Standing Ovation
A week ago my wife and I went to hear the Seattle Symphony perform some chamber works. It’s always a pleasure to hear the SSO because the level of musical competency is very high, and because the acoustics in Benaroya Hall are superb.
Naturally, at the end of the performance there was a standing ovation. It wasn’t absolutely undeserved; the performance was good. But at the curtain call for concerts and dramatic productions it is a reflexive action for the audience to rise to its feet and applaud vigorously for several minutes – whether or not the performance warrants the recognition. My issue with the obligatory standing ovation is that it is meaningless. It’s akin to an enforced gratuity in restaurants. I make a point of recognizing things around me that are extraordinary (I suppose you’d call me an affirmer); but I don’t lavish praise over every action accomplished by another human. Unconditional praise rewards every act as virtuosic… how can you possibly recognize true greatness if everyone gets the same evaluation? At work I ask my managers to tell me what I do well and to identify opportunities for improvement. For most people, balanced feedback is the basis of continuing to challenge one’s self to strive for growth.
While I recognize the skill of professional musicians and other performers, I don’t believe it’s necessary for an audience to automatically demand an encore or deliver a standing ovation. The more it becomes part of the ordinary end-game for every live performance, we lose the ability to provide recognition for truly extraordinary events.
I find that a key point for recognizing excellence is to include a very specific example. Employee X shows great passion in their work – for example when they did Y for project Z with result Q. People really connect with sincere recognition when it’s tied to specific behaviors and events.