Let us pick lessons from feting  judicial officers 

Don’t we love to complain when things go wrong? Of course there is so much that can go wrong and make us forget about the little that goes right. 

In the myriad of failures, we lose sight of the successes however small. There are so many of us who may have lost faith in many institutions of government. 

Among those is the Judiciary which is often a symbol of ridicule with allegations of corruption, delayed justice, and sheer incompetence. 

While we pick on all these vices, we summarily forget the good and need for the institutions which must be defended from the excesses of the Executive and the rich. 

Last week was a reminder of the good that actually happens in the Judiciary as at least 14 judges and magistrates were named as the best performers of 2020 in a new report released by the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), a non-partisan organisation promoting good governance and democratic principles in the country. 

While this is an annual ritual, it is perhaps the only time in a year that those officers have heard their names mentioned in a positive light. 

That is not a small thing. In administration of justice, it is impossible to leave court with both sides satisfied. 

There are many thankless jobs and this falls in that category. All those who were feted can now know that they serve something bigger than themselves and the appointing authority. 

This kind of recognition should be borrowed by all sections of our society and life, way beyond pointing fingers at government. 

Think about this: When was the last time you appreciated your security guard, cook, maid, wife, husband, child, neighbour etc for doing ‘their job’. 

Today, the tragic journey to succeed has made many forget the small things that could make them feel better, motivated and do more.
 
Rewards and recognition is a system where people are acknowledged for their performance in intrinsic or extrinsic ways. 

This must be present in a work environment where there is appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of employees’ efforts in a fair and timely manner.

Everyone wants to hear good things about themselves. You might be tempted to think money is the only thing that matters to all. As long as you get your paycheck, you are happy, right? Not quite. 

Recognition is relational and beyond looking at the bank balance. It is about personal praise and gratitude for good work and we all deserve it.