Writing Winning Nominations

What makes a “winning” nomination? It begins with nominators who take the time to write down what great things they or their colleagues are doing – and describe the positive impact these individuals are having on the organization’s business or mission goals.

When you write a nomination, being specific in how the nominee met the award criteria can make your nomination a winner. Explaining detailed behaviors and giving specific examples will clearly paint the picture of why someone deserves to be recognized.

To make your nomination strong, consider the following questions in your write-up:

• What is the individual or team being nominated for? Be specific.
  
• How did the individual or team achieve this?
  
• What are the measurable outcomes resulted from the nominee’s achievement?
  
• Did you identify one or more of the award criteria that the nominee(s) exemplified, and then explained how the achievement was outstanding in that regard?
  
• Is there supplemental information you can solicit from colleagues to strengthen the nomination?
  
• In providing results, is the contribution an activity or project that is still being developed or in the early stages of use? If so, consider waiting to submit the nomination after the impact can be documented.
  
• If uncertain about the criteria being used for an award, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. Experience indicates that the most important and difficult part of effective recognition management is getting all managers and employees in an organization on the same page as to the meaning and application of stated award criteria
  
• Remember, it’s not the quantity of the nomination. It’s the quality.