How To Write An Awards Nomination

Applying for Allied Health Awards - tips from a judge

Be Memorable

The judges are required to read many submissions, and many may be similar.  What can you do to be memorable?

A friend of mine used to introduce himself as “the world’s most interesting accountant”- it had an immediate impact, it took away the inevitable, oh my god, boring, dry, dull, banal and made you want to engage with him and find out what makes him the world’s most interesting accountant.  Being memorable is a great way to be noticed and stand out in a crowd.

Answer the question!!

What are the awards rewarding or awarding?  Is it a clinical excellence award, a business award, a team culture award or an innovation award?  In some cases, the award criteria will be advertised and therefore your response should seek to address all criteria with specific and measurable examples. If the criteria are not advertised answer each question and provide specific examples.

If the award is a business award, then use metrics such as;

·       growth month on month or year on year

·       ratios such as wages as a % of turnover that can be benchmarked against the industry

·       profitability and

·       business development goals

Team culture or leadership metrics could be;

·       Staff retention and turnover ratios benchmarked against the industry

·       Other rewards received

·       Staff feedback surveys

·       Workers compensation statistics

·       Absenteeism statistics

·       Staff awards and recognition

Clinical excellence metrics could be;

·       Outcome measures benchmarked against the industry e.g. recovery, independence measures, duration, cost, return to work, patient surveys

·       Grants received

·       Awards received

·       Research

Use real examples and ‘measurables’ or metrics

Instead of saying “we get great results for our clients” use examples that demonstrate your results and how this provides value to a client.

Here’s an example from my business Sitemed;

We helped a mining services client reduce their lost time injuries from 35 to 7 per annum in a two year period when we introduced our early intervention program.  With an average claim cost of over $10,000 per claim we were able to save our client over $300,000 in 2 years and demonstrate a significant return on their investment in us. 

Use benefits or impacts not features of your service

When you answer the question what you do, use impact statements rather than descriptions of your service. Eg;

I’m a women’s health physiotherapist- I provide incontinence therapy services with the goal that our clients can laugh out loud without peeing in silence.

I am an Occupational therapist that provides assistance to people injured at work and we are so proud that 95% of our clients are able to return to their pre injury employment.

Commitment to the profession

Demonstrating commitment to the profession is a key metric in many allied health industry, service and professional association awards.  Some metrics could be,

·       Contribution to research

·       Student supervision and practical placements

·       Lecturing and tutoring

·       Peer mentoring and supervision

·       Blogging and social media presence

·       Publishing

·       Conference organising committees

·       Reviewing papers

·       Presenting conference papers and posters

·       Member of professional association

·       Office bearer of professional association

·       Committee member of professional association

·       Chair of special interest group

·       Lobbying and professional representation

Applications that scored highly in this category demonstrated a commitment to the profession and not just their own practice.

Client Impact

Many of the great applications I assessed were able to articulate their “why” or their “purpose” in terms of the impact on their clients and how this shaped everything they did.  These applications were more powerful than the catalogue style of “we do this, we do that, we are great, we do this, we do that”.

Innovation

According to the business.gov.au website innovation refers to changing processes or creating more effective processes, products and ideas. For businesses, this could mean implementing new ideas, creating dynamic products or improving your existing services.

What innovation isn’t -

·       Doing the same thing somewhere else if there are no interesting logistical challenges, interesting client requirements, access issues or funding challenges.

Exciting examples of innovation in the applications I assessed were;

·       Use of therapy animals in practices

·       Telehealth

·       Collaborations that improved outcomes for patients

·       Co-locating with specialised equipment and engineering suppliers to collaborate on modifications

·       Interdisciplinary practice

Language

Use language that is active and engaging.  If you haven’t indicated that you are excited about what you do and that doesn’t leap off the page, then it is hard for me as a judge to get excited too.

Nicole Nott

Founder, Sitemed & Praktis Partners

Australian Allied Health Awards - Judging Panel Member