Have you come across the 1 Degree Rule?
It's a concept that shows the profound impact that even a small deviation in our plans, actions and goals can have over time. In simple terms, this concept can be visualised as a plane taking off and following a route just 1 degree off course. It will end up nowhere near its planned destination!
Now, you might not feel like you're flying a plane right now, or even notice that your initial plan has veered off course. But this concept serves as a reminder that even the smallest changes or decisions can have a compounding effect on our goals, shaping the trajectory of our journey, and ultimately, determining our success.
1 Degree Rule and Awards
In the context of winning business awards, the 1 Degree Rule comes up a lot.
I'd say 85% of the people who come to us to find out why their entries are NOT winning either didn't set out their strategic journey for the entry from the start, or veered off course along the way and didn't even notice. Some wildly off course, some only a small amount, but all with disappointing outcomes. When we're training marketing teams to improve their entries, this is often one of the first things we find and fix!
In awards, it's common to hear judges say ‘just answer the question' but in our experience, staying on course for a win is NOT just about answering the explicit question.
Yes, it's important, but depending on how well those questions are actually worded, following this instruction alone can also lead to a hugely disjointed story. Don't be fooled, not all award entry questions are equal.
Top 5 Tips for Staying on Course
Here's our top 5 tips for staying on course in your award entries to achieve a win:
- Set out with a clear and unique strategic vision for your entry and story
- Align ALL your personal brand assets
- These depend on the award and category entered, but can range from your LinkedIn profile to your website, media, reviews and more)
- Position ALL your business evidence and assets to complement your entry vision
- Reviewing or developing company values, internal and external communications and feedback, CSR strategy, clarity of data and measures of targets, milestones and successes
- Answer the implicit questions
- These are the invisible questions that both the industry and the world around us bring up and add a layer of value to your entry. Answered well, this will increase your chance of winning WITHOUT diverting the story
- Keep your strategic angle on course at every stage
- From entry to evidence to presentation stage, hitting all point-scoring targets along the way to your winning destination
By understanding and embracing the 1 Degree Rule, fine-tuning your efforts, and paying attention to the small details, we promise you will see a substantial difference in achieving your goals, and in your awards results.
Plan Your Course
Unsure if you're on the right course when it comes to your awards strategy? Join our free workshop!
Hosted by Donna O'Toole, you will come away from the session knowing how to plan your awards journey strategically that aligns with your business goals.
Book your place today and take the first step on your roadmap to recognition!
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