Why it matters
In Amazon’s early days, staff built desks from cheap doors bought at a nearby hardware store. The door desk became a symbol of frugality, and the Door Desk Award recognises ideas that save costs so prices can stay low for customers. It turns a value into a story people retell.
How to run it
- Find your founding story. Every organisation has a moment that captures a value. Amazon’s was a door turned into a desk.
- Make the symbol physical. A miniature version, a photograph, an object people can hold.
- Invite nominations for ideas that live the value — at Amazon, ideas that save money and help keep prices low.
- Retell the origin story every time you present the award. Repetition is how founding stories become culture.
Watch out for
- Celebrating cost-cutting that hurts customers or colleagues
- Using a symbol nobody knows the story behind
When not to use it
If frugality isn’t genuinely a value — pick the story that represents the value you do hold.