Recently, I witnessed 2 standing ovation given to 2 two people which I felt I needed to share my thoughts. I have always believed that a standing ovation should be given by the audience to show the approval and appreciation for a performance/ project or leadership which is outstanding or which had touched their hearts and made them feel good, happy or even special.
In the first incident which was a training session for new members, I witnessed the moment the new Organising Chairman walked on stage, he zoomed in to how grateful he was to his predecessor and talked about her remarkable achievements. The he asked all of us in the audience to give her standing ovation. I really found this very odd. Firstly not everyone in the audience knew the predecessor and secondly a standing ovation was demanded. It was not given by way of honour. And guess where the predecessor was, she was seated some when in the audience and was not even asked to come to stage to be recognized properly as some of the audience at the back could not even see her..ha..ha! Of course I adamantly remained seated while the others stood up against their better jugdement.
Actually it is for the audience to decide whether they want to give a standing ovation or not. But most times some members of the audience may be surrounded by people standing and clapping their hands and instead of letting their feelings known that they were not over impressed by the performance , they too join the crowd reluctantly.
The second incident was in another meeting, the chairman praised his predecessor and asked to give a standing ovation to the predecessor who was not even there but away in another town!
I suppose nowadays the meaning of standing ovation and its etiquettes are interpreted differently.
If I am speaker and I do receive a standing ovation, personally that would be an indicator that I have somehow touched the audience. I would then be totally elated of my achievement.
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