Third Thursday Webinar

April 17, 2025, at 8:00 am PT

TOPIC: Using Predictive Analytics to Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest

SPEAKER: Ken Cohen, CEO of The Synergy Organization

Third Thursday Webinar

March 20, 2025, at 8:00 am PT

TOPIC: Our Path to Premier: A Baldrige Winner’s Journey

2024 Baldrige recipient, City of Henderson, shares its stories, lessons learned, and best practices as it embarked on a path to performance excellence.

SPEAKER: Polly Walker - Director, Director, Organizational Performance & Innovation

Third Thursday Webinar

February 20, 2025, at 8:00 am PT

TOPIC: Our Baldrige Journey: Lessons From a 2024 Baldrige Recipient

Northeast Delta Dental shares the storyof their Baldrige journey and theirprograms and initiatives that align withthe Baldrige framework.

SPEAKER: Robert Kleiner - Director, External Operations Northeast Delta Dental

Third Thursday Webinar

January 16, 2025, at 8:00 am PT

TOPIC: KPI Selection & Design: Connecting Measures to Results

Discover a better way to choose KPIs using simple, results-oriented methods. Learn how to engage teams, define meaningful metrics, and create a clear measurement system that aligns with organizational goals and the Baldrige Framework.

SPEAKER: Princess Cooper-Brown, Business Excellence Deployment Lead at Raytheon

Introduction to Lean Six Sigma with Edwin Boon, Master Black Belt and CEO of The Lean Six Sigma Company

Are you ready to unlock the secrets to professional success and organizational excellence? Join us for an exclusive FREE webinar designed to introduce you to the world of Lean Six Sigma!

In just one hour, you'll explore the fundamental principles of Lean Six Sigma and discover how it can boost your career forward while significantly enhancing your organization's performance. Led by industry expert Edwin Boon, GE certified Master Black Belt and CEO of The Lean Six Sigma Company USA, this webinar promises to be both enlightening and empowering.

What you will learn:

• Understanding Lean Six Sigma: Understand the core concepts and principles that drive Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

• Essential Techniques: Learn key Lean Six Sigma techniques to optimize business processes, reduce costs, and elevate the quality of your work environment.

• Creating Value: Explore how Lean Six Sigma enables companies to deliver more value to customers and stakeholders.

• The Value of Certification: Discover the significance of earning a Lean Six Sigma certificate and how it positions you as a valuable asset within your organization.

• Tailored Training Options: Explore the various trainings and find the perfect fit for your professional development.

Whether you work in manufacturing, healthcare, government, financial services, or any other sector, Lean Six Sigma offers valuable insights and strategies for driving continuous improvement and performance.

Do you aspire to enhance your problem-solving skills and become a catalyst for positive change within your organization? Are you curious about how Lean Six Sigma can unlock new possibilities for growth and success?

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about Lean Six Sigma and how it can benefit you and your organization.

Date: Tue, Jan 14, 2025

Time: 11:30 CST 

Duration: 1 Hour

TOPIC: What Can Alliance Programs Do For You?

WHEN: December 19, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT /9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET

With the National Baldrige Award Program transformation using a subset of the Baldrige criteria starting in 2024 and beyond, the goal of this webinar is to shed light on how Alliance programs, leveraging the full Baldrige Excellence Framework, can help build high-performing leaders, organizations and communities. This discussion will provide valuable insights into how this network of programs across the U.S. supports and educates individuals and organizations to understand and utilize the Framework for organizational and personal improvement.

Laura Kinney is the Board Chair for Partners in Performance Excellence, a member of The Alliance for Performance Excellence (Alliance) Board and marketing chair for the Alliance. With over 20 years of experience in strategy, process improvement, and organizational performance, she is passionate about helping organizations and communities improve and mature through customized frameworks based on the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence and Communities of Excellence Framework. As the President and CCO (Chief Cheerleading Officer!) of Performance Excellence Mentor, she works with leaders to create infrastructure to fundamentally plan and operate with innovative best practices.

**RESCHEDULED SESSION**

Is the Manager Skills Workshop right for you? Join us for a 30-Minute info session with facilitator Bryan Williams.

Monday, December 2, 2024 | 1:00 PM PST / 4:00 PM EST

Webinar Topics:

• The importance of equipping leaders with the tools and skills to be effective (and the dangers of not doing so).

• Brief overview of the eight modules. Success stories of those who have attended this workshop in the past.

• Q&A

Is the Manager Skills Workshop right for you? Join us for a 30-Minute info session with facilitator Bryan Williams.

Monday, December 2, 2024 | 1:00 PM PST / 4:00 PM EST

Webinar Topics:

• The importance of equipping leaders with the tools and skills to be effective (and the dangers of not doing so).

• Brief overview of the eight modules. Success stories of those who have attended this workshop in the past.

• Q&A

TOPIC: Core Competencies to Drive Customer Value and Inspire the Workforce

WHEN: November 21, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT /9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET

In our Baldridge Community, we think of core competencies as our organization’s areas of greatest expertise; …that are central to fulfilling our mission and creating our singular strategic advantage. Discover the four central attributes that every core competency must have to drive customer value and create a dynamic employee experience.

About Daniel B. Edds, MBA | Dan has been a Baldridge examiner and team leader. This experience led him to write the book, Leveraging the Genetics of Leadership, Cracking the Code of Sustainable Team Performance. This is the first book that bridges the gap between systems thinking and organizational leadership. He has recently presented his work on systemic leadership and culture formation in England, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. In addition, he is a PhD candidate through the Birmingham Leadership Institute at the University of Birmingham (UK).

TOPIC: 90-Day Teams to Deploy Action Plans

WHEN: October 17, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT /9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET

In the Baldrige Framework, Category 6 asks how you design, manage, and improve your key services and work processes. 2018 Baldrige recipient Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center (MHHCC) adopted and ‘memorialized’ the 90-day team methodology from Hill Country Memorial Hospital. It is a 10-step methodology, utilizing PDCAE (plan, do, check, act, evaluate) that describes how MHHCC carries out the action plans of their strategic plan and how they design new services. Denise Kaetzel will share how this methodology describes the 90-day team that comes together and uses these defined steps to produce results.

Leading with compassion and respect for all, Denise Kaetzel encourages and expects team members to commit to quality and excellence.  She is passionate about personal and professional growth through continuous learning, excellent patient and organizational outcomes, and performance improvement.  Denise is committed to the mission, vision, and core values of Memorial Hospital and is grateful to serve in a faith-based organization. Denise has over 34 years of healthcare and nursing experience, the majority of which is in leadership positions. She has led the Quality Department since 2007 and added Organizational Excellence to her scope in April 2019.  Denise earned a Master of Science in Nursing Leadership in 2008, and a Masters in Health Administration in 2017 and is certified in Executive Nursing.

TOPIC: Delivering on our Commitment to Community Performance Excellence

WHEN: September 19, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT /9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET

Beginning in October 2016, leaders across the country have joined the Communities of Excellence (COE) National Learning Collaborative with the goal of using the Baldrige-based COE Framework to support their communities in identifying and measuring key initiatives to address community health and wellbeing. Stephanie Norling will give a progress update on these communities and their performance excellence journeys and will describe how these experiences have led to an ambitious new strategy.

Stephanie Norling has been Executive Director of Communities of Excellence 2026 since 2014. She participated in the development of the Communities of Excellence Criteria, adapted from the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, and launched a National Learning Collaborative of communities to support the use of the framework. Stephanie has a BA in Anthropology from Tufts University and an MBA and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of San Diego. Before joining COE, Stephanie worked for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement as a Project Coordinator and at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. She is also a National Baldrige Examiner and serves on the Alliance for Performance Excellence board.

Join us for an exciting three-part series on accelerating improvement in your organization!

Session 3: Best Practices for Building a Culture for Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Tuesday, September 17 @ 10:00 a.m. PST; 11:00 a.m. MST; noon CST; and 1:00 p.m. EST

A 3-part, free, webinar series on “Accelerating Improvement” hosted by Southwest Alliance for Excellence (SWAE) and presented by Kay Kendall (Baldrige-Coach).

This presentation will help leaders understand the value of a Baldrige-based performance excellence journey – above and beyond an award. Participants will walk away with tools to communicate the value of a performance excellence journey.

Major content:

Many organizations look at quality award programs like Baldrige as a method to gain recognition for their work. But it isn’t that easy – organizations recognized at the highest level must demonstrate role model performance. The Baldrige Award is a recognition of the hard work required to become a role model organization.

The webinar will discuss practical methods to engage senior leaders in the move from compliance to performance excellence. It will also provide an example of a leadership system to demonstrate the value of the Baldrige Framework as an integrated management system.

Key points:

• The concept of “compliance” versus “excellence”

• Why is it important to focus on excellence in addition to compliance?

• The concept of the Baldrige-based application as a “management document”

• The value of a Baldrige-based performance excellence journey – beyond an award

TOPIC: The Power Within: Harnessing Emotional Intelligence for Personal and Professional Growth

WHEN: August 15, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. PT /9:00 MT / 10:00 CT / 11:00 ET

Unlock the transformative power of emotional intelligence and discover how it can propel you toward success in both your personal and professional life. In this webinar, Jan will explore the core principles of emotional intelligence, from self-awareness and empathy to social awareness and relationship management. Through practical strategies, you'll learn how to harness these skills to overcome challenges, enhance your leadership abilities, and foster meaningful connections. Join us to uncover the power within and take the first step towards a more fulfilling and impactful journey.

Jan Jones is a professional speaker, consultant, and international podcast host (“The Good Good Life”) with a passion for developing and motivating others. She collaborates with organizations nationwide to enhance leadership and equip employees with tools for success. Her ability to connect with audiences results in an inspired team ready to achieve greatness within their organizations. Jan’s energy and expertise stem from her zest for life and the relationships that play a pivotal role in her personal development. She knows that relationships drive culture, which drives results. Jan believes that anyone can inspire change, and this is a driver for her determination to set people up for success. Jan is a graduate of the University of Alabama and is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She holds certifications in “Crucial Conversations” (Crucial Learning), as well as multiple certifications with Franklin Covey. Jan is certified in “Emotional Intelligence” (TalentSmart) and Extended DISC. In addition, Jan is a Certified DDI (Development Dimensions International, Inc.) Facilitator, and Birkman Certified Consultant.

Join us for an exciting three-part series on accelerating improvement in your organization!

Session 2: Translating Voice of the Customer (VOC) in Product and Process Requirements

Tuesday, August 13 @ 10:00 a.m. PST; 11:00 a.m. MST; noon CST; and 1:00 p.m. EST

A 3-part, free, webinar series on “Accelerating Improvement” hosted by Southwest Alliance for Excellence (SWAE) and presented by Kay Kendall (Baldrige-Coach).

Join us for an exclusive FREE webinar designed to introduce you to the world of Lean Six Sigma!

In just one hour, you'll explore the fundamental principles of Lean Six Sigma and discover how it can boost your career forward while significantly enhancing your organization's performance. Led by industry expert Edwin Boon, GE certified Master Black Belt and CEO of The Lean Six Sigma Company USA, this webinar promises to be both enlightening and empowering.

What you will learn:

• Understanding Lean Six Sigma: Understand the core concepts and principles that drive Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

• Essential Techniques: Learn key Lean Six Sigma techniques to optimize business processes, reduce costs, and elevate the quality of your work environment.

• Creating Value: Explore how Lean Six Sigma enables companies to deliver more value to customers and stakeholders.

• The Value of Certification: Discover the significance of earning a Lean Six Sigma certificate and how it positions you as a valuable asset within your organization.

• Tailored Training Options: Explore the various trainings and find the perfect fit for your professional development.

Whether you're in manufacturing, healthcare, government, financial services, or any other sector, Lean Six Sigma offers valuable insights and strategies to drive continuous improvement and performance.

Do you aspire to enhance your problem-solving skills and become a catalyst for positive change within your organization? Are you curious about how Lean Six Sigma can unlock new possibilities for growth and success?

Don't miss this opportunity to get an introduction to Lean Six Sigma and how it can help you and your organization. Secure your spot today by registering here!

Date: Friday, July 26

Time: 9:30 am PST / 11:30 am CST 

Duration: 1 Hour

TOPIC: Kimray's Roadmap to Excellence: Crafting a Strategic Journey with the Baldrige Framework

WHEN: July 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 CT / 9:00 MT / 8:00 PT

Join us for an enlightening webinar on how Kimray is meticulously crafting its roadmap to excellence using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) framework. This session will delve into the practical steps and strategies that Kimray, a leading manufacturer of valves and control equipment for the oil and gas industry, is implementing to transform its organizational performance and culture. Jonathan Bodine will guide you through key tactical elements of their journey, including their timelines, incremental goals, engaging their staff, and utilizing milestones. Discover how the Baldrige Excellence Framework® is helping Kimray not only achieve its mission but also significantly improve its processes and outcomes.

Jonathan Bodine serves in the role of Six Sigma Black Belt at Kimray where he leads process improvement projects, coaches Green Belts, develops best practices around metrics and project prioritization, and drives organizational performance excellence initiatives. He also serves as one of the core team members leading Kimray on its Baldrige journey. Jonathan has been with Kimray since February 2023. Prior to Kimray, he worked as a Project Engineer at Nomac Drilling, a Continuous Improvement Engineer at Devon Energy, and a Systems Engineering Team Lead at Boeing. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Oklahoma Christian University and a Master's of Business Administration at the University of Central Oklahoma. He holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification and is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Oklahoma. Jonathan and his wife Amanda have been married 14 years and have 3 children.

Join us for an exciting three-part series on accelerating improvement in your organization!

Session 1: Data Visualization to Engage Employees in Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Tuesday, July 9 @ 10:00 a.m. PST; 11:00 a.m. MST; noon CST; and 1:00 p.m. EST

A 3-part, free, webinar series on “Accelerating Improvement” hosted by Southwest Alliance for Excellence (SWAE) and presented by Kay Kendall (Baldrige-Coach).

Topic: Leveraging Culture: A Systemic Approach to Quality

Recognizing the pivotal role of organizational culture in fostering employee engagement is crucial for sustaining quality initiatives. Culture not only reflects the current state but also predicts future engagement levels, requiring nuanced approaches to its measurement and development. In this targeted webinar, we will introduce a specialized framework for assessing and enhancing your organization’s culture, directly linking it to improved organizational outcomes. Discover how effective leadership molds culture and delve into real-world case studies demonstrating the transformative impact of strategic cultural management. This work supports the many aspects of culture in the Baldrige Framework.

Participants will have the exclusive opportunity to access a complimentary cultural assessment tool, empowering them to advance their organization’s commitment to quality and excellence.

Michael J. O’Brien brings over 40 years of expertise as a consultant and executive coach, specializing in unraveling the complexities of organizational relationships. His extensive background in finance, economics, and human behavior equips him to transform the abstract elements of corporate culture into actionable insights. Michael’s strategic approach has propelled numerous world-leading companies towards a deeper understanding of their operational dynamics, enhancing their quality programs. He has also personally coached over 4,000 senior executives, guiding them through the intricacies of cultural alignment and its critical role in achieving excellence.

On the Path to Excellence: Insights from Greater Fremont, Ohio's Remarkable Communities of Excellence Journey

Join us for this free webinar featuring insights from Greater Fremont, Ohio's remarkable Communities of Excellence Journey.

Date: Thursday, June 13th, 2024

Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am Pacific Time/1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Eastern Time

Register Online

Hosted by Chari Mullen, you'll learn how Greater Fremont has brought organizations across the community together to collaborate on shared priorities that no one organization or sector can tackle alone. You'll gain practical insights and tips to kickstart your own community's Communities of Excellence journey through our National Learning Collaborative. Join us and communities nationwide to learn and embark on your own path to excellence.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect with like-minded individuals across the nation. Join us and communities nationwide as we pave the way toward a brighter future together.

Why Attend:

• Learn from real-world examples of community success

• Gain practical insights to implement in your own community

• Network with peers and experts in the field

• Kickstart your journey towards excellence through our National Learning Collaborative

Register now to secure your spot and take the first step towards unlocking your community's full potential!

Topic: Using Leading Indicators to Accelerate Improvement

Many organizations use scorecards to monitor progress, but they are typically populated with outcome – or lagging – indicators. In this session, Kay Kendall will describe leading indicators, share tips on how to proactively identify them, and demonstrate how they lead to greater and faster improvement for key outcomes.

Kay Kendall has more than 20 years as a quality executive leading large-scale change initiatives across diverse industries. As CEO of BaldrigeCoach, she currently works with organizations on their journey toward Performance Excellence. Kay served on the Panel of Judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program for 3 years. She continues as a Master Examiner. She was a Master Examiner and team leader for the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award Program. She was also a Judge for the VA’s Carey Award and a Judge for PiPEx, the Baldrige-based program serving Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Topic: Improving Performance with Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In this webinar, John Choate will share how Gen AI can help your organization improve performance. Gen AI can help organizations track and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) across various categories, such as customer satisfaction, financial performance, and market share, providing actionable insights for continuous improvement. Additionally, by leveraging Gen AI to enhance agility and resilience, organizations can better anticipate, prepare for, and respond to change and uncertainty. AI can provide the insights, tools, and capabilities needed to make faster, more informed decisions, optimize resources, and maintain continuity in the face of disruptions.

John Choate is a US Air Force combat services veteran with 10 years of experience in ICBMs 1&3, global nuclear logistics-transportation, and global Logistics Technology/data systems. He was the first in USAF history certified as a Logistics-Transportation Computer expert. In the commercial space, he drives top customer results by leveraging Technology Innovation to transform business and functional operations. As a “trusted advisor”, he incorporates data-driven visibility, risk assessment, and machine/generative AI into business planning and tactical cross-functional team execution. As a collaborative innovator, he utilizes the latest tools and technologies to drive performance improvements that directly benefit his customers through increased revenue/profit, lower costs, and enhanced team productivity. John has an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University, an MS from Troy State University, and a BS from Washington State University. He enjoys sharing insights as a subject matter expert (SME) speaker and author.

The Power of Storytelling will be presented by two distinguished participants from New Mexico. These two gentlemen come from very different backgrounds, yet share equal respect for the power of storytelling, particularly when it comes to embedding Culture.  And, as we all know, culture, is a key driver of performance excellence.

Why storytelling works. From native lands to the national laboratories, we are honored to present:

Henry Silentman serves on Quality New Mexico Board of Directors and the Baldrige Alliance Board of Directors. Henry also serves on the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Board of Directors and the Arizona District Export Council, a US Commerce Secretary-appointed position. Henry is an experienced State and National Baldrige Examiner, recently participating in the 2024 Baldrige reimagined national Examiner training. As a native New Mexican, he knows firsthand the power of Storytelling, learning the Navajo language, culture and traditions from his elders, without a written language. His extensive experience of oral traditions combined with his Baldrige knowledge makes Henry uniquely qualified to share insight into the power of storytelling.

Bill Wadt currently serves on the board of Quality New Mexico and chairs the board of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation. He retired after 34 at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In 1984, Bill was named by Science Digest as one of the 100 brightest scientists in the US under 40. Bill has been active with Quality New Mexico throughout his career and most recently, was instrumental in opening the door for Northern NM three counties, Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, and Santa Fe, to join Communities of Excellence as one group, in the 2023 Cohort. Bill will share how a top LANL executive leader used storytelling to help staff understand the direction the national laboratory was taking using a story written by Dr. Seuss. Bill will also share with us a story about apricot tarts.

Are you ready to unlock the secrets to professional success and organizational excellence? Join us for an exclusive FREE webinar designed to introduce you to the world of Lean Six Sigma!

In just one hour, you'll explore the fundamental principles of Lean Six Sigma and discover how it can boost your career forward while significantly enhancing your organization's performance. Led by industry expert Edwin Boon, GE certified Master Black Belt and CEO of The Lean Six Sigma Company USA, this webinar promises to be both enlightening and empowering.

Whether you're in manufacturing, healthcare, government, financial services, or any other sector, Lean Six Sigma offers valuable insights and strategies to drive continuous improvement and performance.

Do you aspire to enhance your problem-solving skills and become a catalyst for positive change within your organization? Are you curious about how Lean Six Sigma can unlock new possibilities for growth and success?

Don't miss this opportunity to get an introduction to Lean Six Sigma and how it can help you and your organization.