Gold Quill: prove you're one of the best.Business communication is more interesting than many other jobs, but how do you cope with some people's sneaking suspicion that your work is not vital to the bottom line? The best answer is, prove it. And the most compelling proof you can offer is an IABC IABC International Association of Business Communicators IABC Indo-Americans for Better Community Gold Quill quill: see pen. Award. I've judged the Gold Quill Awards for the past five years. At first I thought there must be a subjective element to the judging. But now I am impressed with how obviously the winners stand out as representing top-class work. All excel in three key qualities: They link their projects tightly to business goals; they use imaginative, creative solutions; and they measure the outcome rigorously against the goals. Therefore, nobody wins who is not incontrovertibly in·con·tro·vert·i·ble adj. Impossible to dispute; unquestionable: incontrovertible proof of the defendant's innocence. in·con contributing to their organization's success. You can't fool the system. So, if you get a message next spring saying that you've won a Gold Quill Award, treat it as hard evidence that you bring real value to your organization. To win, you have to devise a project that genuinely furthers the goals of your employer. That in itself forces you to think strategically. If measurement shows you executed it satisfactorily, you are then ready to draft your entry, following the rules exactly. Every year, judges have the disheartening dis·heart·en tr.v. dis·heart·ened, dis·heart·en·ing, dis·heart·ens To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. See Synonyms at discourage. obligation to disqualify To deprive of eligibility or render unfit; to disable or incapacitate. To be disqualified is to be stripped of legal capacity. A wife would be disqualified as a juror in her husband's trial for murder due to the nature of their relationship. dozens of entries because they break the rules by arriving late, exceeding the permitted size or lacking a CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). work plan. All nitty-gritty stuff, but if you can't keep to the rules, nojudge will be convinced that you are professional. Your work goes to experienced first-tier judges, who have often won multiple Gold Quills themselves. Those who score enough points go on to the Blue Ribbon blue ribbon denotes highest honor. [Western Folklore: Brewer Dictionary, 127] See : Prize Panel, which decides the winners. Judging is done in pairs, which irons out individual quirks of opinion. At the IABC International Conference last June, I saw the glowing pride on the faces of more than 100 winners. They have Gold Quills on their desks now. You could too! --Marcus Ferrar Past Gold Quill Chair |
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