Pensights2023-09-18T11:08:03-05:00

Pensights

Igniting the Future: 35 Insights to Excellence — Feb 2024

Indulge me for a second: after nearly 10 years with the “PENworks” label, our annual conference is now igniteEX. Why the change? “Ignite” captures the essence of the conference -- it’s about inspiring change; sparking ideas and innovation; improving processes, people, and outcomes! After hosting years of successful conferences, we've seen first-hand the energy and[...]

February 29, 2024|Tags: , , , |

14 New Year’s Resolutions for Professional & Personal Productivity, Health, Happiness — Jan 2024

As we start a new year, many of us set personal, professional, and organizational goals.  But research shows that up to 80% of New Year’s resolutions are broken, and that the average date of breaking resolutions is about January 20 (that’s why the gym is so crowded the first two or three weeks in January[...]

January 24, 2024|Tags: , , , |

Invitation to Powerful PEN Leader Roundtables!

The Performance Excellence Network & our partner the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence are pleased to launch two new leader roundtables in February 2024. The Performance Excellence Executive Roundtable Program provides a confidential, facilitated environment for C-suite executives to share best practices and resolve strategic challenges related to their performance excellence journey. Members can expect[...]

January 15, 2024|

Finding Your Ikigai: Aligning Your Career with Your Purpose — Dec 2023

We’re all dealing with a lot: a continuing global pandemic; significant changes in work environments and other organizational challenges (staffing shortages, supply chain issues, workplace toxicity); and the stresses of constant work/life pressures.  The events of the last three or four years have compelled many to reexamine how their professional lives align or harmonize with[...]

December 18, 2023|Tags: , , |

Performance Excellence Network & Iowa Quality Center Announce Partnership

Performance Excellence Network & Iowa Quality Center Announce Partnership Collaboration Provides IQC Members Access to PEN Resources, Supports Performance Excellence throughout Iowa   ST. PAUL, Minn., December 13, 2023 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN) and the Iowa Quality Center (IQC) today announce a partnership that expands the mission of both organizations throughout the Upper[...]

December 11, 2023|

Learning from the Future: How to Plan for Tomorrow When Everything Has Changed Today — Nov 2023

I was having a conversation with a colleague recently about how the world has changed the last several years.  Think about the fundamental shifts we have collectively experienced, many brought on by the pandemic but many because of other things.  For example, how many of us knew what Artificial Intelligence was just a year ago? [...]

November 27, 2023|Tags: , , |

Polarity Thinking: Finding the Balance in Everything — Oct 2023

Life is about paradoxes: sickness versus health; richer versus poorer; hot versus cold; better versus worse; happy versus sad.  The same is true in our organizations: success versus failure; growth versus contraction; centralization versus decentralization; efficiency versus innovation.  The truth, of course, is that these poles are not binary -- they’re all on a continuum,[...]

October 23, 2023|Tags: , , , , |

Why Good Organizations Sometimes Fail — PEN Sept 2023

I get asked occasionally what is the single biggest reason organizations fail.  Of course, there isn’t one right answer: organizations -- even from the same sector or industry -- have different cultures, different core competencies, different strategic challenges and advantages, different circumstances that contribute to success or failure.  As a result, some organizations struggle with[...]

September 19, 2023|

Exploring Life’s Priorities: Rocks, Pebbles, Sand & On Being a Time Billionaire — Aug 2023

During the COVID years, we were all given the opportunity to reflect on our mortality and on what’s truly important in life: our fast-paced daily routines came to an abrupt halt, allowing us to recalibrate -- to refocus on the priorities in each of our lives. But, while COVID isn’t over, most of us have[...]

August 22, 2023|Tags: , , |

Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Organizational Performance — July 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an exciting, emerging technology that offers both incredible possibility, but also potential risk.  At its simplest core, the goal of AI is sensemaking: it can help in making decisions; solving complex problems; enhancing lifestyle; and facilitating commerce, education, healthcare.  We’ve all seen and used it: it’s embedded in Siri and Alexa; it’s[...]

July 26, 2023|

Putting the P in Performance: 8 Drivers of Organizational Success — June 2023

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of participating in a local association’s Leadership Academy, a forum to explore best practices with 60 or more local leaders.  It was a great conversation, full of insights and useful ideas.  In the middle of the session, I found myself responding to a question with a[...]

June 26, 2023|

ASCENDING TOGETHER: 41 Insights from PENworks 2023 — May 2023

PEN hosted our annual conference -- PENworks 2023 -- three weeks ago.  As it (somehow) has become tradition, I walked on stage in costume -- this year as a mountain climber, reflecting the conference theme of ASCENDING TOGETHER: Connect, Discover, Imagine.  Yeah, it was hot in four layers of clothing.  And I felt a little[...]

May 22, 2023|
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