"Jargon won't win you any awards. Applications that read as if they were written to appeal primarily to an internal audience are not likely to earn high marks from our judges. Use clear language to describe your innovation programs. We're looking for companies that do more than just talk the talk."
"We're looking to honor companies that are accomplishing real innovation, not merely laying the groundwork for future breakthroughs. In other words, focus on real projects delivering measurable results. To recognize companies for Best Workplaces for Innovators, we need details. Who did what when, and how? How'd the idea come about? What initial hurdles needed to be overcome?"
"We're a bit biased toward ideas that come from the bottom up, from unexpected sources (think interns) because a) they're more surprising and make for better stories, and b) they are more indicative of the kind of pervasive culture of innovation that we're looking to recognize in Best Workplaces for Innovators."
Companies applying for Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators award frequently fail by lacking focus on a single, representative internally-grown innovation example. Winning applications must use clear, jargon-free language accessible to external judges rather than internal audiences. Applications should highlight recent or ongoing innovations rather than past breakthroughs, with emphasis on real projects delivering measurable results. Judges require specific details about who was involved, timelines, investment amounts, and how ideas originated. Applicants must clearly articulate outcomes and impacts on their company, industry, and community. The award particularly values bottom-up innovations from unexpected sources like interns, as these demonstrate pervasive organizational innovation culture rather than isolated executive-driven initiatives.
#innovation-award-applications #workplace-innovation-culture #bottom-up-innovation #measurable-results #application-strategy
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