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 ReadingTag: Excellence
The 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 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 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 ReadingThe Secret Sauce of Leadership: 9 Traits that All Good Leaders Have
Leadership matters. It’s what separates the good organizations from the bad and the great organizations from the good. Good leadership is critical for optimizing resources, maximizing employee engagement, aligning organizational activities, and achieving and sustaining high performance. In fact, research shows that leadership is the number one driver of superior organizational outcomes. Or, said another […]
Continue ReadingPENWorks 2015
It will be here before you know it! April 27 & 28, 2015
Continue ReadingSept 2014 Newsletter
Last week, the NFL completed what might be the worst week in its history. But before I get into it, let me first state this column is not about Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson; it is not about the NFL or sports of any kind; and it is not about morality (though I’ll admit morality has an important role here). It’s about effective leadership and ethical decision making during times of crisis, two concepts that are critical for ANY organization – and two concepts the NFL blew badly…
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