Getting Recognition For Real Life Wins Means No Long Speeches

Does your employer recognize staff members with awards or plaques?

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I was wondering how many places do. On Facebook, I see the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office recognizes staff for years of service and retirement. ( I should have taken a job where you get to retire after twenty years)

My grandfather drove for Greyhound and someplace I've still got the patch he received for driving two million miles, accident-free.

In Montana broadcasting, you can win awards but you have to apply for them. Nobody just shows up at the radio station and says "Ta-da! You're awesome. Here's a plaque". So, very few people apply for them.

Here at Cat Country, we have done employee of the month off and on throughout the years. We've been here 36 years and have won it twice.

We actually won some sort of small business award once for something to do with Flakesgiving. So, we went to the awards luncheon. The guest speaker was the Lt Governor of Montana. He spoke for 45 minutes. Now we don't get any awards. No more getting dressed up. No more long speeches.

But if I was ever given my due for all of my accomplishments, my list would look like this:

Winningest mini-golfer in the entire Wilson family.

Second luckiest "Sorry" player in our family. (My daughter is first)

Most golf holes played. Most golf courses played. Most trees hit with a golf ball.

In a related category, most ounces of light beer consumed in a lifetime.