Is it a River? – During my lunchtime walk today I went by a “tributary” of the Los Angeles River. Actually, it was a concrete channel with no water in it, which, by the way, is what much of the LA River is like. In Phoenix, they have the Salt River and most of the year it’s the same thing – it has no water in it. So why call it a river and not a dry riverbed? Perhaps, it’s because it was once a river and has the potential to be a river again – in fact, in its glory it is a river! Why not treat people the same way and recognize their past and perhaps future successes. The entertainment industry excels at this. “Here is Academy Award winner so and so.” They don’t tell you they won the award in 1957. “I’d like to introduce Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson.” He didn’t win the Triple Crown last year – it was 40 years ago, but that’s not the point. People like to be recognized for what they have accomplished. Imagine if you introduced one of your employees as “employee of the year Bill Jones.” Maybe he won that in 1991, but Bill will feel great and the people you are introducing him to will probably think well of him, too. This one is free and reminds you how valuable your people really are.