How to write a great CEP nomination
By Yuri Duncan, WRAP Partner and CEO, Buchanan Creative Solutions
In a previous blog, I talked about the power of a well-written nomination, and how meaningful it can be to the recipient. Today, I’d like to revisit this subject from the perspective of how to write a meaningful nomination. These concepts are more about creating thoughtful documentation regarding a moment in time that an employee was deserving of recognition.
Be prepared
It isn’t uncommon to find yourself sitting down to compose a thoughtful and effective nomination, only to suddenly draw a blank as to what to say. One practice to start immediately is creating a small tickler file for each of your staff. Use this file to quickly record dates and activities that you’d like to consider when writing a nomination, performance review, and so on.
With these details in hand, you’ll find the nomination process much easier to write, and the employee will always appreciate your attention to detail. Especially when it comes to their performance.
Accuracy
This brings us to our first concept related to writing a great nomination: accuracy. You cannot expect an employee to respect your opinions related to their personal attention to detail and accuracy on the job if you are unable to provide accurate details as well.
It’s all about the deadlines
Another area to focus on is your employee’s ability to meet deadlines and achieve goals. Achieving a mutual understanding of shared team goals and working together to meet those goals and their associated deadlines is critical to the success of any project. Missing a deadline or misunderstanding the end-goal is often the difference between the ultimate success or failure of a project.
To that end, make sure that you yourself meet the deadlines related to a nomination or performance review. As a manager of human resources, holding yourself responsible for the same qualities expected from your staff is necessary to avoid undermining the integrity of your message.
Detailed examples are key
Telling a specific story about how the nominee was able to positively impact a customer, for example, is one of the most powerful tools in your nomination arsenal.
When you set out to tell their story, take the time to gather feedback from their peers and even the customer themselves. Crafting a story from various angles is highly effective and details are critical. When done correctly, a story can chart your employee’s path from identifying a need, rising to the task to fulfill that need, doing so with a positive attitude, and ultimately having a positive impact on the customer.
This path not only demonstrates an employee’s inner drive to make a difference. It provides an example of how they put that drive into action and supported the company’s goals in the process.
The downstream impacts of their actions benefit the company overall, so make sure to connect the dots between motivation, inspiration, action, and how these qualities benefit the organization and its customers. Focus on what the nominee did, how they accomplished that task, and the impacts resulting from that task. Details make a difference.
Don’t forget to add personality
The act of composing a nomination isn’t enough. You must strive to inject details, character, and meaning into your story, as well as leading the judges down the path of truly understanding how the nominee made an impact at both a customer and organization level. A well written nomination not only provides the best means for publicly recognizing your most deserving employees, but it also provides a direct reflection on the level of care and commitment you, the leader, bring to the table.
Ready to put your nomination skills to the test?
Here’s your chance: CustomerCount® and Resort Trades are looking for the most valuable customer engagement professional within the timeshare resort/hospitality industry.
Qualified people most likely will be resort managers, assistant managers, front desk folks and customer service team members who are in daily contact with members and guests. These outstanding team members exemplify the highest standards in customer engagement and service. Their interaction with members and guests shapes the entire guest experience, paving the way and opening the doors to happy smiles and memorable vacations.
The nomination process includes completing an online nomination survey to measure the nominee’s qualifications and qualities. The survey is powered by CustomerCount’s software.
The winning customer engagement professional and their company/resort will be profiled in the March issue of Resort Trades magazine. Two trophies will be presented; one for the company and one for the individual CEP. To submit a nomination, visit CustomerCount or Resort Trades for a link to the entry form. Or fill out the online form.
About CustomerCount
CustomerCount is a feature-rich, cloud-based survey solution providing intuitive real-time reporting, fast turnaround on requested updates, and detailed and dynamic data gathering capabilities to support process improvement efforts, build customer loyalty and improve your bottom line.
Developed and managed by Mobius Vendor Partners, CustomerCount was initially designed for the timeshare and contact center industries and is now used by organizations across numerous different vertical markets and industries. For more information call Bob Kobek on 317-816-6000 or request a demo of the software. Follow their regularly updated blog, or on Twitter and Facebook.