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 […]
Continue ReadingExcellence Begins with the First Step – PEN May 2019
Excellence is a choice. It’s the result of intentional, humble and visionary leadership; systematic evaluation and improvement that leads to meaningful change; and capable, motivated, and fully engaged employees. It doesn’t happen by accident – at least not for long. It requires data-based decisions; true organizational alignment that optimizes resources and harmonizes on mission, strategy, […]
Continue ReadingLearn What Drives Organizational Excellence: Attend “Baldrige 201” & Consider Becoming a Performance Excellence Award Evaluator
Are you interested in learning more about what makes organizations successful — what helps them achieve and sustain high performance? Are you interested in helping other organizations — such as schools, hospitals, non-profits, and businesses – in the Upper Midwest improve outcomes? Would you be interested in networking, learning, and sharing with others who feel […]
Continue ReadingPerformance Excellence Network Recognizes Two Organizations
2018 Performance Excellence Awards Presented at PENworks 2019 Conference ST. PAUL, Minn., May 6, 2019 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN) honors two recipients of the 2018 Performance Excellence Award. The Award is based on the Baldrige Framework and is the culmination of a rigorous evaluation of an organization’s management and performance system. The evaluation […]
Continue ReadingExcellence is About People, Part 2: Achieving Personal & Professional Happiness — PEN April 2019
In case you missed it, last month I shared 14 insights, tips, and best practices that leaders can do to create an environment that ensures workforce engagement, team effectiveness and productivity. This month, as part 2 of the of the blog (the proverbial other side of the coin), I’ll share 14 more strategies that we […]
Continue ReadingExcellence is About People, Part 1: Engaging & Empowering your Team — PEN Mar 2019
Nothing great is ever achieved without people. Think about it: organizations can only achieve with highly effective people running them; communities and nations can only achieve without highly engaged citizens and highly effective leaders setting a course for the future; projects, initiatives, task forces, scientific breakthroughs, inventions, and even sporting achievements are all the result […]
Continue ReadingThe Path to Excellence: The Real Value of Baldrige — PEN Feb 2019
In the wake of the last “Great Recession” in the 1980s (though we didn’t call it that back then), America was in economic trouble. The country suffered a two-phase recession in 1980-82 – one that left unemployment high and interest rates even higher (recall credit cards and mortgages well beyond 20%!). The economic challenges were […]
Continue ReadingEverything’s a Process, So Everything Can Be Improved — PEN Jan 2019
[Ok, don’t freak out — this article was written a few years ago! But hopefully it still offers great insights…] I’m on Day 22 in dealing with a concussion. I guess now that it’s been three weeks, it probably isn’t considered minor – the kind that resolves itself in a few hours or days. But […]
Continue ReadingOverwork, Underperform: Why More Hours Leads to Less Productivity — PEN Dec 2018
People are overworked. Maybe it’s because we reset after the last recession and are all asked to do more with less. Maybe it’s because 10,000 Baby Boomers are retiring EVERY Day, forcing all of us to do more with less. Maybe it’s because wages really haven’t kept up with inflation the last 30-40 years, forcing […]
Continue ReadingThe Power of Professional Gratitude — PEN Nov 2018
The year was 1623. About half of the Plymouth colony died that year. And while the community was about ready to head into another difficult winter, recent fall rains ended what was a challenging and persistent drought. So Governor William Bradford called a gathering – a three-hour “staff meeting” of sorts. The main purpose of […]
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