I regularly say to my team, "would you feel comfortable using this on you child?", if we're creating a device that might not be up to our standards. I do this because I care. I overheard someone saying, "You can tell that Phindustry does this work to get company recognition and the awards. Phindustry is trying to make the move up." Personally, I hate company awards. Supposedly, it gives employees something to strive towards, in actuality it inspires jealousy, resentment, and internal competition. We are on the same team. When something good happens we should all be rewarded here. Maybe it's the socialist in me (although I consider myself a capitalist, tried and true) in academia, you're a little more on your own, so recognition should come on a more solo basis (although in academia, recognition rarely comes at all). I'm divvying up the part of the award for the invention among the three people that worked on this project with me. I did this with the last award I got, and it seemed to improve morale.
The comment I overheard is annoying because I present myself as interested in the greater good. I don't care about patents or recognition. I want to have fun and help people. That's it. I felt so insulted. I understand why they said it: I work very hard, argue a lot, and dress up every day for work. The managers like me for my skills and for my public image. I really want to tell those jags (jackass douchebags) talking about me that I am trying to leave industry for good. That I moved up the ladder because that's how I could make a difference in patients' lives. Also, I want to tell them that they didn't get the awards because they suck.
I know academic awards exists for all kinds of things with plenty of undeserving people getting them. But I've never seen someone in academia step up their game to get a specific award (unless it's a grant). Maybe I'm just naive, but science should be about improving the world and broadening our understanding. Not a plaque that I keep in my desk drawer.
