2011–2012 Criteria for Performance Excellence

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Subject: Why Is Baldrige Important for You Now?

Because the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence are about you! Because they are about survival and sustainability in your marketplace with a high-performing, high-integrity organization. Because the Baldrige Criteria ask you all the right questions.
Is addressing all the Baldrige Criteria easy? No! But neither is achieving sustainable results in today’s challenging environment. Will the Criteria help you think and act strategically? Yes. Will they help you align your processes and your resources? Yes. Will they help you engage your workforce and your customers? Yes. Are these worthwhile goals? You decide.
Whether your organization is small or large; is involved in service, manufacturing, government, or nonprofit work; and has one location or sites across the globe, the Criteria provide a valuable framework that can help you plan, perform, and measure results in an uncertain environment. The Criteria can help you decide on tools such as ISO 9000, Lean, a Balanced Scorecard, and Six Sigma.
How to begin that first Baldrige assessment? Take a few minutes and scan the questions in the Organizational Profile on pages 4–6. A discussion of the answers to these questions might be your first Baldrige assessment. For additional guidance, refer to our free booklet Your Guide to Performance Excellence.
Do you need to know what your employees and your senior leaders think? Or do you believe you have been making progress but want to accelerate or better focus your efforts? Try using our simple Are We Making Progress? and Are We Making Progress as Leaders? questionnaires. Organized by the seven Baldrige Criteria categories, they will help you check your progress on organizational goals and can improve communication among your workforce members and your leadership team.
Even if you don’t expect to receive the Baldrige Award, submitting an award application has valuable benefits. Every applicant receives a detailed feedback report based on a rigorous evaluation conducted by a panel of specially trained experts.
The Criteria are in your hands . . . so is an incredible opportunity. Why not take advantage of that opportunity? When you turn these pages, you turn the corner toward performance excellence.