talk about recognition of what members and supporters contribute through their efforts. There are many levels of recognition from certificates and thank you notes to individual awards at annual meetings. It’s good to recognize when someone does something that is helpful to the organization – but does your organization actually ACKNOWLEDGE the efforts of all members when they contribute?
Using my personal experience as an example, I am often told on deep background “your efforts do not go unnoticed” but I am not publicly recognized or acknowledged. The problem here is that, related to most of the volunteer work I do, I am not in a FORMAL position. The work I do is ad hoc volunteer work and it is noticed. BUT - no title or formal position, you aren’t on the radar. But shouldn’t people be on the radar if they are contributing?
Is it really going to kill you to acknowledge efforts outside the rigid recognition system in place? Let’s face it: at any organization there are only so many formal volunteer slots. It doesn’t matter if you have 500 opportunities if you have 50,000 members. Someone is not going to get appointed to a formal role – why not find a way to acknowledge the efforts of everyone who participates and contributes?
Despite our profession being part of a “higher calling” it is still focused on money and celebrity. Another way to look at it is the old saying, “those who have, get.” We continue perpetuating the perception that all organizations are run by cliques, and you need to pay to play – because we keep perpetuating the “insider model”. Don’t even think about getting in that Fellows program or being nominated for that individual award unless you’ve given a LOT of money to the association OR you know people who know people.
I am not the first person to bring up wider recognition efforts and I certainly won’t be the last. What needs to be re-evaluated here is WHAT we are recognizing. Are we recognizing contributions to the profession and our colleagues? Or are we recognizing supporting the organization? Those are two vastly different things and we tend not to differentiate them. This is called the “Equivalency Fallacy” which is a mistake the human mind makes – it thinks two things are the same when they are not.
Using some random email or conversation to tell someone their efforts do not go unnoticed is not recognition or acknowledgement. It’s a technique people use to try to eliminate dissent. “If we just ignore that person they will go away.” Organizational leaders and their staff can pretend things aren’t what they are, but eventually reality catches up.
It is time to break the cycle of celebrity and cash. Let’s start thanking everyone for everything they do. The favored few don’t do all the work.
