Visibility and Reward

Fewer acts convey a stronger sense of organizational inclusion than being publically rewarded for excellent performance by one’s peers. If you’re still not convinced, consider the end of the 1993 sports film, Rudy,1 which ended with the film’s namesake being carried off of the Notre Dame football field on the shoulders of his teammates. Being celebrated in a highly visible way, even being rewarded in a less public way, became the peak inclusive moment for hundreds of the employees and managers with whom we corresponded. In fact, the scale of recognition that Big Store’s top sellers received was comparable to that of a Big 10 football stadium since Big Store sometimes rented out major professional athletics venues for its annual international conference. So, when awards and retirements were announced, they were literally before thousands of peers.