I don't win awards - I earn them based on my performance. People win lotteries based on chance. People win in Vegas based on chance. When a program is conducted to influence behavior I earn awards. I put forth the effort and therefore earned the benefit.
When I spin the wheel in Vegas and win something it's a prize not an award.
Prizes and games of chance can be used to drive awareness and participation but they should not be used as the baseline for a performance program and substituting the words prize/award and win/earn devalue the effort and the outcome in any program. Use the right words.
Remember...

See another rant on the words we use in the industry.
Recent Comments