The IEC Awards are all about spotting businesses with the X factor. Judges Stephen Manallack and Vijaya Vaidyanath tell you why
Judging the IEC Awards is a long and exhaustive process. But it’s one that provides unparalleled insight into the hidden world of Australian Indian entrepreneurship and community action.
After spending months pouring over applications from businesses, executives and community leaders for this year’s awards, judges Stephen Manallack and Vijaya Vaidyanath have been inspired and amazed by what they’ve discovered.
“In the years that I’ve been involved it just seems to be getting more vibrant. The businesses are getting more active, there’s so much happening and the standard of the entries has just gone absolutely through the roof. The quality is quite incredible,” said Manallack, who authored the business title Soft Skills for a Flat World and provides communications strategies and India business services.
Manallack said Indian Australians seem to have a knack for identifying niches in the market and power their ventures with “extra drive”.
“I think there are a lot of innovative and well run businesses that are making their mark in Australia that are run by Indians,” he said.
“The bar is getting set higher each year purely by the quality of the entries that are coming through. That’s what I see… the ability to identify a market; to adapt to that market; to innovate where need be, and to build a business that becomes quite resilient,” he added.
Yarra Council CEO Vijaya Vaidyanath said she was excited to see this year’s entrants going above and beyond to give back to the community.
“It’s not just you know doing your job and posting a really high profit margin, it’s actually about making a difference, that’s what I find. It’s quite a transformation in just these past two years. They’re willing to not only put themselves out there, but they’re willing to share their story and also are able to motivate others; to say that if there is honesty, if there is an ethical way of doing things, we can make a difference to the Australian mainstream,” she said.
So how do they pick the winners?
It’s an in-depth process with thorough background checking, follow-up calls and a fair share of meetings, according to Manallack.
“We do a lot of reading and evaluating individually and then we meet. I think each year we’ve met probably a minimum of six times… maybe more,” he said.
“You have to make sure that the nominees do comply in every way, and meet all of the criteria, but on top of that I think there is that what you might call an X-factor, what we might call an innovation-factor or a management-factor; some aspect of the way the business is going about doing what it does, that is in a sense a role model for the rest of us,” he added.
“Our brief in these awards is to identify businesses that actually do have that X-factor, to identify businesses that have achieved, or are innovating, or are both—and really, that’s the kind of entrants that the awards have brought forth,” said Manallack.
Vaidyanath said they look out for business, executives and community leaders going beyond their normal call of duty to benefit the community.
“It’s not just how good he or she is, it’s also how they’re able to influence the community’s well being; not just working nine-to-five but extending beyond that. What will go in favour of the winner will definitely be whether the company has exhibited a lot of community spirit and endeavour,” she said.
“It’s not enough that they just do their nomination forms in a perfunctory business manner, they should be able to demonstrate that they’re actually helping the community,” she added.
Vaidyanath stressed that it goes without saying the judges are entirely neutral.
“It goes on the strength of the nomination… none of us are there to promote any particular company, or person, or organisation. We’re here looking at a level playing field,” she said.
The judges were also excited by how the quality of entrants was in turn inspiring the community.
“I think one of the roles of awards in general in any industry or sector is that they have the ability to lift our sights to what is possible. They have the ability to inspire people to do better, to innovate more, and to become more entrepreneurial,” Manallack said.
“And I think these awards fit into that category and I hope that part of what we’re doing is inspiring people to realise just what potential there is and how much they can achieve if they go about their business in this way,” he added.
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