This summer, the entire country will be gripped by a spectacular showcase of sporting achievement, with the greatest show on Earth, the Olympics and Paralympics, and the biggest prize in European football, Euro 2012.
Regardless of who – or even if – you follow, we often find ourselves captivated by the drama; carried along on the amazing journeys of the winners and sharing in the agony of those who didn’t quite make it.
Events like these remind us what it means to achieve something significant and how rich an experience it is to take part in that journey – win or lose.
Of course, there are great achievers in all walks of life. There are the ones we all know about and there are the lesser-known ones, the “unsung heroes” who quietly go about their business. Regardless of who they are, great achievers deserve recognition.
Every year Oil & Gas UK celebrates the oil and gas industry’s very own great achievers and shines the spotlight on the very best the UK has to offer.
The Oil & Gas UK Awards ceremony is the crowning event in the industry calendar and to be selected by your peers as a winner must surely be the ultimate accolade.
This is a truly great industry – the country’s greatest post-war industrial success story. But let us not forget that what makes this industry great is the people who work in it and that is exactly why the Oil & Gas UK Awards were established; to celebrate our people.
It’s no accident that two out of the five awards go to young people. The awards for Overall Excellence and for Young Technician of the Year are deliberately geared towards those under the age of 30 because we recognise the importance of paying tribute to the bright sparks who are the industry’s future.
The mentors are also recognised by an award. These “coaches”, if you like, patiently devote their time and effort to passing on their skills to the less experienced and to nurturing young talent.
Then there are the two company awards. One recognises the outstanding efforts companies go to in developing their people; arming them with the skills they need to allow them to perform at the highest level, as well as motivating and retaining them.
The other company award celebrates efficiency and sustainability – two vital attributes which all companies must actively embrace in order to survive and flourish in challenging economic times.
The benefits of winning an Oil & Gas UK Award are also more wide ranging than you first might think. There is, of course, the thrill of winning and the immediate glory that goes along with winning any major prize, as you take centre stage to collect your award in front of a packed crowd.
However, there is also a much wider recognition throughout the oil and gas industry of winning such an achievement. There is genuine longer-term respect and kudos which comes from being singled out as exceptional. People remember your name and it’s no surprise that the careers of past winners have benefitted as a result.
Of course, this applies to everyone who is shortlisted in each category – not just the eventual winner. It’s perhaps a cliche but I genuinely believe the runners-up are winners too in their own right. It takes a lot to make it the final three and be counted as among the best.
How many times have you watched a sporting event only to be bowled over by the heroic efforts of the runner-up?
Often there is little separating a winner from a runner-up and I know the judges of the Oil & Gas UK Awards have said this time after time. It takes something special to get that far and it takes a little extra to come out on top.
So during this summer season of captivating sporting glory, why not think about what you and your colleagues have achieved? It could be you standing on the Oil & Gas UK podium on November 8 and it could be your name that we will remember.
For more information on the Oil & Gas UK Awards, categories and how to enter, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/awards
Malcolm Webb os chief executive of Oil & Gas UK
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