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Awards of any kind are a dignity-shredding affair, even when your auditors can count envelopes, but just what is going through the mind of an investment banker, recruitment consultant, [[Mediocre lawyer|lawyer]] or compliance professional who thinks it wise to hold, be nominated for, win, modestly disclose on [[LinkedIn]], or sycophantically congratulate anyone else who should so modestly disclose, an “[[industry award]]” is hard to fathom.  
{{a|g|{{image|EPOTY|png|You know you want it.}}{{image|LDOTY|jpg|Excellence in [[complaints management]]}} }}Awards of any kind are a dignity-shredding affair, even when your auditors can count envelopes, but just what is going through the mind of an investment banker, [[head-hunter|recruitment consultant]], [[Mediocre lawyer|lawyer]] or [[compliance]] professional who allows {{sex|himself}} to hold, be nominated for, win, ''modestly'' disclose on [[LinkedIn]], or congratulate anyone else who should so modestly disclose, an “[[industry award]]” is hard to fathom.


These awards used to be doled out only at gala events convened by tedious free industry magazines as a means of rewarding their patient, persistent advertisers — credulous businesses who don’t in truth get much else out of the marketing spend (does anyone actually ''read'' [[Risk Magazine]]<ref>Careful: http://www.risk.net/risk-magazine is the derivatives risk magazine. https://www.risk-mag.com is a different kind of magazine altogether, although its reader appeal is a bit more obvious.</ref>? Why? When?).
These “awards” have long been doled out at gala events convened by tedious [[industry magazine]]s to reward their most persistent advertisers—credulous businesses who can’t get much else out of the spend (well: does anyone really ''read'' [[industry magazine|Carbon Trading Magazine]]?<ref>The answer to this rhetorical question, originally posed in 2010, turned out to be “no” — or at any rate, not enough of a readership to justify continuing to publish beyond September 2012. May the memory of those boozy nights on Carbon Trading Magazine’s red carpet rest in peace.</ref> What for? The horoscopes?)  


At least in those days, sheepishly returning to your desk with a stoning hangover and an embarrassing plastic figurine was the price of a free night out on the razzle with your buddies — but latterly these [[Risk Magazine|austere publications]] have been joined by obscure “industry networking platforms” and hitherto unheard-of “industry trade associations” in declaring arbitrary, meaningless and frankly outrageous awards to individuals whom you would think the simple pleasure of excelling at their calling, or failing that, being richly paid for it, ought to be reward enough.  
It is true that in those cases, sheepishly returning to your desk with a stonking hangover and an embarrassing plastic figurine is the price of a free night out on the razzle with your buddies. But latterly these [[Risk Magazine|austere publications]] have been joined by obscure “networking platforms” and hitherto unheard-of “[[trade associations]]” in declaring arbitrary, meaningless and frankly outrageous awards to individuals whom you would think the simple pleasure of excelling at their calling, or failing that, being richly paid for it, ought to be reward enough.  


Gala dinners are few and far between these days: if you’re lucky, a congratulatory post on the online edition of a magazine no-one reads.
But what is this you say? There might be deeper neuroses at work, nibbling away at our frail securities, dripping whispered poisons in our ear — that, unless we recognise each other periodically, the crushing enormity of reality might visit us — that what we do every day has null utility in the grander scheme of life? That we are wasting ourselves; deteriorating; decaying; wearing away—[[Bullshit Jobs: A Theory - Book Review|frittering our fragile psyches on a cosmic hamster wheel]]?


But nonetheless, there are some insecurities that only a gong for “Person of the Year, IT Procurement, Government Sector”; “Business Development Professional of the Year: Information Services Sector” or “Contentious Litigator of the Year - Alternative Dispute and Mediation sector” can redress.
How cynical.
Seemingly there are insecurities that only a gong for “[[Environmental Finance Personality of the Year]]” (you couldn’t make such a thing up: it really exists); “Business Development Professional of the Year” (there are ''hundreds'' of these) or “In-house Litigation Department of the year” (what does it say about an organisation that lionises its own capacity to [[Make America Great Again|conduct litigation]]?) can redress.


It must be nice to have existential doubts that can be so easily quashed. If an award, “judged” anonymously, by reference to no published criteria, from nominees whose main merit appears to be employment by a prolific advertiser of the sponsor’s product — if a personal tribute as feeble as that can assuage deepest insecurities, your psychology is in rude health indeed.
O! To have existential doubts that can be so simply quashed!
 
What is says about the fragility of those who publicly brown-nose such an honoree, on the other is a different story.


If such an award, “judged” anonymously, without reference to published criteria, from amongst nominees whose main merit appears to be employment by a prolific advertiser of the sponsor’s product — if a personal tribute as feeble as ''that'' can assuage your deep insecurities; if that is all it takes to put you back on a level keel — your psychological health is rude indeed.


Right?
{{sa}}
*[[LinkedIn]]
*[[Boredom heat death]]
*[[Entropy]]
{{egg}}
{{draft}}
{{ref}}
{{ref}}
{{egg}}
{{egg}}

Latest revision as of 16:33, 25 January 2023

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Awards of any kind are a dignity-shredding affair, even when your auditors can count envelopes, but just what is going through the mind of an investment banker, recruitment consultant, lawyer or compliance professional who allows himself to hold, be nominated for, win, modestly disclose on LinkedIn, or congratulate anyone else who should so modestly disclose, an “industry award” is hard to fathom.

These “awards” have long been doled out at gala events convened by tedious industry magazines to reward their most persistent advertisers—credulous businesses who can’t get much else out of the spend (well: does anyone really read Carbon Trading Magazine?[1] What for? The horoscopes?)

It is true that in those cases, sheepishly returning to your desk with a stonking hangover and an embarrassing plastic figurine is the price of a free night out on the razzle with your buddies. But latterly these austere publications have been joined by obscure “networking platforms” and hitherto unheard-of “trade associations” in declaring arbitrary, meaningless and frankly outrageous awards to individuals whom you would think the simple pleasure of excelling at their calling, or failing that, being richly paid for it, ought to be reward enough.

But what is this you say? There might be deeper neuroses at work, nibbling away at our frail securities, dripping whispered poisons in our ear — that, unless we recognise each other periodically, the crushing enormity of reality might visit us — that what we do every day has null utility in the grander scheme of life? That we are wasting ourselves; deteriorating; decaying; wearing away—frittering our fragile psyches on a cosmic hamster wheel?

How cynical.

Seemingly there are insecurities that only a gong for “Environmental Finance Personality of the Year” (you couldn’t make such a thing up: it really exists); “Business Development Professional of the Year” (there are hundreds of these) or “In-house Litigation Department of the year” (what does it say about an organisation that lionises its own capacity to conduct litigation?) can redress.

O! To have existential doubts that can be so simply quashed!

If such an award, “judged” anonymously, without reference to published criteria, from amongst nominees whose main merit appears to be employment by a prolific advertiser of the sponsor’s product — if a personal tribute as feeble as that can assuage your deep insecurities; if that is all it takes to put you back on a level keel — your psychological health is rude indeed.

Right?

See also

References

  1. The answer to this rhetorical question, originally posed in 2010, turned out to be “no” — or at any rate, not enough of a readership to justify continuing to publish beyond September 2012. May the memory of those boozy nights on Carbon Trading Magazine’s red carpet rest in peace.