Baldrige Award recipients outperform thier peer companies in results. How do they do it? They adopted and followed the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. They persistently worked on continuous improvement and alignment with the Criteria as a way to manage the organization. While winning an award is great for internal morale and gaining favor with prospects and customers, the best reason for using the Baldrige Criteria is for continuous improvement, to strive for ever-higher levels of excellence in the organization as a whole.

Program Benefits

1. Higher customer satisfaction and retention
2. Higher employee satisfaction and loyalty
3. Improved productivity and efficiency
4. Enhanced performance on your organization’s critical success factors
5. Healthier financial performance
6. Respect in your marketplace and industry

You can get a copy of the Baldrige criteria from www.quality.nist.gov. The Baldrige approach is applicable to any industry and to organizations of any size.

Use your resources wisely and get expert assistance to learn how to use the Criteria. Without guidance, an organization can waste time or miss all the tremendous benefits Baldrige provides.

Unique Qualifications

Leading Excellence specializes in helping pubic, private, governmental, and non-profit organizations implement the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The principal consultant, Karen Trisko, has “360 degree experience” using the Criteria. She has served since 1993 in these varied roles:

1. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Examiner 2000 and Senior Examiner 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005
   
2. California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) Chairperson 2003 and Vice-Chair 2000-2002
   
3. CAPE Judge 1998 and 2000-2002
   
4. CAPE Senior Examiner and Senior Advisor 1994 - 2002
   
5. CAPE Examiner Trainer 1994 - 2002
   
6. Applicant/Award Winner (many clients and former employers)

The Five Steps to Excellence

1. Education and Values Alignment
   
2. Performance Assessment
   
3. Award Application Writing
   
4. Gap Closure and Systems Alignment
   
5. Evaluation

Audience

The program is initially targeted to top leaders in the organization and to selected managers and employees that will serve as Baldrige category leaders.

Five Steps Program Outline

1. Education and Values Alignment with Senior Leadership
   a. Core values and principles
   b. Assessment of organization’s alignment with Baldrige values
   c. Meaning of the seven criteria
   d. Best practices examples from award recipients
   e. How to assess your organization
   f.  How to evaluate results
   g. Develop an assessment and implementation plan
   
   
2. Performance Assessment
   Complete assessment by our consultants teaming up with your internal examiners to identify your strengths and opportunities for improvement in:
   a. Leadership
   b. Strategy Planning and Deployment
   c. Customer Focus
   d. Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management 
   e. Human Resource Focus
   f.  Process Management
   g. Results
   
   
3. Award Application Writing
   Regardless of your interest in an award, apply confidentially to the state award for feedback from a team of trained examiners, highlighting strengths and opportunities to improve.

4. Gap Closure and Systems Alignment
   a. Prioritize performance gaps
   b. Design interventions for breakthroughs in critical performance areas
   
   
5. Evaluation and Renewal
   a. Re-Assessment after improvement interventions
   b. Systems to sustain improvements
   c. Recognition
   d. Planning for next cycle

Award Recipients' Perspectives

“Do we get business results? You bet... OMI wins almost 66% of the projects it pursues, compared to our competitors average of only 30%. And we have a contract renewal rate of nearly 100% and surpass our competitors in customer satisfaction!”
Roger B. Quayle, Executive Vice President, Quality and Technology
OMI, Inc
 

“Over the years, we have found one of the greatest benefits of applying is maintaining a performance improvement discipline based on a system that is both highly regarded and works. ... And our results prove the hard work and commitment was well worth it. We've experienced 72% growth since 1998 and a 73% reduction in customer complaints.”
David C. Branch, President
Branch-Smith Printing Division
 

“To sum up, Baldrige is the best way to get better faster.”
Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, FSM , President & Chief Executive Officer
SSM Health Care


Thousands of organizations are finding their path to excellence using the Baldrige Criteria. Your organization can, too.

Leading Excellence
Phone: 951.894.6748
Karen@leadingexcellence.com