No Parade for You

I saw a post by someone I admire and they were asked to come into a school and give a talk about their area of expertise. I do these talks, too, but for the last few years, I've put my professional speaker role on the back burner so that I can do some really meaningful work. It's had me really thinking about the difference between fanfare and recognition, and the ways this pushes at our brains.

You Can Blame Hollywood (A Bit, At Least)

How does the first Star Wars end? With an awards ceremony. We see Han and Luke getting their medals (and none for Chewie, R2, or C3PO because species-ist). Movies love to end with some kind of moment where the hero takes their bow. U.S. movies do, at least. Smiles and awards.

But work isn't like that. There's no finish line moment. There's no fanfare. No standing ovation.

Fanfare is Overrated

Over the last several months, many people I have known for years have come to apply for roles at Appfire. So far, 100% of them have NOT landed a role with us. These are people I've seen on stages accepting roaring applause for the ideas they shared with thousands at conferences. These people had lines waiting for them after their talks, all eager to ask one more question, or to take selfies. These people were in high demand at events and had people aspiring to be just like them some day themselves. (For the record, I don't think I belong here. I was lucky.)

By contrast, the people I work with at Appfire don't get standing ovations. They perform miraculous work that adds demonstrable millions to our company's revenue, and sometimes, we give them a tee shirt. We all have shares in our company so because our work contributes to the valuation, I guess those tee shirts might also come with a pony one day. But zero standing ovations.

Is Recognition Better?

I miss keynote speeches sometimes. It's the closest I'll ever get to that rockstar feeling we all think we want growing up. But I've come to appreciate doing meaningful work a lot more than I feel the urge to receive adulation for my clever words. (Mostly: I still have an inflated ego, but I'm a work in progress.)

At work, there are people who contribute often and in meaningful ways, and I hear their names at almost every meeting. Real champions on the field of play that make everyone around them aspire to be better. They are recognized by their peers and their leadership as integral parts of the organization.

It's not a matter of role, either. I don't even know the titles of some of the most helpful and contributing fireflies in our organization. I just know that if I reach out and ask for help, I'll feel smarter faster and feel comfortable and well-tended by the efforts of these people doing great work.

Recognition is an Act of Service in and of Itself

Yesterday, I broke our expense software for a moment. I needed to call on Amanda to help me because however it happened, I locked up the tool. Later in the day, I begged Brian to set aside a half hour with me because I can't navigate some of our internal systems and he's a champion of it. Those are the people I recognize as doing important work.

Last week, at TEAM, I twice ran into Andrew and Everett and Tommy. We don't put these guys on a stage. We send them to add to the awesome of Appfire. They get plenty of recognition, but zero fanfare.

It helps when you point this out to people, when YOU recognize them. You can recognize people doing work that adds to success. No awards ceremony required. No standing ovation. Just reach out. Thank people. Thank them specifically for the acts they do that add to your success. Do this to the people who add to your ongoing victories, and who lend their skills and experience and wisdom to the greater success of the organization.

And If No One is Noticing You

I don't talk much about Buddhism, mostly because I'm about as bad a Buddhist as I was a Catholic. One facet of the practice I've taken to heart is this: Listen to neither criticism nor praise. Both sway you from inner guidance.

Recognition is fine and all, but the real game is just doing work that you find to be important to success without waiting to see if someone praises you for it. If you work for recognition, you can very easily slip into situations that aren't ideal because then you're seeking external validation. While it feels nice, it's an illusion.

Instead, celebrate your own victories and do work you know might never be noticed. That's become my secret favorite. You see, having gone from being the guy standing in the spotlight to the guy-behind-the-guy, a lot of my best work these days is meant to be invisible.

I've turned it into a game: can I do something so well that people won't even notice I did it? (Answer: sometimes).

All this to say that if you're doing a great job and no one seems to notice, maybe you're doing it even better than the keynote speakers out there.

Do Great Work and Don't Wait for the Parade

I've seen many times over the last few years how many people rise from doing. I can tell you what I perceive to be the formula:

• Do your work - baseline
• Do work that extends the capabilities of others - next level
• Teach others to do that next level work - leader
• Coordinate leaders and sift the future - leader of leaders
• Empower the next generation - fellows

If you look at this group of five possibilities, I think that the people who stand out the most where I work are in that second layer: extending the capabilities of others. It's in that layer of service that the best opportunities arise. It's people working on that level that add the most to the fabric of any organization.

You'll read this the wrong way if you think the goal is to hit the top of those five levels I listed just now. The goal is to figure out where you are in the journey and to do your part. Not for fanfare and not even for recognition, but because it's the work you can contribute to the success of the people you intend to serve.

I won't be waiting for a parade. I'm buying a pony, instead.

Chris...