Volume XXII, Number 32 (Issue 1088) August 5, 2024
Rewards Should Motivate
A recent client conversation caused me to reflect upon some important trends of the past couple of decades. Specifically, I felt the need to consider the era of “everyone gets a trophy” and its impact on current working age individuals. My sense is that initiative began with a worthy goal, namely, to instill an element of self-worth in children, particularly those who at least showed up. While the goal was worthy, the means were misguided. Worse still, the application gave rise to every educator and coach’s greatest nightmare: the helicopter parent. A brief search found but a single study that purports to demonstrate that linkage, so it remains more hypothesis than fact. Still, I am going to work from that premise since it provides a basis for today’s missive. Nonetheless, if you disagree with the premise or if it strikes too close to home for some, please try to look past the offense for the sake of the entirety of today’s message.
Also understand I am in no way implying the goal of fostering positive feelings of self-worth among young people is wrong. Quite the opposite. I believe one of the biggest challenges we face in our society is the substantial percentage of people (teens and preteens especially) who suffer from a poor self-image. The easy villain in this epidemic is social media together with society writ large for the ever-present messaging telling us we are inadequate as is. To fit in we must chase an illusion. The thing is, we are all blessed with differing gifts and abilities. Like puzzle pieces, there is a place for each of us. To aspire to look just like a model, a bodybuilder, or anyone else who is held up as an example for us to copy is folly.
As for the impact of helicopter parents, while their antics annoy many, the real damage they inflict is on their children who struggle to learn self-reliance and personal accountability. Those are two key attributes for success in most settings.
Conversely, when everyone gets a trophy, we are no longer operating in a meritocracy where those who do the work reap the rewards. Applying an “everyone must be treated equally” mentality to the workplace yields a situation where each individual receives the same percentage pay raise regardless of their personal efforts, and everyone gets two weeks’ pay at Christmas time as a bonus. Whenever and wherever that is the norm, effort and results quickly sink to the lowest common level rather than the opposite situation wherein the cream rises to the top. Which of those two models would you prefer to work in? Why?
Soli Deo Gloria
“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some would be prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210)260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
Transforming Potential into Unmatched Performance
Copyright 2024 by J. Keith Hughey. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction and redistribution of this essay as provided under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Recent issues of Musings may be found at www.jkeithhughey.com. Your comments are always welcome.