When President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I was struck by the reaction here in the United States. The award bewildered many people, including the media. The fact that he was in office only twelve days when nominations were due made people wonder if he was deserving of the award.

This situation made me think about the negative consequences of receiving something that was not deserved. To gauge public opinion, I posted the following question on several LinkedIn groups:

"What is the downside of receiving something (example - a raise, promotion, the Nobel Peace Prize) you may not deserve?"

This post generated hundreds of responses, most in line with my way of thinking:

• "Undermines the value of the award"
• "Cheapens award, deflates moral, diminishes faith in the organization"
• "If person knows they didn't deserve (raise, promotion, award), they may spend too much time defending themselves"
• "Can create jealousy that torpedoes the success of the recipient"
• "Provides a false sense of importance for the winner"

A small minority believes that awarding promotions, awards, and raises to the undeserving is a good thing - logic being that it will serve as a motivator to the recipient and others in the organization.

A few people attacked me personally for merely suggesting that President Obama may not be deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope they didn't contact the White House and suggest that I get put on the enemies list.

My bottom line - reward the deserving. Don't lower the bar and reward mediocrity.