APIOH Blog

And I will give to them in My house and within My walls a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting memorial, that shall not be cut off.

~ Isaiah 56:5

“I am afraid that if people feel that I am a very special person, a sort of heroine, they may doubt whether they will do the same I once did. Not many consider themself very talented or courageous and thus would refrain from helping endangered people. This is the reason that I want everyone to know that I am a very common and cautious woman and definitely not a genius or dare-devil. I did help like so many others who ran the same or more risk than me. It was necessary so I helped.”

~Miep Gies

You can join the bandwagon as long as you get them to change their tune.

~ Steve Katz

You’d be surprised how different the view is on the way out than on the way in.

~ Joe Pesci

In this month’s Hero Corner, we highlight Ezra Frech.  Ezra is a four year old boy who has reason need inspiration and motivation, yet instead is a source of great inspiration for others.  ABC did a repost on him that will help viewers understand why Ezra deserves to be recognized as our April Hero.  Please see Boy’s NBA-Size Dream Comes True to see the whole story.

There is a recurring concern that permeates throughout organizations when they are dealing with more informative recognition solutions. Should historical information about an individual be selective, and if it is, is that distorting who that person really is?

The simple answer is that recognition highlights the achievements of individuals. Achievements worthy of recognition tend to be good. Therefore, even though there may be a dark past to an individual, one need not present it. By way of analogy, a picture taken of an individual in a tuxedo or formal gown does not mean that individual never dresses down or gets dirty. It is a depiction chosen to represent that individual.

Although that explanation is enough to justify selective presentation, there is another way many may choose to view this issue. The more information that is presented, the more those reading the information can delve into the essence of an individual. Showing the different facets of an individual, whether positive or negative, gives the depth of that individual. Certainly, depth of information, including bits of information about the person’s upbringing, their family or their other achievements, gives a broader view.   However, even their negative experiences are experiences nonetheless. For example, saying someone was once an alcoholic and overcame it is not necessarily a negative. It shows how that person triumphed over adversity. Knowing the miles of obstacles one had to navigate and circumvent on their journey to get where they are is much more impressive than just saying they arrived.

Regardless of the position one takes, it is important to hold one thing constant. Information presented about an individual should reflect who that person is, even if that is not the whole picture. True information is more important than complete information. To say someone is a doctor when in fact that individual is a greeter at the local mart is to distort who the person is, what they have achieved, and the difficulties they overcame. It may not be pretty, but they endured.  Hiding the truth only masks what the person was really about. Also, there is no dishonor in working hard every day to support oneself and one’s family, but there is dishonor in lying.

A couple years ago, I remember speaking to some pastors who each stated that they would love to introduce new recognition into their parishes.  However, although each felt they had to educate their parishioners about the importance of recognizing those who passed this way before them, they believed their members were focused too strongly on just living today.  They felt their members did not care to learn from the past or wish to think ahead to the future. The pastors wanted to take the steps necessary to change this mentality, recognizing the importance of the effort, but realized people were very fixed in their ways and the change would not happen overnight.

I found similar phenomena when I met with hospital and university administrators and decision makers when I presented the APIOH Donors product. They were very fascinated by the level of appreciation shown through APIOH Donors. However, they had to refocus their mindset throughout their organizations to grasp this new approach to recognition. It is very logical to understand that it is better to appreciate the people who contribute rather than just the gift they are giving. Still, because it isn’t done yet, the transformation had to come slowly.

My initial belief was that this theory of people not being ready yet was just a line they were feeding me to get me off their backs. I wanted to say, “If you don’t want the products, just tell me. Don’t string me along.” However, I have read articles and heard lectures that talk about this very issue. It is a real concern and organizations are making significant headway to overcome this problem.

I recently spoke to some pastors who told me they are now starting to see progress. Their parishioners are now more interested in how the organizations came to be and whether this generation is properly prepared to receive, carry and pass on the torch. They realize their parents and grandparents worked hard and endured significant hardships to allow their descendents to coast through life. But now with the downturn in the economy, the children can no longer coast and are facing their own uphill battles. They are now ready to learn from the past.

Other not for profits are starting to realize that they have to connect to their members and patrons in a way they had not had to for some time. For a time, reaching out to their communities for funding was not based on making any connection with them. There was little they had to provide to elicit a contribution from their donors. People had what to give and the organizations were only too happy to take. Now, without making a connection with their constituents, people have to be much more selective with their funds and their time.

It is too early to know whether the connections with our past and future that organizations are starting to desire is based on a societal acceptance of our true recognition needs or if it is just an anomaly associated with the present economic situation. Regardless, the organizations understand more clearly than ever that not only must we list in name the contributors of the past, but we have to share in and learn from their actions. Not only are we ready for this change, it is imperative if we want the next generations to grow from the events that shaped our lives and the lives of our progenitors.

Dear Patrons,

“It is not our abilities that show who we truly are, it’s our choices.”

~ Albus Dumbledore (Joanne Kathleen Rowling)

“It matters not what a person is born, but who they choose to be.”

~ Albus Dumbledore (Joanne Kathleen Rowling)

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”

~Roy Disney

“The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.”

~David Russell

“Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.”

~Author Unknown

“Life is the sum of all your choices.”

~Albert Camus

In these times of economic turmoil, it is very difficult to show appreciation for our employees while at the same time we are paring away their paychecks and benefits. However, there is still a benefit that is very affordable and goes a long way toward showing our employees how much they mean to us. A thank you is a simple way to say “I am sorry I cannot give you more right now, but it is not because you do not deserve it.”

Many companies show employee appreciation through employee recognition boards, but the concept often misses the mark. Between delays in getting plaques up on the board and the lack of depth of information presented to those viewing the board, the value of a name on an employee recognition board is minimal. APIOH has a more meaningful solution. Call or email us to find out more.