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USGS Excellence in Leadership Award - Nomination Process

By Human Capital

2023 nominations are due by December 31, 2023.

Excellence in Leadership Award (ELA)

  • Nominees must be a USGS employee or group of employees.
  • Individual and group nominees must not have received this award previously. However, if an individual has received the award, she/he can receive the award as a member of a group and vice versa.
  • The contribution(s) being recognized must have occurred in the past 2 years.

 

Early Career Excellence in Leadership Award (ECELA)

  • Nominees must be a USGS employee or group of employees
  • Nominees for an individual or group award must not have more than 10 years of Federal service by the end of the 2021 fiscal year.
  • The contribution(s) being recognized must have occurred in the past 2 years.

 

Selection Criteria

  1. Clearly describe how this individual or group has demonstrated this set of principles.

    USGS Guiding Principles:

    • Be respectful

    • Be accountable

    • Communicate Effectively

    • Value Differences

    • Collaborate

    • Advance the USGS Mission

     
  2. How has this individual or group used the following leadership skills in interactions with others to reach results that advance the science and/or achieve results that support science excellence?
    1. Interpersonal Skills. Demonstrates effective interpersonal skills that enable consideration of and response to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; partners with and influences others and negotiates solutions to problems; communicates effectively both orally and in writing.
    2. Cooperative Working Relationships. Develops and sustains cooperative working relationships; encourages and facilitates cooperation within the team environment and throughout the USGS; manages conflicts effectively, confronting issues and disagreements in a positive and constructive manner.
    3. Continual Learning. Demonstrates a commitment to continual learning and the ability to master new technical and business knowledge; recognizes own strengths and weaknesses and pursues self-development; is flexible and open to change; deals effectively with pressure, maintaining focus and intensity.
    4. Problem Solving. Identifies and analyzes problems and makes logical decisions; exercises good judgment; anticipates the impact and implication of decisions; applies creative solutions based on new insights to make organizational improvements.
    5. Organizational Change. Takes a long-term view and acts as a catalyst for innovative organizational changes; builds a shared vision with others; influences others to translate vision into action; anticipates issues and opportunities.
    6. Customer Service. Encourages and enables others to provide quality customer service; influences others to a spirit of service; anticipates and meets the needs of clients; is committed to continuous service improvement.
    7. Resource Management. Manages finances, human resources, and technical resources effectively to get the most for the organization; holds self and others accountable for accomplishment of responsibilities; values cultural diversity and other individual differences in the workforce.
    8. Technical Competence. Appropriately interprets and applies procedures, requirements, regulations and policies related to areas of expertise; demonstrates political savvy, an ability to identify the internal and external politics that impact the USGS, and an ability to formulate appropriate approaches to each problem situation.

 

Nomination Package

Submit nominations using the fillable Award Certification form DI-451.

The nomination must include a justification, not to exceed 700 words, that clearly describes the contribution(s) being recognized, relating it to the specific selection criteria above. (Please note that justifications longer than 700 words will be returned to the sender for modification in order to keep the length consistent for all nominees.)

Nominations must clearly state ELA or ECELA.

Provide the name, phone number, and email of the person submitting the nomination.

 

Point of Contact

gs-hc_honor_awards@usgs.gov

Nominations may be initiated by any USGS employee with knowledge of the outstanding leadership achievements of the individual or group.

 

Processing and Approval Process

Nominations will be evaluated and award recipients selected by a panel consisting of the Deputy Director, one Associate Director, one Regional Director, the Associate Director for Administration, and a graduate of Leadership 201. Recipients (who may be either an individual employee or a group of employees) will be selected for each annual award.

 

Presentation of Award

If an in-person awards ceremony is held, the awards will be presented at the annual USGS honor awards ceremony in Reston, Virginia and travel costs will be borne by the award recipient's office.

 

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