The T-Ball Coach – Kelly Conlon

This is a real story from Lakewood, Washington.  The scenario is a t-ball team without a willing volunteer to be coach.  Stepping up to the plate: Kelly Conlon.  While Kelly has a busy work life, multiple kids and stressors that most of us face, his t-ball team was without a coach/mentor to his child and 13 other 5-6 year olds.  Instead of pointing to the other parents and asking them to take on the role, Kelly raised his hand and said, “I will do it.”  That leap of faith is inspiration for this article.  The rest of the story is typical of many t-ball teams around the county; kids not knowing the sport, not having developed skills and not having the attention span to make it through a game.

 

Well, I just attended the team’s last game, and am I impressed!  The kids knew their positions, abided by the rules and had fun, too!  Since I am in the business of recognition, I want to highlight Kelly’s delivery of the end of the year trophies.  While most of the youth trophy presentations I have seen have been a spectacle for both the parents and children, Kelly focused on just the kids.  He got down on one knee and spoke loud enough to be heard by all, yet he spoke directly to each child.  He highlighted 2-3 positive attributes each child learned or possessed throughout the season and presented them with a small trophy and certificate from the league.

While I feel the trophy and certificate are long-lasting symbols of the child’s accomplishment, the words that were spoken are perhaps more important.  Each child left with a sense of accomplishment and pride that serve as a foundation for future achievements.  They know they can finish something.  They know they can be a part of a team.  They know that as an individual, they were a significant part of a team.

 

In speaking to Kelly after the game, he felt honored to teach the kids.  He felt like he witnessed growth in their teamwork, physical skills and in their attitude.  If you ask him if he received enough recognition for teaching them, he would say that he didn’t need any because the joy he received was greater than what he put into it.

 

This story is repeated by the hundreds each sports season around the county.  My hat is off to Kelly and the rest of the parents who accept the challenge of teaching our children structure, responsibility and rules.  These people are to be commended for giving more than their share of effort.

Great Job!

What is the difference between informal and formal recognition?

Recognition is important in the workplace as well as in the home.  It can come in different forms and can be applied at different times.  One of my favorite reasons for using recognition is motivation.

At home, I use recognition to motivate my children and use it to acknowledge and appreciate my wife.  The easiest way is to use informal day-to-day recognition.  Although sometimes I fall short, words of affirmation are a great motivator in keeping the family functioning.  Simple things like thanking my wife for cooking dinner, taking care of the yard or running errands in support of the family unit really charge her up and help motivate her to continue on…just surviving in today’s busy society can be a challenge - verbalizing to your spouse can affect the happiness of the family!  Same for the kids.  My oldest daughter is very smart and sensitive.  By praising her with atta-boys (or atta-girls), her spirit seems to be lifted.  In turn, she then seems receptive and motivated to doing homework and chores.  She also seems excited and energized to be a part of the family.

We also have a somewhat hokey family tradition.  We have a family ‘trophy’ comprised of a horse and 2 dogs that is titled ‘The Anderson Family Trophy’.  Each night (well, almost each night) the person who has the trophy recognizes another family member who did exceptionally well that day.  At dinner, the presenter gives the trophy to the winner and shares with the family why they deserve the award.  For us, it ends up pretty evenly distributed (as to not hurt anyone’s feelings), but the result is amazing.  We all feel like we are a part of a positive family.  This formal recognition is a great way to celebrate the accomplishments of the day.

In the workplace, informal recognition takes on the same tone.  Words of affirmation - to everyone - seems like it boosts morale and makes the job at hand more fun.  Although my co-workers may not realize this, but my day-to-day informal recognition includes a simple ‘Thanks’ when someone leaves.  It may be pretty simple to deliver, but I really think that acknowledging someone for putting in a solid days work is crucial to happiness.  I am very grateful when each of my co-workers spends a day out of their life with me.  Sure they get paid, but they could get paid anywhere, yet they choose to spend it at my company and help in our quest to provide recognition to others.  Other simple ways to informally recognize can include notes, cards, and thanks in the presence of others.

Symbols of formal recognition are what we provide.   I feel this is as important as informal recognition as it provides a sense of permanency to the accomplishment.  For kids, a simple trophy not only helps celebrate the completion of the season, but also motivates them to try harder next time and provides a feeling of ‘that was cool, I can’t wait until next season’.  For adults in the workplace, formal recognition is more complex.  Formal recognition is (and should be) thought out in advance.  Strategy, measurement and delivery of formal recognition should be pre-planned and aligned with the goals of the program.  Some of the most successful sales, service or training recognition programs we see are created with longevity in mind.  These programs have management buy-in, are taken very seriously, and are flexible enough to change.  The results of a successful formal recognition program are people who genuinely want to contribute to their company.  I feel that is a tremendous tool for any leader of a company or organization to understand and use.

As always, your thoughts and questions are welcome.  We at trophies2go.com are here to assist in whatever way possible…

Kip Beelman - Raising the bar in Seattle Photography

I have 4 very close friends who are photographers in the Seattle area. I have had a chance to work with 3 of them in the past (Michelle Enebo, Dana Wasuyluka and Michael Johnson) and had incredible success with all of them. Add to them Kip Beelman.

Recently, my marketing mastermind suggested I needed some up-to-date pictures of me for PR, internet marketing and the such. Since I am no Tom Cruise, I needed some serioushelp. In steps Kip Beelman. In steps Kip Beelman’s gear. In steps Kip Beelman’s expertise.

Kip was very gracious in coming to my house on a Sunday evening. He envisioned the poses, set-up his gear and had me flash my cheezy grin. Below are a few samples of what came out of the session. Get used to them. After my marketing guy gets a hold of them, they will probably be plastered throughout the internet. I will hold my favorite back for when I hit the cover of a magazine. Oh, I forgot, I am not getting a ton of calls to be on a magazine cover. If that is the case, I will show it to you anyway…

While he was hot, my girls, Brenna (7 1/2 Years Old) and Audrey (4) got on their ‘Poofy Dresses’ from Carol. By the way, how did they grow up so fast?

When you have a minute, please check out Kip’s site. Not only are there incredible images, but there is great music to complement them as well. I am very fortunate to have quality friends like Kip in my life and am extra thankful that some of them have unspeakable talent. Thanks, Kip!