Nominating for the CMI Awards? Do these three things

Putting yourself forward – or nominating your peers – for professional awards can really boost your management career. It is a great chance to celebrate your achievements, reflect on your progress and discern which way to go next. It can also help open the door to industry recognition, internal promotions and other opportunities. 

But it all starts with crafting a sparkling submission. If you’re lucky, you’ll be itching to unleash your hidden Hemingway, expertly turning your management journey into a compelling short story. For the rest of us, we may end up trying to contort an unwieldy epic to fit the entry form.  

Nominations for the 2025 CMI Awards of Excellence are open until 10 October. But before you click ‘Submit’, ask yourself: does my nomination have these three key things? 

1. A clear message

When you start writing, it helps to dump all your thoughts onto the page without any concern for sense, structure or the ‘right’ answer. 

But when it comes to applying a critical eye to pull that information into shape, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It helps to consider the single most important message you’d like to share with the judges. Have you embodied CMI values? Demonstrated a lifelong approach to learning? Had a meaningful impact on those around you – whether that’s your team, your customers or the wider community?

Our judges are looking out for submissions that address the questions fully and appropriately. Pay close attention to the wording of those questions and you’ll get a basic structure to start you off.

“CMI has four values: professional, progressive, passionate and practical,” says Ann Francke OBE CMgr CCMI, CMI’s chief executive. “Look for ways to demonstrate these values in your submission.”

2. A compelling story – backed up by evidence

Ultimately, we want you to have fun with your entry – and that should come across in the writing. 

It’s best to write as though you’re telling your story to a colleague, with a tone that’s professional but conversational. Try reading your entry aloud. If it doesn’t sound natural, keep tweaking until it does. 

A captivating opening will grab the judges’ attention and keep them reading. Tell them who you are, what you’ve done and why they should care.

Bring your story to life by quoting the people who’ve felt the impact of your work. Use data to reinforce your points and be specific about the hurdles you’ve overcome, to add to the sense of drama. 

Remember that just saying you’ve done something is less impactful than sharing real-world evidence or examples (so long as they’re not commercially sensitive). When presenting evidence or data, be selective. The judges are looking for evidence that demonstrates your individual impact – rather than a long list of data points about how a project has performed.