Each year around this time, I say to my colleague, “I don’t think I have anything to enter.” I’m referring to a communications contest she and I typically enter each year.

She, fortunately, rolls her eyes and reminds me of some good work that I have done.

Photo by Cynthia Price

Whether we win an award or not, entering the contest has merit for us. Before entering the contest, we review our work. When we get our entries back, we read the judges’ comments and see what we can learn from them. If we win an award, we feel great about our work.

The review process itself is a good measure of our work. We start of by collectively looking at the categories and reviewing our work product throughout the past year. We determine if we have good stuff to enter. Some of the work we consider we probably could have elevated the results further so we decide not to enter that work. Reviewing what we have done also reminds us of communications we might replicate in the coming year.

The judges’ comments also are important. They offer suggestions that can make the work stronger. I find the comments useful as I embark on the next project. When they note that I’ve done something well, I feel good, but I also want to be sure to replicate it if appropriate.

Most communicators work hard on an article, a campaign or a project, but when it’s finished, we quickly move on to the next thing. An award for the article, campaign or project acknowledges the great work that was done and that others recognize the effort.

Sometimes, it’s good to smell the roses – or the ink on the certificate of achievement.

Note: For tips on how to enter a contest, check out this post.