And the winner is …

A letter to the editor in this weekend’s New Zealand Herald touched on the subject of awards and commendations – specifically recipients of the New Year Honours. The letter noted: “… (actors like) Sam Neil may be very successful at what they do, (but) what else has he done to receive his award? Has he made a real difference to other people’s lives? Surely this should be the criterion for receiving an honour.”

And therein lies the crux. Awards and commendations certainly acknowledge achievement in one form or another. They also frequently add a level of credibility and enhance a person’s reputation in the context within which they are given.

I’d hazard a guess that almost everyone who’s ever received an award or commendation has probably genuinely earned and deserved it within their field of expertise or activity. The esteem in which it’s held by others, however, will be judged subjectively depending on whether they themselves ascribe any value to the contribution made.

Sporting, community, professional, academic and the myriad of other awards presented every year are wonderful to receive and should be applauded for what they are. They don’t, however, make others’ contribution any less valid or worthwhile. Indeed, in some cases, awards can be virtually valueless depending on who’s making the award and the basis upon which it is made.

It’s certainly worth checking the credibility of an award and the process by which the recipient is determined – especially when making comparative assessments between service providers. A little desk-research will quickly reveal whether that glowing accolade really carries as much weight as it appears to.

And of course the fact that someone received an award or commendation several years ago doesn’t necessarily mean they’re up with the pace now. Times change – again, check the facts.

I personally enjoy acknowledging and celebrating the winning of an award with those receiving them and feel awards generally provide a useful benchmark against which others can be compared. They also often raise the bar in terms of innovation and performance which is also a good thing. But awards certainly aren’t the be-all and end-all. They are – or should be – a (lovely) by-product of an ongoing commitment to consistent delivery and acting with integrity.