Not too long ago I read an article in The New Yorker by
Malcolm Gladwell. It was titled “
Priced to Sell – Is free the future?” (July 6 &13, 2009)
Malcolm Gladwell is one of my favorite authors. “
Blink,” “
The Tipping Point” and more recently “
Outliers” were all best sellers and great reads.
His article in The New Yorker explained difficult negotiations the Dallas Morning News had when it tried to license its content for use on Amazon’s new electronic reader, the Kindle. In a nutshell, Amazon wanted 70% of the subscription fees and the right to republish the newspaper’s content to any portable device.
The article went on to cite numerous examples of how the price of content is being driven down and how “free” is becoming the new norm. Gladwell is absolutely right and there is a lesson here for those of us in the recognition industry.
All too often recognition is viewed as an expense… but that’s not true.
Meaningful words of appreciation and recognition cost NOTHING! Words should be used liberally and on a timely basis to praise specific efforts and achievements.
Remember… Recognition is Free!!!
My good friend and fellow Recognition Professionals International Board member, Dee Hansford recently appeared on Brian Moffitt’s "Good Work NOW!" show. Brian’s show is dedicated to finding and creating good work.
