A recent Wall Street Journal article captured the challenges most organizations face in trying to be innovative.  Authors Drew Boyd (a former J&J executive and current professor at University of Cincinnati) and Jacob Goldenberg (a professor at Hebrew and Columbia University and author of “Inside the Box: A Proven of Creativity for Breakthrough Results”) reveal [...]

2014 MN Performance Excellence Awards Presented at PENworks 2015 Conference; Coach Jerry Kill Offers Remarks; Governor Celebrates Excellence in Minnesota ST. PAUL, Minn., April 30, 2015 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN), formerly the Minnesota Council for Quality, today honors six recipients of the 2014 Performance Excellence Award (formerly the MN Quality Award), five from [...]

Everywhere you look, standards are rising.  In business, in sports, in education, in healthcare – really in all aspects of human and organizational achievement – what is considered world class continues to increase.  For example… It used to take 72 hours by plane to cross the Atlantic (1913); it now takes just over six.  The [...]

I remember the call distinctly: it was the summer of 2007, when the Superintendent of Duluth Public Schools called, seeking benchmarking partners.  He was looking for other school districts that were more advanced at using data to make decisions and to manage and improve performance.  I gave him two or three districts from which I [...]

As winter winds down (eventually) and spring approaches, many sports enthusiasts have moved from the gridiron to March Madness.  But football season is not quite over for the Performance Excellence Network, as we are pleased to announce our fifth and final keynote speaker at PENworks 2015: Jerry Kill, head coach of the Minnesota Gophers! [...]

Is your organization interested in using a proven Framework to identify and prioritize its improvement opportunities? Would your workforce engagement increase from providing input into your organization’s future? Would your organization benefit from public recognition of your improvement efforts and your performance outcomes? […]

Are you interested in learning more about what makes organizations successful?  Are you interested in helping other organizations — such as schools, hospitals, non-profits, and businesses — around the three-state region improve their performance?  Would you be interested in networking, learning, and sharing with others who feel the same way? […]

It’s a busy season – shopping, wrapping, decorating, holiday gatherings, baking (well, for some people!), as well as year-end business deadlines, planning and budgeting for next year. So in the spirit of the season – and recognizing that everyone is just a little busier in December – I’m offering a short, reflective column this month: [...]