I think people are fascinated with statistics because they want to know how they compare to others – to see how “normal” they are.  Which is why I think people find polls, rankings, and surveys of interest.  For example, wouldn’t you be interested to know that 72% of US employees are open to a new career opportunity in 2008?  Are you one of them?  Might your organization be impacted if your best employees left?  Well, read on…

Since 1995, journalist John MacIntyre has published a statistics column called “Figuratively Speaking” in more than 50 newspapers and magazines in North America (the Minneapolis Star-Tribune among them).  His column is read by millions of readers wanting to know how they compare.  According to Universal Press Syndicate: “Figuratively Speaking” is intended to educate and amuse readers with its take on prevailing conventional wisdom.  The column shows the vagaries of a life in business, though it offers informational figures about all aspects of society.  It is attuned to the twist or the sarcastic, but the chief aim of “Figuratively Speaking” is to capture changing trends, including the differences between the sexes, the changing workplace, brick and mortar versus high-tech, wages, costs and everything in between.”  All of the statistics in this article are from his compilations (and are real).

Some statistics are incredibly useful for organizations to know.  Consider this…

• Percentage of U.S. employers who say stress, caused by "working long hours/doing more with less," is affecting business performance, according to Watson Wyatt's 2007/2008 Staying@Work Report: 48.

• Percentage of employers who believe stress caused by work/life balance issues adversely affects business performance: 32.

• Percentage of employers who believe stress caused by widespread use of technologies that expand availability, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants, are greatly affecting business performance: 29.

My translation: while the numbers still reflect a minority of opinion, the stresses of long hours, work/life balance, and hyper-accessibilty (thank you, Blackberry) are affecting business performance – at least with a sizeable percentage of workers.

Here’s another statistic that should draw leaders’ attention…

• Percentage of U.S. employees who say they are open to a new career opportunity in 2008, according to a survey conducted by Yahoo! HotJobs: 72.

• Percentage who say they would be willing to leave their current job because they either dislike their boss's management style or feel there is a lack of mentorship at their company: 43

• Percentage of U.S. employees who agree with the statement, "People don't leave companies; they leave managers": 55.

My translation: this is a big deal for organizations.  In today’s turbulent econonmy, retaining and motivating your best workers is paramount.  If nearly three-fourths of them are willing to defect and nearly half of them because of their boss’s management style, there is major risk of knowledge, intellectual property, and customer relationships walking out the door.

Some of MacIntyre’s statistics point to bizarre trends impacting specific segments of the country…

• The rank of Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky as the states with employees that waste the most time at work, according to a survey by Salary.com for America Online: 1, 2, 3.

• The number of hours Missouri workers squander each work day: 3.2.

• Cost this translates to for Missouri employers: $28.1 billion.

• Percentage more this is than the national average: 35.

My translation: Now, I’m originally from the Show Me State, and I’m not too proud of this finding.  I’d be interested in knowing WHAT Missouri workers are doing during those 3.2 hours a day (800 hours a year).  Perhaps working on their March Madness office pools…

• Percentage of people that would consider participating in an office betting pool (Source: Spherion): 44.

• Percentage of respondents who named office camaraderie as the main reason for participation: 49.

My translation: since the brackets were announced last night, I’m guessing that number is higher than 44% today (and I’m guessing that many Missourians are spending more than 3.2 hours filling them out).  More seriously, employees need to feel connected.

Some statistics speak of organizational culture.  Consider this one…

• Percentage of US workers who say drama is the movie genre that best describes their workplace: 32.

• Percentage of workers who said comedy: 28.

• Percentage of workers who said horror or a war movie: 6.

My translation: I’m not sure what that statistic tells me to be honest, other than A) organizational cultures can be labeled by its workers, B) Americans watch too many movies, C) I don’t want to work for 6% of US businesses, and D) what do the other 34% say?

In today’s economy of knowledge workers, there is a great deal of emphasis on advanced degrees.  Which is why I find this next statistic interesting…

• Percentage of MBA alumni, according to a survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council, who would recommend their jobs/employers to a friend because it is challenging and interesting work: 28.

• Percentage who would recommend it because of the value the employer places on MBA skills: 4.

My translation: Ouch…that means 72% WOULDN’T recommend their jobs/employers to a friend and 96% think their employer doesn’t place a value on their MBA.

Information technology is a powerful tool in today’s business, but it also carries with it risk.  Consider this…

• Percentage of employees who have accidentally found themselves on a pornography site at work, where they would rather not be, according to a survey conducted by Cerberian and SonicWall: 75.

• Percentage who have knowingly surfed pornography sites at work at least once: 16.

• Percentage who say their organizations don't have any sort of filtering technology to prevent objectionable material from finding its way onto their computer screens: 50.

My translation: This is troubling.  I’m not concerned by the first statistic (accidents happen I guess), but I’m very concerned about the 16% of the workforce that knowingly surf pornography at work.  Think of the ethical issues, potential organizational liability, potential increase in sexual harassment occurrences, and the general loss of productivity.  I could be wrong, but it’s tough to get work done if you’re wasting time with these types of activities (and the fact that only half of organizations have processes to try to curtail this should present a case for action).

Some of MacIntyre’s statistics apply more to small businesses…

• Percentage of small business owners who rely on the "to do" list to manage time and productivity, according to a survey conducted on behalf of RBC Royal Bank: 58.

• Percentage that use accounting software: 38.

• Percentage that use communication technology to save time and efficiently run the business: 35. 

My translation: I know these are smaller businesses, so resources are scarcer for productivity tools.  But does this mean that 62% of small businesses are still using pencil and paper for their accounting?  And I’m not sure what “communication technology” means (email, intranet, electronic bulletin boards?), but the fact that 65% of companies don’t use it may explain communication gaps in many companies – large or small.

Finally, earlier I mentioned that 72% of employees may consider a career change in 2008, but I’ll end on a positive note…

• Amount of money that businesses can save every year by reducing turnover rates by two percentage points, according to a study of large multinational corporations by Best Practices LLC: $3 million each.

• Percentage of high-performing companies that hold managers accountable for "engaging" their employees: 75.

My translation: Yes, there is an ROI for employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.  And the fact that 75% of high performing companies hold their managers accountable for employee engagement means that organizations still view their workers as key to success.  Now, we just have to get more organizations in that “high performing” category.

One last one:

• Percentage of readers who think this column is a bit different than my normal columns: 77.

My translation: Ok, I made that up, but I hope you found the data interesting, and I hope that some of may have even inspired action.  After all, it’s helpful to know what US workers think.  It’s even more helpful to know what yours think, so why not go ask them for their perspective?

Yours in Improvement,

Brian S. Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

Are you interested in learning more about what makes organizations successful?  Are you interested in helping other organizations -- such as schools, hospitals, non-profits, and businesses -- around the state improve their performance?  Would you be interested in networking, learning, and sharing with others who feel the same way?

The Minnesota Council for Quality is seeking candidates for the 2008 Minnesota Quality Award Board of Evaluators.  The next session of training is June 17-19 in Rochester (place TBD).

There are many benefits to becoming an Evaluator, such as:

• strengthening your understanding of what drives organizational excellence (the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence represent a validated set of best practices for organizational excellence, and can be useful for improving any organization’s performance),
• networking with influential leaders and professionals (this year’s Board of Evaluators will include about 150 leaders from around the state – executives, middle managers, surgeons and physicians, superintendents and school teachers, non-profit and public sector leaders, quality professionals, and consultants),
• seeing “best practices” deployed within another organization – knowledge that you could use back at your organization and/or in your career, helping organizations throughout the state – many of them schools, health care providers, non-profits, public sector agencies, and certainly businesses – improve their performance…simply get better at what they do, and
• developing a set of other professional skills that may help you advance your career – skills such as consensus- and team-building, written communication, verbal communication and interpersonal skills, interviewing, analysis, and systems thinking.

Most Evaluators consider the experience to be among the most valuable of their careers.  In fact, many have claimed that the experience and knowledge gained from this process rivals getting an MBA or advanced business degree.

Furthermore, Evaluators can earn college (undergrad and post-grad) credit for participating in training.  For interested Evaluators, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin-Stout both offer three (3) hours of credit in partnership with the Minnesota Council for Quality.

If you are interested in joining the 2008 Board of Evaluators, the first (of three) training sessions of 2008 will be February 26-28 in the Twin Cities.  In addition to the full three-day training session, new Evaluators are also required to attend a one-day orientation (either May 29, June 3, or June 4).

Applications for new Evaluators are due 5/23.  Applications for returning Evaluators (which only require updates from your most recent application) are due 6/6 (returning Evaluators: significant changes to the process will reduce the time required for pre-work/training and evaluation in 2008).

We hope that you would consider (re)joining the Board of Evaluators and/or encourage others to do so.  For more information or for an application, please visit www.councilforquality.org/assess.cfm, obtain an application at http://www.councilforquality.org/assess_eval_appl.cfm, email us at brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org, or call 612-462-3577.

You are invited to the Minnesota Council for Quality's 17th annual Minnesota Quality Award event on Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

This year, the program includes two separate events.  The afternoon will feature a lunchtime keynote address (by Cargill Kitchen Solutions, formerly Sunny Fresh Foods, a two-time Baldrige recipient), followed by breakout workshop sessions that feature nine 2007 Award recipients; topics will focus on some aspect of how they are improving their outcomes and processes.

The evening celebration offers an opportunity to recognize the recipient organizations' accomplishments, to thank our Board of Evaluators and other key volunteers, and to network within our growing community of leaders and professionals all interested in performance excellence.  Governor Pawlenty has also been invited to participate in the event.

Afternoon Learning Workshops

Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Time: 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM; Reception event 4:00 to 6:30 PM

Location: The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, St. Paul 55102

Organizations Featured:

• Benedictine Health System (05, 07 MN Quality Award)
• Cardinal of MN (07 MQA)
• Cargill Kitchen Solutions (Sunny Fresh Foods) (99, 05 Baldrige Award)
• Hayfield Community Schools (04, 07 MQA)
• Immanuel St. Joseph-Mayo Health System (05, 07 MQA)
• Marshall Public Schools (07 MQA)
• Mate Precision Tooling (05 MQA)
• Midwest Medical Insurance Group (07 MQA)
• Pine Island Schools (07 MQA)
• Winona Health (04, 05, 06, 07 MQA)
• University of Wisconsin-Stout (01 Baldrige Award)
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa Schools (07 MQA).

Cost: $99 for members ($75 before March 26); $199 non-members ($149 before March 26); Award recipients inquire about complimentary passes

Evening Award Celebration Event

Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Time: 4:00 to 6:30 PM

Location: The Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market Street, St. Paul 55102

Cost: Complimentary for employees of 2007 Award recipients and 2007 Evaluators; $20 for Council members and Award recipient guests; $30 for Council partners; $40 for the public; $140 for a group of 8 registering together.

For more information on the event or the Minnesota Quality Award, visit our website at www.councilforquality.org.

To register, please email brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org with your name, organizational affiliation, desired events (workshops and/or reception), and preferred method of payment.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to announce several changes to our 2008 Minnesota Quality Award process.  “The changes are designed to reduce the time, effort, and resources of organizations desiring a systematic evaluation of their management system, as well as reduce the time and effort of our volunteer Board of Evaluators,” says Brian Lassiter, president of the Council.  “However, we were careful to preserve the value of the assessment to both participating organizations and volunteers.”

The most fundamental change that will be noticed by customers is that organizational applicants will be asked to complete an abbreviated application to get started in the process.  The “application” will consist of an Organizational Profile and Performance Results only.  The Profile and Results will be reviewed by the MN Quality Award Panel of Judges to determine what resources are required to complete the evaluation.  An organization considered advanced in its maturity and performance results will invited to submit a “full” application – either a 50-page written narrative application (responding to the Baldrige Criteria questions), or a Baldrige Express survey conducted with its workforce (either full staff or a sampling).  If an organization is earlier in its performance excellence journey, it will not be required to complete a narrative application of Baldrige Express survey (though may submit them if desired), saving considerable time and effort in preparation.

In either case, we will still build a team of Evaluators (larger teams for the more advanced organizations and smaller teams for the less advanced), which will still conduct an independent review, form a consensus opinion, and conduct a site visit to verify hypotheses regarding the organization’s strengths and improvement opportunities.  Organizations will still receive a Feedback Report, delivered in a working session with senior leaders.

“We hope this change will help us better optimize our program resources and also help our customers apply an appropriate amount of organizational time and energy given their organization’s stage of maturity,” says Lassiter.  “We also hope that these changes will reduce the barriers to participation in the Award process, allowing more organizations at all stages of their journey to excellence to receive value from the experience.”

For more information on the Award process and the changes in 2008, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/assess.cfm.

The Council will also begin offering an alternative evaluation process in 2008 – one that is not eligible for the MN Quality Award, but offers an alternative evaluation for organizations either just getting started with the Baldrige framework and/or for those already on the journey but interested in more consultative (prescriptive) feedback.  This process will use subcontracted consultants approved/managed by the Council (and selected by the participating organization) and may use a complementary team of volunteer sector experts.  Fees will be similar to the Award process fees, though may be a bit higher in some instances.  Since the organizations’ time in this process is greatly reduced as compared to the Award process, the net total cost is effectively lower.  More information on the alternative assessment will be announced next month.

The Minnesota Council for Quality invites you to breakfast, sandwiched between two thought-provoking, content-rich, and interactive workshops on May 13 & 14 in St. Paul.  Teams of three or more, registered for all three sessions by April 21,  get a great price PLUS you’ll receive a complimentary autographed copy of Robin Lawton’s best-selling book (5-star rated on Amazon.com), Creating a Customer-Centered Culture: Leadership in Quality, Innovation and Speed, a $40 value.

Mr. Lawton is an engaging, top-rated speaker and internationally-known consultant to world-class leaders in both industry and government.  Don’t even think about service excellence, satisfaction surveys, product design, or Voice of Customer projects without attending these sessions:

• May 13, 8am-5:00pm: Innovation Versus Stuff that Sucks
• May 14, 7:00-9:00am: 8 Dimensions of Excellence (Performance Improvement Network breakfast and presentation)
• May 14, 9:30am-5:00pm: The 12 Voices of the Customer

All sessions will be held in St. Paul.

The first session in this series, Innovation Versus Stuff that Sucks, was attended by a standing room only crowd in 2007.  The mix of excellent content, tools you can actually apply and a humorous interactive style shows why Rob was recently ranked #1 of 88 speakers by an international organization. 

It sometimes seems products are designed NOT to work and that services are intended to frustrate us.  Opening a new CD without breaking the case can require surgical skills and dangerous tools.  That sucks!  Yet opening a package of Wrigley’s spearmint gum requires no tools, no NASA experience and no time:  Customer Bliss!  Why is it that the five options in the phone tree (press 1 for…) hardly ever match the option you want and that web sites tend to omit (or hide) the thing you really want to know?  Somehow, Apple, Google, and even some government agencies have figured out how to repeatedly deliver elegantly simple design.  Look closely and you’ll find there are a few principles at work there- seven, to be exact.  This session memorably illustrates what they are and how you can apply them.  Please join us if your goals include sustainable growth, customer excitement and uniqueness competitors will envy.

              “Excellent program!  This challenged me to make a mind shift to apply the customer-centered

 thinking in my work.  The emphasis on divergent thinking may be the key to our success in the

next ten years.”  Steve Alexander, AVP, American Honda

The May 13 St. Paul Performance Improvement Network (PIN) breakfast features “8 Dimensions of Excellence.”  You wouldn’t knowingly tune up just one cylinder of your eight cylinder engine.  Yet change initiatives very often have a lopsided focus on process improvement without sufficient attention to the other seven areas of performance.  This session shows how to align strategy, performance measures and customer priorities in a holistic way that enables Baldrige criteria to be superbly met and has repeatedly produced 5-to-1 ROI on key initiatives.  The fast-paced presentation will provide the calisthenics for your brain so your day will get off to a great start.  The transition to the next presentation will be so smooth, you’ll want to stay for the rest of the story.

Just reading the newspaper illustrates how critical it is to attend The 12 Voices of the Customer.  Did you see the story of the car company executive who thought customers said they wanted bigger gas tanks?  What they really wanted was to be able to run farther with less gas.  His mistake was a big part of why the firm lost 40% of its market value in six years.  The underlying issues apply equally to those of us in widget-free work, as Mr. Lawton will demonstrate.

This humorous, high-content workshop interactively shows you how to get inside the mind of your customers and uncover what they care most about.  Customers often don’t tell you their highest priorities, yet they’ll hold you accountable for knowing and satisfying them.  This program builds mind-readers.  Significantly enhance your initiatives related to service quality, Six Sigma, satisfaction surveys and other efforts intended to create fans.  Three organizations have won Baldrige top honors as a direct result of applying these methods.

Rob will address common but fatal assumptions about (1) the value of surveys, (2) what truly drives satisfaction, (3) the three questions that always uncover wants and needs, (4) how to prioritize their answers, and (5) how to translate squishy perceptions into objective/tangible measures of performance.

For more information or to register, please go to http://www.imtc3.com/events/UpcomingEvents.cfm. For personalized answers, please call Mr. Lawton’s office at 800-729-1468.

These sessions are intended for executives, managers, change agents, Baldrige criteria users, Six Sigma practitioners, and project teams.  You will gain fresh insights on how to uncover and innovatively satisfy customer priorities.

We hope to see you soon and wish you every success.

The University of Minnesota a large, complex higher ed institution.  Over the last several years, it has been under a transformation to become one of the top three research institutions in the country.  And it is using quality tools – such as balanced scorecard, Baldrige, and other frameworks – to reach higher levels of excellence.

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to welcome three leaders from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to our April 3 Minneapolis Performance Improvement network (PIN) session: Scott Martens, Director, Office of Service & Continuous Improvement; Scott Fitzgerald, Office of Classroom Management; and Sean Schuller, Asst Dir, Process Development Facilities Mgmt.  They will all share how the U is transforming itself by using balanced scorecard, by training in process improvement tools/techniques, and by using strategy maps for making decisions and improving performance.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on April 3 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m.) at the Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC), 1501 Hennepin (15th and Hennepin), downtown Minneapolis, Room L3000 (Wheelock-Whitney Library).  Parking is available at their ramp across Hennepin (for $5).

Admission to PIN is FREE for Council members; $10 for partner organizations; $20 for the public.

For more information, please visit http://www.councilforquality.org/performance.cfm. 

Space is limited so register today by emailing brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org.

Organizational excellence always comes down to people.  Think about it: your workforce provides the important connection between company and customer (stakeholder), between supplier and operations, between internal departments and internal customers.  Having well-designed and deployed work processes are critical, but people operate and manage those processes.  So having processes that develop a capable, competent, and motivated workforce is paramount to an organization’s success.

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Tom Huberty, Senior Quality Engineer with BAE Systems, to our April 9 St. Paul Performance Improvement Network (PIN) session.  Tom will offer examples from over 10 Baldrige recipients – organizations that have demonstrated high levels of performance excellence – on how to engage and manage your workforce.  Tom will also illustrate how these best practices can be adapted to your organization, and he will also provide some direction on emerging Human Resource Management future best practices.  If you are looking for helpful hints on engaging your workforce for peak performance, you should not miss this PIN presentation.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on April 9 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m.) at Metro State University, 700 7th Street E, St. Paul.  We will meet in the Grand Hall (the main building in between the two towers).  Parking is available in a pay lot just east of the school.  Admission to PIN is FREE for Council members; $10 for partner organizations; $20 for the public.

Admission to PIN is FREE for Council members; $10 for partner organizations; $20 for the public.

For more information, please visit http://www.councilforquality.org/performance.cfm. 

Globalization of the workforce requires that all people strive to work together in respectful, responsible, and effective ways.  Immigration and migration will be an increasingly important component in the sudden and dramatic demographic shifts in the workforce that have stared to take place in Minnesota and nationwide. 

The Rochester Area Quality Council, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council for Quality, is pleased to welcome Kay Hocker, Executive Director of the Diversity Council of Rochester, and Courtney Lawson, Development and Communication Director of the Diversity Council, to our April 1 meeting.  Kay and Courtney will share:

• Diversity: current facts and figures on the workforce of today and tomorrow.
• Techniques to imbed inclusion in workplace practices.
• Recognize barriers to workplace inclusion.

Take your understanding BEYOND diversity and learn how to practice workplace inclusion!

The Association for Strategic Planning-Minnesota Chapter, an alliance partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce its next meeting: “Innovation in Healthcare: Doing Things Differently and Doing Different Things.”  Scheduled for March 25, the discussion will be lead by Mary Ann Stump, Chief Innovation Officer, BlueCross Blue Shield of MN and President of Consumer Aware, Inc.

MaryAnn Stump will discuss the emerging opportunities to transform the health care system through consumer-focused design and will highlight key strategies for truly partnering with consumers in order to understand health care from their perspective. An open dialogue, with questions and comments from the audience, will follow her formal remarks.

Minnesota, along with the nation, is experiencing profound demographic changes, affecting all aspects of our economy, environment, and society.  While demographic change normally progresses at a glacial pace, the pace and impact of some of these changes will accelerate starting this year. The workforce will be one area facing some of the most profound and rapid changes. 

The Strategic Leadership Insights breakfast series from the U of M College of Continuing Education, a partner of the MN Council for Quality, is an engaging forum geared toward Twin Cities area upper-management professionals.  Each session offers an opportunity to hear from nationally recognized business experts on key workforce trends, and then opens the floor for a moderated discussion on how to address these important issues.

The next SLI session will focus on the demographic changes expected, the underlying demographic trends driving the changes, and some of the challenges and opportunities these changes imply.  The session will be facilitated by Tom Gillaspy, Ph.D., Minnesota State Demographers Office.  Dr. Gillaspy has served as the Minnesota State Demographer since 1979.  During that time, he has been involved with a wide-ranging set of issue, applying an understanding of demographic trends in such areas as the state's economy, health care for an aging population, welfare reform, rural population change, labor shortages, government spending, and the aging state workforce.

The session is from 8:00-9:30 AM (check in and breakfast at 7:00AM) on April 2 at the College of Continuing Education in St. Paul.  Cost is $50.  For more information, visit http://www.cce.umn.edu/corporateeducation/leadershipinsights/index.html.

For a copy of a video clip of the previous Strategic Leadership Insights breakfasts, visit

http://www.cce.umn.edu/corporateeducation/leadershipinsights/speakerstopics/index.html.

The MN OD Network, an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announce its April 8 program “The Triple Bottom Line -- People, Processes, and the Planet: Sustainable Business.”  The session will be facilitated by Terry Gipps and will held from 4:00-6:30 PM at St. Paul Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul MN 55105.

Fees are $20 for MNODN and MCQ members, $25 for non-members.  For more information, visit www.mnodn.org.

Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI), a Partner of the MN council for Quality, is pleased to present seven different events in the next two months, all focused on using Lean to improve organizational efficiency:

• Mar 19: Executive Overview: Lean Dreams, Duluth
• Mar 26: Lean Workshop: Lean 101, Medina
• Apr 16: Enhancing the Value of Your Business Part I, St. Paul
• Apr 23: Lean Workshop: Lean Office, Medina
• May 14: Enhancing the Value of Your Business Part II, St. Paul
• May 21: Lean Workshop: Lean 101, Duluth
• May 28: Lean Workshop: 5S, Medina

For more information on these programs, visit http://www.minnesotatechnology.org/training/index.asp. 

MN International Society of Performance Improvement (MNISPI), an alliance partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce their March 18 Chapter Meeting.  The topic will be “Can Distance Training Really Improve Performance?” which features Paul Hardt, Capella University.

The LaCrosse-Winona ASQ Section 1216 is pleased to announce its annual conference “Developing a Common Sense Approach to Quality” on April 3.  The conference will be held from 2:30PM-7:30PM at the Tau Center of Winona State University.

The agenda includes the following:

• “Selecting the Right Quality Tool for the Situation,” speaker TBD
• “Performance Excellence 101: Making Baldrige Easier,” Brian Lassiter, MN Council for Quality
• “Common Sense: Does it Exist?” Aimee Siegler, Benchmark Electronics

The conference, sponsored in part by the Minnesota Council for Quality and QC Inspection Services, will then offer a dinner and keynote address: “The 10 Biggest Quality Mistakes,” presented by Craig Cochran, the North Metro Regional Manager for Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute.  Craig will discuss how the easiest way to improve is to learn from the mistakes of other people.  Experience has taught all of us that there are plenty of mistakes out there: the trick is to recognize them and understand what to do in their places.  Unfortunately, we keep seeing the same mistakes over and over.  They aren’t mistakes because they violate a standard like ISO 9001, they’re mistakes because they violate good sense.  Craig’s presentation will examine the top quality mistakes, and how they can be avoided.

The conference will also offer a half day workshop (10AM-2:15PM) “High Impact Auditing,” also presented by Craig Cochran. 

For more information on the event, visit http://www.asq1216.homestead.com/. 

The University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education, an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announce their spring improvement and business courses.  Council members receive a 10% discount on all CCE courses.

Day Courses

3/20        Diversity and Inclusive Work Environments                           $395

3/20        Creating a Total Rewards Strategy             $395

3/25        Recruiting and Retention Strategies           $395

3/26        Improving Work Processes           $395

3/26        Strategic Planning and Measurement                       $395

3/27        Problem Solving and Decision Making        $395

3/27        Writing Persuasive Business Proposals     $395

3/28        Project Execution            $395

3/28        Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Preparation    $995

4/1          Designing Employee Orientation Programs             $395

4/3          Mastering New Marketing Practices           $395

4/3          Writing Correspondence for Internal and External Audiences            $395

4/9          Developing Leadership Skills                       $750

4/9          Effective Interviewing and Selection Processes       $395

4/10        High Impact Presentations            $395

4/11        Project Control and Closure          $395

4/16        Building Teamwork and Commitment         $395

4/17        Working Assertively         $395

4/22        Succession Planning        $395

4/22        Administering COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA            $395

4/24        How to Deal with Difficult People   $395

4/24        Financial Intelligence                      $395

4/24        Project Leadership           $395

4/30        Integrated Systems Management              $395

4/30        Legal Issues in Human Resources Management     $395

Evening Courses

3/18 & 3/25         Leading Through Change              $395

3/18 & 3/25         Leading Global Projects and Virtual Teams            $395

3/18 & 3/25         Strategic Human Resource Planning          $395

3/19 & 3/26         Project Risk Management             $395

3/31 & 4/7           Increasing Power and Influence through Listening    $395

4/1 & 4/8             Creativity and Innovation   $395

4/1 & 4/8             Facilitating Work Groups              $395

4/2 & 4/9             Project Execution            $395

4/16 & 4/23         Project Control and Closure          $395

ASQ Hiawatha Section 1214 and South Central College bring you Process Based Management – Phase 1 -- all in a one-day seminar!  Learn about Phase 1 Capstone: The Process Definition Matrix – Quantifying the relationships between the causes (inputs, process functions, noise factors – the x’s) to the intended and unintended outputs (the effects – the y’s).

Presenter John Lindblad will conduct the seminar Wednesday, April 16 or Thursday, April 17 at Cabela’s in Owatonna.  Cost is $295/person (Council members get 10% discount).  For more information, visit www.asq1214.org or www.southcentral.edu.

In addition, South Central College is pleased to announce their spring quality and performance improvement curriculum.  Council members are entitled to a 10% discount.

The following courses will be held at the Faribault campus (prices before member discount):

3/31/08, Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Review, $450

4/23/08, Calibration Processes, $125