![\"Golden](\"https:\/\/staging-wmplo.xyz\/mark-c-divi5\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/golden-globes2009.jpg\" "\\"Golden")
After watching the Golden Globes on TV last Sunday, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about it.\u00a0 Apparently, my subconscious believed the show should be the subject of a blog post and found a way of jostling me into alertness.<\/p>\n
Always one to listen to my inner voice, I came to realize in the daylight that the Hollywood Foreign Press did some brilliant things to ensure the full power of its recognition was bestowed upon its awardees.\u00a0 But they also did some things that unnecessarily undermined their effectiveness.<\/p>\n
I want to make brief note of both.<\/p>\n
Once a year, the Golden Globes are presented to television and film\u2019s best <\/em>writers, directors, actors and actresses, and the winners almost always have done truly exceptional work to earn the award.\u00a0 It\u2019s clear in the faces of these people that this recognition is extremely meaningful and that virtually all of them aspire to earn a Golden Globe though their work.<\/p>\n (Before you proceed, please begin thinking about your employees and how hard they work in order to earn your praise and approval.\u00a0 There\u2019s a parallel here).<\/p>\n This year\u2019s host, comedian, Ricky Gervais, opened the ceremony with these words:<\/p>\n \u201cTonight you get Britain\u2019s biggest comedian, hosting the world\u2019s second biggest awards show, on America\u2019s third biggest network\u2026 Sorry, fourth.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n As he said these things, we could see the audience wince.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Let\u2019s dissect what he said.<\/p>\n In expressing \u201cTonight you get Britain\u2019s biggest comedian,\u201d<\/em> Gervais effectively made the show about him \u2013 and not at all the people who were to be recognized \u2013 either by winning or by being nominated.<\/p>\n In saying, \u201cHosting the world\u2019s second biggest awards show,\u201d<\/em> he inferred that the award wasn\u2019t all that prestigious \u2013 inherently demeaning the experience and the prize.<\/p>\n And with his last phrase \u201con America\u2019s third biggest network\u2026 sorry, fourth,\u201d<\/em> he was suggesting that better networks \u2013 and their audiences \u2013 weren\u2019t interested in the show.<\/p>\n Whether or not we think Gervais is funny, it was clear to me that these short introductory sentences had real effect.\u00a0 They were deflating and disheartening right at a time when his words should have conveyed admiration, gratitude and praise.<\/p>\n Now we can argue that celebrities all can take some poking and to maintain our sense humor here.\u00a0 But in business, humor used in this way is destructive to people in the moment \u2013 and to their engagement long term.<\/span>\u00a0 Better to tell your high performing employees right at the get go how extremely grateful you are and take things from there.<\/p>\n This aside, there were three things done at the Golden Globes that I really loved and encourage you to make use of in your own recognition events:<\/p>\n Awardees Got To Speak:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>At the Globes, it\u2019s an acceptance speech that some times goes on too long.\u00a0 But allowing award recipients their moment in the spotlight is clearly the best part of the recognition.\u00a0 In business, especially for great accomplishments, ask your employees to briefly describe how they made their achievement.\u00a0 It not only will be incredibly inspiring, it will teach everyone else on the team how to win like that.<\/p>\n