Why is it that since the Academy Awards began, everyone involved in the business has secretly hoped to hear those three life changing words…and the Oscar goes to?

Is it fame and fortune? Maybe for some, but I think the reason why so many young actors and actresses dream of making their acceptance speech to the Academy is not this shallow. What all young actors and actresses truly dream of is being recognized by their peers for their talent, hard work, and accomplishments.

The true power of the Oscars is not the red carpet, designer fashion, or A-lists celebrities.  No, the true power is how this golden statue motivates thousands of people to give their best efforts, take risks, and push new boundaries. It also motivates the future Oscar hopefuls to raise the bar each and every year.   

As I watched the Oscars last night and saw The Hurt Locker take home 6 Academy Awards and beat out the box-office juggernaught Avatar, I kept thinking why doesn’t every organization have its own yearly awards ceremony and hand out their very own Oscars?

While many organizations have reward and recognition programs – very few have made these awards as special as the Oscars. Organizations hoping to make their reward programs more like the Oscars should follow these three guidelines. 

1. High standards - everyone who hopes for an Oscar knows that you only win the award if you are the best of the best, being average just won’t cut it.  
2. Peer driven – just like the members of the Academy vote for their Oscar winners, it is important to ensure that the final decision on who wins your organization’s awards is in the hands of the employees, not some unknown committee or a select few leaders.
3. Make it a big deal & make it fun – another secret to the Oscars success is that they make it a true celebration for not only the winners, but all of the industry. This motivates and rewards everyone, not just the deserving few that take home the gold.

So, here are a few ideas on what your organization’s Oscar awards might look like…  

• Best picture = Most successful initiative of the year in terms of impact on the business/customers
• Best Actor/Actress = The senior/executive leader who best embodies the companies values while delivering exceptional results
• Best Supporting Actor/Actress =The mid-level leader who was responsible for a significant project/business outcome 
• Best Independent Film = The little unknown and underfunded project that made the biggest impact 

I would like to know your thoughts on this topic. Does your organization have an Oscars awards? If not, do you think it would make an impact? If you do have an Oscar style program – tell me about it!

I have loved Netflix ever since they came on to the scene and turned the DVD business on its ear.  At first glance, Netflix is one of those business ideas that is so simple and brilliant that you almost kick yourself for not thinking of it first.  

And while you might believe that the secret to Netflix’s success is it’s innovative business model – its not. The real secret according to their founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, is their culture of high performance which focuses on fostering ”Freedom and Responsibility.” 

Below is an amazing PowerPoint presentation that details the core values and beliefs that truly makes Netflix special. There is a lot an organization or HR pro can learn from Netflix and how they have created, articulated, and implemented a culture that delivers the goods. 

Over the next few blog posts, I will breakdown those key elements that make Netflix’s culture so special. Until the next post take a look at the slides and let me know if you believe Netflix is a high performance culture or just hype?

Photo Credit: HackingNetflix