Nine Tips to Writing a Quality Award Nomination

Tim Spell reports:

"You work with a lot of great people, but there is one that stands out. He/she deserves to be recognized, and you plan to make it happen. But what takes an award nomination from just 'good' to 'WOW!'? These tips are designed to help you put the wow-factor in your nomination...Take the time to understand the process behind the award-selection and commit to fulfilling every requirement. Without doing so, your nomination will be discarded without consideration...[U]se specific examples to demonstrate how your nominee fits the award category perfectly. Write about the results that came from this person’s actions...Who wouldn’t be flattered by what you are doing? Get his/her input early on to be sure you are highlighting what is important to him/her in the nomination...All award nominations should be written as a narrative. But remember, the selection committee cannot waste a day on one nomination. In short, do not say in ten pages what you could say in one...[I]f you choose a strong, appropriate word, it won’t need a crutch to stand on. A sample sentence is: 'He does a very good job at finishing his work on time' versus, 'He finishes his work promptly.' Which sounds better to you? If you have trouble with this concept while writing, don’t worry. Let the words spill out organically. Later, use one read[-]through solely to eliminate 'fluff' words and construct strong sentences...It is important to introduce your nominee through your eyes. Provide them with a brief job summary and use the aforementioned anecdotes to prove the person goes above and beyond...The selection committee doesn’t have the time to decode acronyms or look up jargon. If you want to use a word that not everyone knows, define it. Always spell out acronyms the first time you use them...The first [reviewer] should be someone that doesn’t know the nominee. After a read[-]through of the award description and your nomination, ask the reader to describe the nominee. Then ask if the nominee deserves the award and why. This should expose any serious issues with your nomination’s content or wording. The second [reviewer] should be the nominee or someone who knows the nominee well. This person should check for accuracy and completeness...I know a person who deliberately waited until 11:59pm on the night of a deadline before hitting submit. Surprise! There was a problem. Make sure you have enough time to correct any error–human or technological."