Executive Tips

Building a Successful Awards Program

Throughout the year, awards are given to companies who've seen exceptional growth, showcased strong executive leadership and inspired their industry.



You can improve your chances of earning recognition in these areas and others through careful planning:



1. Create a Team

Assemble an awards team to be responsible for tracking, qualifying and submitting entries. Assign roles to team members in advance to help streamline the entry process.
 


2. Plan Ahead

Develop an annual awards calendar and focus on awards that would have the most impact for your company, executives or customers. Take the time to review previous winning submissions before developing your nomination. 
 


3. Be Selective

Focus on projects and people that clearly meet the award criteria and have strong metrics to support your claims. Judges look for concrete measurements that demonstrate how you met or exceeded your goals. If you're struggling to make your project fit, then this may not be the best nomination to pursue. 



4. Know the Rules

Create a checklist of the submission guidelines and share it with your review team. Many awards have specific requirements about margins, font size and word limit; don't be disqualified for a simple mistake!
 


5. Share Your Success

When you win, share the recognition within your organization. Next, distribute a press release — in conjunction with social media outreach — to target external audiences, including press, analysts, prospects and customers. Sharing these successes encourages employees to continue creating their best work. 
 


Now is the time to assemble your team and put a plan in place for next year. 
Good luck!

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