These days, many organisations place a greater emphasis on maintaining a good work-life balance. This should be an aspiration of an award manager. No matter how dedicated the award manager is to maintaining the quality of the award program, some counterbalance is desirable, to maintain sanity, reduce stress levels and to keep the award manager in touch with the reality that extends beyond the analysis of websites. The question is how can an award manager find that counterbalance? The answer is often more simpler than you might think. Simply redefine the award program's rules, procedures and processes and indeed the key figures involved in the program, whilst still maintaining your standards.

So if you find that the number of applicants are becoming overwhelming, simply limit the number of sites you are prepared to evaluate monthly or reduce the days on which you are prepared to accept submissions.

If you find that time scales established for evaluation are becoming unrealistic, then change those time scales.  If the work is still overwhelming then involve other like minded individuals in the process of evaluation.

Remember that nothing is set in stone. Give the potential applicants notice of the proposed changes and get on with that other part of your life you may be neglecting. It's so simple, I may even try it myself!

Wendy Sears