Recognition: What They Don't Teach in Management Schools

I was having my breakfast with my spouse in one of the mamak's restaurants in Shah Alam, the usual thing we do every morning on Saturdays and Sundays, when I saw this news. I grinned.

The next day, I saw what I have expected, here on the Sunday Star. And thereafter, over several days there were controversial views over the award, here and here.

I had in my training sessions stressed the importance of recognition and that leaders must find time to reward and recognise. I too have iterated how central it is to immediately if not spontaneously, reward and recognise good behaviours if we want these behaviours repeated or emulated by others. Good behaviours nurture excellent organisational culture.

Many of us acknowledged that while good behaviours must be rewarded, the rationale for the reward must be accepted by the society - a critical element in managing the 21st century society. I too learnt the same principle from one of the most successful 500 Fortune companies - GE - when a group of us attended the GE's change management programme way back in late 1990's. Similarly, I had shared in several sessions that technical competency alone would not be sufficient to drive the intended change unless such change effort is bought-in by the society.

But, these news have indeed throw different insights especially the rationale given by the Chief Minister of Malacca. New things have emerged from this incident, first - that there should be a 'good' basis for the reward, otherwise it would raise a lot of controversies instead; second - that there must be a very influential third party proponent and endorsement (in this case, in the form of Tun Daim's).

Despite all of the above, one thing that is apparent is that the final say rests with the power-that-be. Especially so, when the proponent and the endorsement came from a very very important and influential personality. No matter how difficult it is to be accepted by the society, other relevant criteria are deemed out-weighted. Whether or not it will drive the intended change, such objective becomes secondary.

These are lessons that they don't teach in management schools.