If you don’t know it, I’m a diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. Third generation season ticket holder (yes, while living 400 miles away in Minneapolis). And if you’re not into football – or just not fully aware of what’s going on in the NFL this season – the Chiefs are in the middle of what […]
Continue ReadingAdapt or Die: Most Corporate Failures are Self-Inflicted — PEN Sept 2018
What do the American mastodon, Woolly mammoth, and Arizona jaguar all have in common? Here’s a hint: they all suffered similar fates to Hostess Brands, Circuit City, and Blockbuster. Yes, they all went away. Extinction. Vanished. Disappeared. But I think the companies could all take a lesson from the animals that died before them: organizations […]
Continue ReadingThe Key to Disney’s World Class Service: Part Art, Part Science, and Part Magic — PEN August 2018
As the story goes, a guest at Disney World once asked “what time is the 3 o’clock parade?” That’s a peculiar question, mainly because it normally would lead to an obvious answer. But Disney Cast Members (their word for employees) are trained to probe beyond the obvious so that they can provide an extraordinary Guest […]
Continue ReadingA Powerful Professional Development Opportunity: Consider Becoming a 2018 PEN Evalautor
Are you interested in learning more about what makes organizations excellent — go from good to truly great? Are you interested in helping other organizations — such as schools, hospitals, non-profits, and businesses — around the region improve their performance? Are you interested in helping Minnesota and North/South Dakota become more competitive? Are you interested […]
Continue ReadingThe Key to Sustained World Class Performance: Deliberate Practice — PEN July 2018
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. […]
Continue ReadingGovernor Recognizes SDDOT for Continuous Improvement, Performance Excellence
July 16, 2018 For Immediate Release PEN Contact: Brian Lassiter, President Performance Excellence Network 612-868-3519 brian.lassiter@performanceexcellencenetwork.org SDDOT Contact: Kristi Sandal South Dakota Department of Transportation 605-295-0150 Kristi.sandal@state.sd.us SDDOT Receives Recognition for Continuous Improvement 2017 Performance Excellence Award Presented by Governor Daugaard PIERRE, SD, July 16, 2018 – At a celebration hosted by […]
Continue ReadingPerformance Excellence Network Recognizes Three Organizations
May 7, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Brian Lassiter, President Performance Excellence Network 612-868-3519 brian.lassiter@performanceexcellencenetwork.org Performance Excellence Network Recognizes Three Organizations 2017 Performance Excellence Awards Presented at PENworks 2018 Conference ST. PAUL, Minn., May 7, 2018 – The Performance Excellence Network (PEN), formerly the Minnesota Council for Quality, today honors three recipients of […]
Continue ReadingExcellence is a Choice: 44 Insights on Positivity, Optimism & Improvement – PEN June 2018
Quick show of hands: who is stressed? Maybe not right this second, but sometime the last few days or weeks? Any stress out there? I’m not sure anyone is actually raising their hand at their desks, but metaphorically, for those of you who didn’t, you’re probably lying because the data show we’re all pretty stressed […]
Continue ReadingLessons in Leadership & in Life: What Puerto Rico Can Teach Us All – PEN May 2018
Imagine living without power for eight months. That’s 241 days. Or 5,784 hours. I get cranky if we lose power for eight hours, let alone eight months! But that’s what our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico have endured since Hurricane Maria, which struck the US territory September 20, 2017. And many have endured so much […]
Continue ReadingThe Art (and Science) of Networking – PEN Apr 2018
Ok – quick show of hands: who reading this loves to network? Seriously, vote here to indicate your fondness of professional networking; you can see others’ votes here (then come back and read the rest of the article!). While some people (mainly extroverts) thrive on networking, I’m guessing most of you really don’t like […]
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