Consider nominating or applying for CNY BEST

• Get recognition - by your peers, your profession and the community
• Highlight best practices - showcase your practice and discover best practices from other organizations
• Gain executive support - earning awards and recognition for learning initiatives is the third highest priority for CEOs after Return on Investment and strategic impact (Source: T&D Magazine)

The following guide can help you decide in which category to nominate/apply

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Nomination/Application FAQs

Time Period - the 2012 BEST Awards cover practices conducted in or during 2010 and/or 2011. Understanding that practices can cover over a span of time, the timeframe listed is a guideline, not a restriction. If your practice started a little earlier or runs later than the dates listed, it would be an acceptable practice to nominate.

Confidentiality - if you have concerns or issues regarding confidential information, indicate your confidentiality request at the beginning of the application. The CNY BEST Committee and Judges will treat applications with confidentiality. If you are describing a confidential client, we suggest using a fictious name (ex. ABC Company) as an approach to keep your client confidential while making it easier for judges to read the application.

Multiple Categories - one practice can have nominations/applications in multiple categories (ex. an excellent practice for an organization, may have had consultants involved, and may have significant contributions by an individual worthy of recognizing. Note - it is not recommended to nominate more than 1 individual per company.

Presentation - while content is the most important criteria for any CNY BEST application, presentation is also important. The importance of presentation is to make it easy for judges to review, understand and get excited by your application (ex. table of contents, tabs, appendixes, visuals, graphics, summaries, etc) 

Technical Information - if your practice may be hard for judges to understand, make sure to use lay terms to convey the information. Make it easy for them to understand. Another suggestion - have an independent person review your application to see if they understand what you are trying to say.

Executive Summaries - the executive summary will be used to create a published description of the practice for use in event material. These descriptions will be drafted and sent to applicants before publishing.

Approach/Deployment/Results - in describing your learning and performance practice, be sure to discuss your approach to the practice (what, why), the practice's deployment (how, who) and the results of the practice.

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Tips for Preparing a Winning CNY BEST Application

« Check out CNY BEST winning practices from past years.  

2011 CNY BEST Winners
2010 CNY BEST Winners
2009 CNY BEST Winners
2008 CNY BEST Winners

The winning submissions showed strength in the following areas:

-         Submission met all criteria (followed the checklist on the application form)

-         Submission clearly showed the link of practice to organization's strategic plans

-         Submission included evidence of the impact of the practice (testimonials, surveys, etc)

-         Submission included quantifiable data (showed measurements)

• Show your practice excellence
  -  Clearly describe the nominated practice
  -  Provide materials and information to support the nomination; give specific examples
  -  Support materials could include: practice overviews; copies of manuals; excerpts or examples from tutorials; class work
  
• Include your results
  -      Identify strategic plans/goals
  -      Relate your accomplishments to strategic plans/goals 
  -      Support material could include: customer letters or testimonials; survey results; formal awards; statistics and metrics; charts, graphics
  -      Avoid anecdotal comments without support evidence
  -      Use quantifiable information to support results
  
• Follow all submission requirements
  -      Complete appplication form
  -      Include executive summary
  -      Include support material
  
• Don't overcomplicate the process
  -      Use materials already available
  
• Make sure your application is legible
  -      Make it easy for the judges to review your application
  
• Present an application with a polished, image
  -      Make it easy for the judges to review your application
  -      Use table of contents, sections and appendixes with tabs. Make reviewing the application flow easily.
  
• Two or three heads are better than one
  -      Ask colleagues to review your draft for input
  
• Submit your application on time  
  -      Give yourself plenty of time to prepare a thoughtful application

Remember it's about Excellence and Results!

Remember to provide support materials!

 

Good Luck!