When I grew up, if you received a medal it meant you won something — came in first, second, or third — beyond just entering in the event or playing on the team. Then came the era of boosting self-esteem and medals were awarded for participation and many other categories beyond winning.
I, and many others, think that this has created a culture of entitlement where younger people expect to receive a reward for playing a role, and this has caused challenges in employee engagement and volunteer recruitment. Instead of doing things for their intrinsic reward, too many have been conditioned to want an extrinsic reward for their efforts.
Playing off this dreadful trend, Reese’s now makes their famous peanut butter cups in the shape of medals, cheapening the meaning of a medal even more. Just as the chocolate is fleeting, so is the reward that people will feel upon receiving any type of recognition available to everyone, rather than just a select few.
Consider what you can do to buck the recognition-for-all trend. I’m a big proponent of offering praise, acknowledging a job well done, or noting extra effort but save even the chocolate medals for the true winners.
