One of my favourite podcasts is 99% Invisible. Each episode of the show tells an enchanting story usually about some design, architecture and the 99% invisible things that shape our lives. They head my list of my seven favourite podcasts.
One of their recent episodes is a perfect story about the artifacts you can create to bring your BIG idea alive. It’s about Challenge Coins. And, there’s a good chance that you have no idea what a challenge coin is – just like me until I listened to this podcast.
A Challenge Coin is typically associated with the US armed forces. They are coins and they’re not currency and they’re not medals either.
In the world of the military that is run by top-down command and control the Challenge Coin has been birthed to fill the gap between the official rules and the unofficial social interactions.
Image source: http://www.signaturepins.com/challengecoins-html/
A Challenge Coin is a symbol of gratitude, a way of saying thanks when you can’t promote someone or give them a pay rise. It might represent being grateful for a relationship you have or a deed that was done.
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Similarly to the precise way that a Japanese businessman presents their business card, the Challenge Coin also has a precise way or ritual to present them to the worthy recipient that goes something like this:
If you want to know more about Challenge Coins and the way they are used to challenge others, listen to the 99% Invisible Podcast episode. Plus there’s more here on Wikipedia.
[Tweet “Why you need a challenge coin in your business via @romanmars #99%invisible #ideasmarketing”]
As part of your BIG idea and Ideas Marketing, we want to create rituals around key moments, events and situations. One of these you might consider is how you say thank you to the people who have helped along the way. Here are a couple of suggestions:
An important aspect of this is the ritual that goes with the presentation of these symbols of gratitude. An exchange of a Challenge Coin like a box of chocolates may be a private affair. In contrast, a Certificate of Appreciation or the awarding of a personal title may best be served in a public setting to fully express your gratitude.
How might you create your own version of Challenge Coins? Here are a couple of things to consider:
COMMENT: What are the ways that you have been thanked over the years? And, how do you thank others for a job well done?
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