Awards Season – Making it count

Posted on June 20, 2024 by admin

It is nearing the end of exam season and in the last couple of weeks, I have also spent some time marking… judging industry award entries. 

As always it has been an interesting process, with lots of close entries, which often made it hard to determine winners.

Of course a winner there has to be. Based on the entries, category criteria, and combined judges’ responses (no sorry I cannot be influenced!) it was a robust process.

However, having seen the bulk of the entries, I thought it may be useful to jot down some of my observations. What indeed made a good entry and what were the trends in those I felt had a greater chance of winning?

So here goes.

  1. You need to enter to win.  This sounds obvious I know, but I was surprised that some really great businesses and ideas had not entered.  They will not win for sure.  
  2. Don’t enter multiple categories with the same response.  In most of life if you use a similar approach you get a similar response.  Entries are reviewed and reviewed by humans and they will notice if the text is generic the same, or not a good fit to the category.  Try to change it up so each of the responses is fresh and of interest to the judges for review… you will get better attention for your entry.
  3. Explain what is new.  Don’t just use generic boilerplate or text describing what the product or company does and has done in the recent past.  Instead, describe what is new and what has been developed or innovated recently.  We all like to hear new or interesting ideas, and what has changed for the better and this plays well in an entry
  4. Be specific. Provide examples that are specific to the category.  Explain why this entry fits and why this is the choice, rather than hoping the fit can be seen.
  5. Make it easy to read.  Information that is easy to read and understand floats to the top for consideration (just like in the rest of the business).  Dense text or complicated prose may contain some fabulous information, but if there is work to extract it is all too easy to move on to the next which is easier (remember the entry is only one of many).  Make your text easy to read, well-spaced, and (my preference) use bullets.
  6. Keep it short.  It is always easy to write a lot and difficult to write a little (and have it meaningful).  However short, tight entries are quicker to read, understand and review.  Make it easy for the reader.
  7. Use Data.  Use a little data around specific % improvements. Customer or employee feedback anecdotes also really go a long way to illustrate the case for your entry.  If you have made an improvement, the best practice is to measure it, so just put these (summary) measures in.  This makes a massive difference.
  8. Invite the folks who completed the entry to the actual awards.  If you are shortlisted make sure you get the folks who spent time completing the entry to the awards.  These evenings are fun and a great incentive for helping to make sure your entry is the best it can be.

Now, I do remember how difficult completing these can be.  When you have a lot on and are given this to do, so often it is extra ‘side of’ desk work and all too easy to cut corners.  But hopefully, these few simple tips can make a difference and at minimum help smooth the process… it can be all worth it.

Have a good week everyone.

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That Friday feeling… on Thursday

Posted on June 2, 2024 by admin

Why is it that short weeks always feel longer than longer ones? It never ceases to amaze me, and that was exactly what happened this last week, being the second bank holiday in May (in the UK).

I am not sure if it is the need to cram five days of work into four, or just because it is all too easy to slip into a mini holiday the weekend before, but that Monday feeling—of course, now a Tuesday feeling— is just that little bit more brutal as you struggle to get going again after the weekend.

Last week, all of this meant that by Thursday, it felt like Friday, and there was still a day to go!

Being Busy

Psychology this is interesting and it made me think about the dynamics between busy and non-busy periods.

I am not sure about you, but I actually find non-busy periods quite disconcerting. If they come straight after periods of intense work, even more so.

I felt this most strongly back at school when I started exams. You would revise like mad, doing all the research and examples, focused to ensure you could do your best in the exam (it never felt like it was enough mind you).

The exams would arrive… then done… they were over, euphoria—you made it.

However, like everything, this euphoria fades. Then one morning, you wake up and realise that with all the things that have taken over your life for the last six months no longer needing to be done, you are left somewhat in limbo. I used to kind of sit there wondering what to do next and what was the next thing to be done. I, at least, used to find this very disconcerting.

And, this is not limited to studying either; it is the same dynamics with big work projects, key deliverables, goals, or even job interviews too.

Being Not Busy

Lots of effort, delivery of the best output possible… then a period of what feels like ‘tumbleweed’.

Mention this to anyone, at best you will get an ‘enjoy the time’, but more likely ‘here are some things I need you to do’ and not much sympathy.

In today’s world being busy is seen as a good thing, we all like to say we are busy, it is ‘a good problem to have’! Not being busy can be anxiety-inducing.

These days it is all too easy to fill your time and be more busy; let’s face it, we can always find more to do. Filling the day is also very comforting. It stops that disconcerting feeling in its tracks with a quick ‘at least I am busy’ refrain.

Yet as hard as it is to admit, and even harder to do, these non-busy periods can be important.

Doing something different

They are a time when you naturally, are able to reflect, pick yourself up, wonder, and decide what to do next. After all the real question we should be asking is, ‘are the tasks I am doing adding the most value or building to more value long term’ for my objectives? If not, am I doing the right thing?

If we just keep doing what we always do, we never do anything different, and being just busy can make it hard to break out of this pattern.

So despite a ‘busy’ week last week, maybe next week it is time for a little self-reflection… to pick ourselves up, reprioritise, and refocus before it all starts again.

Have a good week everyone.

[And good luck to all with exams at the moment!]

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Purdahtory

Posted on May 23, 2024 by admin

So that is it, a General Election has been called in the UK.

Ahead of us we now have 6 weeks of campaign, wall-to-wall TV coverage, lots of promises and being told how things will be so much better if only we vote a certain way on July 4th.

Whatever your political views, we now know one thing that will not happen in the next few weeks… that is much progress on regulation or related matters. We have entered a state of purdah, the pre-election period, and a time of heightened sensitivity. During this time there is care to ensure official resources are not used or be seen to be used to influence the election.

Kick-off

Day-to-day activities will of course continue, but items such as the release of new studies, reports, and even regulatory engagement at meetings or conferences will be curtailed. Progress on this will slow to a stop.

Only last week we were chatting precisely about this possibility at the Consumer Duty Services event. It was flagged as a reason why the Insolvency Service may have to delay the release of their report into IVA misselling, something that Kevin Still commented he had seen the impact of before.

With hindsight, it was almost prophetic… although a good job it wasn’t a week later as some of the attendees would in all likelihood not have even been there.

Group Stage

During this period it is all too easy to get distracted, get caught in the drama, and wistfully think of the future, whilst waiting for the machinery of government to restart. For any other procrastinators out there, it is a wonderful reason to put things off… er hum creating time to watch the Euros… never.

But of course, in reality, the world does not stop and, as Chris Leslie from the Credit Services Association was super quick to point out yesterday, ‘it is unlikely that financial services policy and regulation will feature significantly during the contest’, although of course, the cost of living will.

Regulatory change happens slowly and much of the infrastructure, themes, and activity we have now, we will still have to do after the election… thinking Consumer Duty here… there is still lots to do.

Avoid Offside

So many times, it feels like we are on the back foot with regulatory change, waiting for announcements, often rushing to meet implementation deadlines, while all the time more new stuff is coming in. It is exhausting.

Yet this pre-election period, the government slowdown, could give us a short window to get in front of events. General it is always better to be proactive rather than reactive, and maybe this is our opportunity to focus on the now, a breather to get done what we need to get done.

Enjoy the final

That is of course, if we don’t get sucked into the impending drama on TV… (politics of football, take your pick)… good luck with that everyone.

Have a good rest of the week.

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