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Recognition: A useful tool

  • Published
  • By Col. Gary Goldstone
  • 375th Airlift Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  What's the one fix it tool you can find in nearly every home - duct tape. It's a running joke but it's also very true that you can repair (at least temporarily) almost anything with a little bit of duct tape. There's a similar kind of "everyman's" tool available to each of us in the work environment. It's called recognition.

Recognition is a very handy and useful tool. It can be used to lift morale and motivate people. Most importantly, recognition is a way to acknowledge a person's efforts, performance or attitude.

The continued high operations tempo and the many, daily demands for our attention can make it easy to get caught in the trap of filling in the proverbial squares or running through the checklists without thought, simply to move onto the next task. You put on the "automatic pilot" and run through the to do list.

Our mission to fly, fight and win requires more of us. With a renewed emphasis on precision, reliability and accountability, mission accomplishment demands that everything we do is done by the books with great care and attention to detail. There are many in the Joint Total Force Scott community who are meeting and exceeding this standard. Recognizing them for their efforts is not only important but essential.

Whether it is a simple thank you or the passing of a coin, informal recognition is fast and easy but can leave a lasting impression. People appreciate and respect those who validate their work and contributions to the mission. For many people, recognition of their hard work motivates them to achieve even higher goals and better performance.

Additionally, there are a number of other recognition programs that help us to identify our very best. In the base newspaper, we highlight members of the Joint Total Force Scott community in the Showcase Performer section. This section is an excellent opportunity to recognize the talented professionals in your workplace. All base supervisors and leaders are encouraged to submit their superstars for this highly-visible recognition.

There are also a great number of awards at all levels offered by both military and civilian organizations. It's important as leaders to take the time to submit top performers for these awards. These awards are more than certificates, plaques and trophies. They are a permanent reminder to the recipient of their accomplishments.

As we near the end of the calendar year, there will be many formal awards waiting for nominations. I highly encourage leaders to take advantage of these award programs and submit their richly deserving top performers.

Recognition can make a positive impact on morale and can motivate and inspire people to achieve great things. Take the opportunity to not only say thank you but also to recognize those deserving individuals who earned your accolades. Air Power!