As the school year approaches, I’m going to offer a scenario for all you parents out there… Imagine your child coming home with the following grades: an “A” in English, an “A” in social studies, a “C” in biology, and an “F” in algebra.  Which grade deserves the most attention from you as parents?  In a poll two years ago, 77% of American parents said the “F.”  So most conversations at most dining room tables in America this fall will center on the child’s flaws and failures and how to fix them, rather than on what the child is doing well.  Let’s face it: you only have a limited amount of time on which to focus your energy and resources, and it seems that – at least in this survey – most American parents choose to focus on failures.  Of course, school system is set up so that you can’t ignore the F.  But the question never implied you had to ignore any of the other grades: it only asked on which one would you focus.  And most parents would focus on the failure – on what their child is NOT, rather than on what their child IS.  Think about the implications of this data on our employees…and on our organizations.

The scenario (and data) above was from a speech that Marcus Buckingham made November 17, 2007 (“Go Put Your Strengths to Work” – you can find it on YouTube).  Two weeks ago, the Council hosted a webinar on creating world class customer service (if you are interested in an archived recording, members can email me for a free copy and non-members can have a copy for $20).  The facilitator, Bryan Williams – currently of BW Enterprises and formerly of the Ritz Carlton – suggested that for an organization to be successful in providing world class service, its managers need to focus on those employees who already are engaged – those that are willing to go the extra mile to provide good service to customers.  Not that managers don’t need to spend some time with employees that are not predisposed to providing good service, but start with those who already are, and you’ll experience a greater return for your efforts.  In other words, to get better customer service, focus on your strongest – not your weakest – employees.  (If you are interested in our follow-up webinar, “Building a 5-Star Team” on September 22 or our half-day live workshop “7 Principles to Fully Engage Your Customers” on October 21, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent2.cfm).  

So Bryan’s comment got me thinking about Buckingham’s work about a decade ago – about the power of positivity – not just positive thinking, but systematically taking action to build upon your strengths.  Buckingham first coined the term “strengths-based management” in his seminal book “First, Break All the Rules” (1999).  His premise is that people can be more successful just by focusing on that which they are already strong.

If you want excellence, you have to focus on excellence.

Think about it: why do batting champion baseball players spend hours in the batting cages (when their relative weakness may be in fielding)?  Why do outstanding classical musicians practice classical music (and not jazz)?  Why do world class physicians specialize?  Why do crafts professionals perfect a craft?  Yes, there are basic skills – “table stakes” – for any career and for any company or industry, but world class performance comes from building upon world class skills.  Strengths become stronger.

However, for some reason, we’re not wired to focus on strengths: we’d rather “fix” weaknesses.  Buckingham quotes Martin Seligman, a world-reknowned psychologist, who famously stated that “…they have 40,000 studies on depression and less than 400 on joy, making the point that everywhere you look, we seem to think that excellence is just the opposite of failure.”  So we put our efforts in studying the negative side – the side about disease and damage – but limit our focus on the side of strength. 

Think about it: we study divorce to learn about successful marriages; we study criminals to learn about law-abiding citizens; we study recessions to determine how to ensure economic prosperity.

And this thinking translates to business: we study dissatisfied customers to learn about satisfied ones; we study disgruntled employees to learn how to engage employees; we study why certain products fail to see if we can grow the market share of others; we study ethical breeches to see if we can improve the core values of an organization; we study product defects to see if we can make better products.

Everywhere you look, we seem to think that good is the opposite of bad.  Many experts are beginning to believe, however, that that’s not the case.  (Buckingham says that the opposite of bad is not necessarily “good” – it’s just “not bad.”  The opposite of depression, for example, is not necessarily joy: it just means “not depressed.”)  So we’re likely limiting our potential by focusing on the wrong side of the equation –focusing on fixing weaknesses rather than building upon strengths.

Think about it on a personal level…have you ever been invited to a meeting where you really don’t feel like you should be there?  (All the time, perhaps!)  You listen, you try to contribute (because saying something demonstrates your value, your worth), but you’re really not being effective in the discussion.  Maybe it’s because you shouldn’t be there!  Companies put employees in the wrong positions, wrong projects, wrong environments all the time – those that do not cater to their skills, their experiences, their knowledge, their strengths – and consequently limit their overall effectiveness.

That’s waste.  That’s sub-optimization of resources.  That’s crazy!

Further, I think this mentality goes beyond individual employees and applies to the overall organization as well.

The Minnesota Council for Quality’s core product is a comprehensive organizational assessment that helps leaders identify and prioritize what to improve in their enterprise (it’s also the basis for our MN Quality Award).  Teams of volunteer Evaluators spend hundreds of hours analyzing organizational processes and then outline strengths and improvement opportunities for organizations to consider.  Where do you think organizations typically focus their attention – on their strengths?  Unfortunately, most leaders rush to the weaknesses and create action plans to close those gaps.  That’s not a bad thing (you SHOULD address your organizational blind spots and oil that proverbial squeaky wheel, so that the cart moves forward effectively). 

But my point is this: organizations should also spend some energy focusing on what’s right to get more of what’s right.

Buckingham has a rule of thumb: focus 80% on your strengths and 20% on your weaknesses.  His premise is with regards to employees, but I think that ratio could also hold for organizations:

• Rather than focusing only on customer complaints, study your most engaged customers and figure out why they are engaged – and do more of it.
• Rather than focusing only employees’ developmental needs in their annual performance review, identify their towering strengths and see if you can put them in a role that allows them to use those strengths more frequently.  (Gallup’s research indicates that only 12% of people in the workplace play to their strengths "most of the time."  That’s not enough.)
• Rather than focusing on a product that flops in the marketplace, figure out how to sell more of your highest selling products.
• Rather than focusing only on your process inefficiencies, see if you can leverage your organization’s core competencies to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.

I’ll leave you with this: at a time when organizations face crisis – many are trying their hardest just to survive – and at a time when everyone is trying to do more with less, doesn’t it just make sense to try to do more of that which you are already good?  You can’t be all things to all people (all customers, all markets), so why not apply energy and focus to building and expanding those things on which you already excel?  It would give your customers more of what they want (that can’t be a bad thing), and it might even create a bigger gap between you and your competitors in the marketplace.  Some of today’s most successful companies have found their excellence not by trying to fix all that is bad in their operations, but by expanding on what they are good.  There’s a lesson in that.

Incidentally, if you want to learn more on the subject – or just engage with other leaders interested in building on strengths – our next Performance Improvement Network session (Sept 9) focuses on integrating a “Strengths-Based Culture” for improved workforce performance (more information at http://www.councilforquality.org/performance_current.cfm or article 5 below).  

Yours in Improvement,

Brian S. Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

The Minnesota Council for Quality, in cooperation with the Joseph M. Juran Quality Leadership Center at the Carlson School of Management, is pleased to announce a Lean Six Sigma Forum to be held on Thursday, September 17. The Forum will be hosted by IBM Rochester, and subject matter experts will share how IBM's expertise, experience and collaboration with the most forward-thinking institutions, governments and businesses around the world, are helping to make our planet smarter. IBM will showcase Process Excellence and how they are integrating Lean Six Sigma, and other quality tools into a comprehensive improvement approach.

IBM will be joined by partners including Mayo Clinic, the Hormel Institute and University of Minnesota Rochester for a panel discussion on the voice of the customer and collaboration efforts. Panelists include: 

• Seshardi Ramachandran, Business Process Excellence Manager, IBM
• Tory Johnson, Director, IBM
• Drew Flaada, Mayo Collaboration & Emerging Solutions Development, IBM
• Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhle, Chancellor, University of Minnesota Rochester
• Dr. Ann Bode, Associate Director, Hormel Institute
• Dr. Eric Wieben, Director Genomics Research, Mayo Clinic

The Lean Six Sigma Forum provides a means for leaders and practitioners from organizations using Lean and/or Six Sigma to share knowledge and best practices on using Lean Six Sigma.

Cost is $100 for members of the Council or $200 for non-members.

The Forum is open to the public.  For more information, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent.cfm.

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 2009 Minnesota Quality Award Board of Evaluators.  The third and final training session in 2009 is September 29-October 1 in Roseville.

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) – and the 2009 Criteria represent significant changes, especially in terms of customer focus/engagement, core competencies, and sustainability/social responsibility;
• 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 2009 Board of Evaluators, training will be Sept 29-Oct 1 in Roseville.  In addition to the full three-day training session, new Evaluators are also required to attend a one-day orientation (either September 10, 16, or 17 – you choose, and all in the Twin Cities).

Applications for new Evaluators are due September 4.  Applications for returning Evaluators (which only require updates from your most recent application) are due September 18.

Workplace conflict is a commonly overlooked but costly phenomenon in business (perhaps more significantly today, as employees are asked to do more and more with less and less).  But indeed frustrated leaders and employees can avoid the behaviors that fuel destructive disagreements rather than wasting profits and time resolving them.

The Minnesota Council for Quality, our affiliate the Rochester Area Quality Council, and our partner Lake Superior College, are pleased to announce a special full-day workshop: “Self-Defeating Habits of Otherwise Brilliant People: Pulling Together When Things Fall Apart.”  The workshop will be held October 8 in Duluth and November 4 in Rochester, and will be facilitated by Anna Maravelas, founder of Thera Rising (Thera is Greek, meaning “to heal”).

An expert in workplace conflict resolution and a devotee of Deming, Maravelas will share how to create emotionally resilient teams, avoid risk factors for heart disease and depression, eliminate five root causes of simmering hostilities, and maintain your integrity by sidestepping invitations to blame.  Rather than undermining relationships by “searching for stupidity,” Maravelas introduces techniques for avoiding blame and self-righteous indignation and focusing on the true causes of workplace inefficiency and waste.

Learn how to turn workgroups away from incivility toward collaboration, skilled communication and respect.  Discover how leaders can short-circuit blame and resentment—reactions that derail even the best people and projects.  These strategies last a lifetime.  CEOs, executives, and front-line employees rave about these techniques in their professional and personal lives.

Thera Rising has an international reputation, in workplace conflict resolution, team building and leadership development.  The founder, Anna Maravelas is the author of, “How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress” (Career Press) which readers rate a five-star “must read” on Amazon.com.  Anna’s work has been published in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, and MSNBC.  More information on Thera Rising can be found at http://www.therarising.com/. 

Speaker: Anna Maravelas, founder of Thera Rising
Dates: Thurs, Oct 8 (Duluth); Wed, Nov 4 (Rochester)

Time: 7:30 Registration, networking, breakfast; 8:00-4:00 Program
Cost: $200 members; $300 members of partner organizations; $400 non-members

It is typical, and usually appropriate, for organizations to focus on their weaknesses – to identify and concentrate on improving areas of their system that are not producing desired results.  However, organizations could also benefit from focusing and building upon their strengths.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Michelle Bonahoom, President/CEO of VisionOne Coaching and Consulting, along with a panel of three other executives to our Sept 9 PIN meeting.  The topic will focus on integrating a “Strengths-Based Culture” for improved workforce performance.  Learn about how to incorporate a framework for systemic strengths-based selection, development and performance management.  Based on the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, this session will highlight companies at various levels of the process of integrating a strengths based culture into their organizations.

In addition to Michelle Bonahoom, this session will feature a panel of executives, each sharing how to survive and thrive using strength-based leadership:

• Brett Reagan, Executive VP for Point Eight Power and Chief Strategy Officer for Reagan Family of Companies in New Orleans.

• Tom Murphy, CEO of CARDSource in Eagan, MN. 

• Kaye Cusick, Professional Development Coordinator at Bethel University in Saint Paul, MN (confirmation pending).

If you’ve ever wondered how to organizationally align the talent of your people with the mission, vision, values and strategic objectives of the organization, this session will provide knowledge and concepts to follow that will add significant clarity to create a new holistic approach to talent management and development.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Sept 9 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m.) at Metro State University, 700 E 7th Street, downtown St. Paul. 

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

Since Adam and Eve had the first difficulty on the job thousands of years ago,  certain behaviors and situations remain constant.  Hear what they are!  Some ideas are opinions; some concepts are laws.

The Rochester Area Quality Council, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council for Quality, is pleased to announce their Sept 10 program “Leadership Lessons from 20 Years of Management: Rochester Athletic Club.”  The session will be led by Greg Lappin, CEO of RAC.  Greg will discuss principles – laws – that are valuable to a leader in any business. Fun will be the focus. The laws have value in the workplace as well as equal application in the home.  Hear about the Law of Adam and Eve, the Law of the Tragic Flaw, the Law of “It’s not about me!?”, the Law of Insanity, the Law of the Messy Room, The Magic Law of Motivation and more.

The session is Sept 10 from 7:45-9:00 at Rochester Athletic Club (note location change); tours will be given after presentation (and all guests get a free one-day pass to the RAC!). 

Space is limited.  Please register by contacting Jennifer Burmeister before Sept 4 at jennifer.burmeister@councilforquality.org or 507-213-8132.

As we enter fall, many organizations begin to consider strategies for the future. Their strategic (and short-term annual) planning processes encourage organizations to consider in what markets to focus, what competencies to develop, what products/services to expand/develop, what internal weaknesses to address, what competition is emerging, what risks they face, and so forth.  But designing strategy is usually far less difficult than deploying it.  In fact, execution of strategy is usually what makes or breaks the success of an organization’s vision and plans.

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to welcome a panel of Twin Ports executives to our September 22 Twin Ports Performance Excellence Network to discuss various approaches for strategy development and deployment.  Each panelist will outline their organization’s strategic planning process, focusing on how they execute strategies and action plans.  Participants will then have a chance to ask questions of panelists and/or share their organization’s planning process. 

The discussion is from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on September 22 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:00 a.m.).  Admission to TPPEN is FREE for Council members and guests. 

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to announce two complimentary 1-hour webinars for Council members:

• August 13: Delivering World Class Service (archive now available)
• September 22: Leading a 5-Star Team

Both are facilitated by Bryan Williams, principle at B. Williams Enterprise LLC, a consulting and training firm that focuses on service excellence.  Brian worked with the world-renowned Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC for almost 10 years, with his last role as Corporate Director of Training & Organizational Effectiveness.

The September 22 webinar (“Leading a 5-Star Team”) will review the leadership skills and competencies needed to be a world-class leader.  Special emphasis will be placed on proven techniques and processes used by highly effective leaders.  Specific topics covered include: Good vs. Great vs. World-Class 5-Star; Leadership Mentality; Organization-wide processes to build & sustain a 5-star culture; and Employee engagement processes to build and sustain a 5-star culture.

The webinar is from 12:00-1:00 PM CT and is free for Council members (non-members are $20 for each session).  For more information on the session, visit http://councilforquality.org/specialevent2.cfm (for more information on B.Williams Enterprise LLC, visit http://www.bwenterprise.net/ ).  To register, email brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org.

The August 13 webinar (“Delivering World Class Service”) provided attendees with proven concepts and techniques to deliver world-class service.  Webinar attendees learned the most effective ways to build a team with high morale.  Specific topics covered included: Universal Service Rules; Steps of Service; and Motivating your Service Superstars.  For an archived presentation, please email brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org (free for members, $20 for non-members).

In addition, the Council will host a special half-day live workshop also featuring Bryan Williams on Wednesday, October 21: “7 Principles to Fully Engage Your Customers.”  This session will equip all attendees with the knowledge and skills needed to provide exceptional service in any industry.  Specific topics covered include:

* Principle 1: Be eager to serve

* Principle 2: Be welcoming

* Principle 3: Create an inclusive atmosphere

* Principle 4: Create a total service experience

* Principle 5: Turn customers into ambassadors

* Principle 6: Offer a gracious goodbye

* Principle 7: Earn your customers' confidence

The 3.5-hour workshop will run the morning and repeat in the afternoon at a location in the Twin Cities to be determined.  Cost is $100 for Council members ($200 for non-members).  The workshop builds nicely from the webinars, but attendance at the webinars is not required to benefit from the live session.

We invite you to participate in a day of dynamic learning and networking with the nationally recognized Baldrige Award recipients.

Leaders of 13 Award winning organizations will share their management practices at the 2009 Baldrige Regional Conferences in Milwaukee, WI, on September 15 and Cambridge, MA, on October 2.  Visit http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/2009_Regionals/Regionals_state.htm for complete information.

Spend your day networking with current and former Award recipients and learning about their best-in-class practices and insights on innovation and sustainability.  Then, close the day by participating in Open Mic sessions where you can share your insights on selected topics in an interactive open forum.

Register at http://www.maccinc.com/brc09 by August 24 and receive the advance registration rate for the conferences.  Add the Preconference Workshop for Baldrige Beginners for only $50 more.   

Conference Locations:

September 15, 2009

Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

October 2, 2009

Hyatt Regency Cambridge, Cambridge, MA

If you have questions about the Regional Conferences, contact the Baldrige Program at 301-975-2036 or email baldrige@nist.gov.

The Minnesota Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMI), an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announced its next breakfast session: “Handling Corporate Objectives: An Adventure in Change Management.”  The session will be held Sept 8, and will be facilitated by Bruce Krupnick has been a project management consultant. 

Significant changes in corporate priorities and the ensuing impact on your projects makes successful navigation like driving bumper-to-bumper at sixty-five miles an hour on highways undergoing extreme road construction. Bruce will address attitudes towards change and facilitating tough change management issues in environments that in some ways cling to the status quo, while simultaneously demanding terrific change.

Bruce will explore concepts and practices to stimulate your thinking on the following:

• How to overcome the negativity of the resistors and the whiners.
• How to measure the impact of proposed change.
• How to tactically address the issues confronting proposed changes.
• How to utilize understanding of stakeholders’ investment perspective.
• How to lead change discussions forward with the appropriate questions.

The session is Sept 8 7:00-8:50 AM at the Holiday Inn East in St. Paul.  Cost is $22 (5% for Council members) before Aug 31 (MCQ members should call 651.209.8991 for discount).  For more information, visit http://www.pmi-mn.org/.

The MN Chapter of ISPI, an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announce its next meeting “Putting Performance Improvement Principles into Practice” on Sept 15.  The session will be facilitated by Presented by Dean Andrew and Pam Pervenanze.

As a professional society, our founding principles are based on the goal of improving performance. Have you ever wondered what those principles are and, more importantly, how to put them into practice? Our September program will focus on the 10 principles of Human Performance Technology (HPT). You will have the opportunity to learn from other practitioners, as well as share your successes. At the end of this interactive session, we will have created a tip sheet of practical ways to apply these principles.  We will share the principles with all who attend and post the tips on our LinkedIn site for all members to add to the discussion. To encourage you to think about the principles before the program, they are included on the next page.

The Minnesota Section of ASQ, a partner of the Council, is please to present two special full-day workshops on September 21: Integrated Systems: The Future of Auditing and Achieving Enterprise Excellence: Going Beyond Lean Six Sigma & the Balanced Scorecard.  Both will be held at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Center.

Workshop 1 – Integrated Systems: The Future of Auditing

Dennis Arter, The Auditguy of Columbia Audit Resources

Organizations can no longer afford to maintain separate quality, environment, safety, and security groups. They all offer ways to reduce risks and increase value. Auditing can also support this movement. Through a series of lectures and group workshops, you will define an integrated management system. Then you will use contemporary process study tools to develop truly useful audit checklists. By discovering patterns in audit data, you will learn how to present reports that address business performance.     The day will conclude with an examination of the future - of everything, not just auditing. We will explore accelerating technology change and the increasing intelligence of machines. How can auditors continue to add value in this environment?

You already know how to audit. You know about flowcharts and checklists and interviews and reports. It is time for new challenges. You will mix and mingle with other auditors and managers, from different business sectors, under the guidance of a leader in the profession. This is a master class, so come prepared to think and learn and contribute.

Dennis Arter is an independent consultant and trainer. He instructs large and small firms in the fields of quality auditing and quality systems. Dennis has served clients in the fields of government, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food, research, aerospace, finance, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and health care. He has been auditing since 1975. He is the author of the classic text Quality Audits for Improved Performance, an ASQ Quality Press best-selling publication.

Workshop 2 – Achieving Enterprise Excellence: Going Beyond Lean Six Sigma & the Balanced Scorecard

Forrest W. Breyfogle, III: Smarter Solutions, Inc.

The Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE) system combines the best practices of quality tools and methods like Lean Six Sigma with innovative analytical techniques to drive financial and operational success at the enterprise level and achieve the three R’s of business. This is everyone doing the Right things and doing them Right, at the Right time. This workshop highlights key Integrated Enterprise Excellence concepts and introduces new strategies. Then it reviews the best practices in Lean, Six Sigma combined with the use of the Balanced Scorecard. With each method the advantages and issues are discussed by an interactive method with the participants.

Organizations have gained much from Lean and Six Sigma improvement efforts. Lean Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM); other process improvement efforts have helped organizations improve through the 1990s. These efforts often occur in silos, hence the benefits may not be felt at the big picture executive level. Because of this, when financial times get tough, Lean Six Sigma programs find that their efforts may also be downsized. Even Black Belt and Master Black Belt process improvement practitioners have been laid off.

Taking all the information discussed, the group will be led through discussions that will result in a unique way of looking at the enterprise business performance.  The relationship between business improvement efforts and Lean Six Sigma is built in a scenario that will clearly become the next phase of business improvement, Integrated Enterprise Excellence (IEE).  Extra Bonus for this workshop: You will receive 4 Breyfogle Books valued at over $200 for attending this workshop.

Forrest Breyfogle has established himself as a leading edge thinker, a prolific author, an innovative consultant, a world-class educator, and a successful business executive. His work is documented in eleven books and over 90 articles on the topic of quality improvement, which includes his most recent series of books titled Integrated Enterprise Excellence.  He was award the Crosby Medal for Implementing Six Sigma.  Forrest is currently located in Austin, Texas where he founded Smarter Solutions, Inc.

The MN Healthcare Quality Professionals, an alliance partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to host a (free) monthly webinar seminar series.  The series, hosted by MHQP and HealthForce Minnesota, is a monthly "quality in the trenches" brownbag education series.  The objective of these sessions is to provide a healthcare quality "survey course" using selected materials from the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)'s Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) preparation materials. 

Upcoming webinars include (over the lunch hour):

8/27   Change Management and the Change Calendar, Skip Valusek, PhD, CPHQ, HealthEast

The intended audience includes healthcare quality professionals who want a re-grounding in the breadth of their profession, and clinicians who want to learn more to become champions of change.  MHQP especially wants to reach out to healthcare professionals in rural/outstate Minnesota who don't get many quality education opportunities.

Enterprise Minnesota, formerly Minnesota Technology, Inc. (MTI) and a partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce several events, all focused on using Lean or other methods to improve organizational performance:

Sept 23: The Business Case for Going Green, Elk River

Oct 21: Practical Innovation for Growth and Profitability, Twin Cities

Nov 18: Supply Chain: Strategies to Drive Performance, Twin Cities

Dec 16: The Next Generation of Lean, Twin Cities

The Mayo Clinic is pleased to announce registration is now open for the 14th annual Conference on Quality, Safety, and Service.  The event will be September 29-30 in Rochester, MN.  Members of the Minnesota Council for Quality will receive the Partner Rate of only $199 for this 2-day event.

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

09/11, Project Management Foundations, $395

09/11, Accelerated Daytime Essential Project Management Certificate Program, $3,500

09/15, Introduction to Business Analysis, $395

09/15, Designing Employee Orientation Programs, $395

09/15, Process Mapping and Analysis, $995

09/15, Accelerated Daytime Business Analysis Certificate Program, $1,850

09/16, Foundations in Business Writing, $395

09/16, Introduction to HR Practices, $395

09/16, Writing Correspondence for Internal and External Audiences, $395

09/16, Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) Test Preparation – Part 1, $750

09/16, Building Teamwork and Commitment, $395

09/16, Creative Training Techniques, $1485

09/17, Successfully Dealing with Conflict at Work, $395

09/18, Project Initiation, $395

09/22, Successful Manager’s Leadership Program, $2995

09/22, Legal Issues in Human Resources and Management, $395

09/29, Managing Business Requirements, $750

09/24, Mastering New Marketing Practices, $395

09/24, Talent Acquisition: Recruiter as Talent Advisor, $395

09/25, Project Leadership, $395

09/29, How to Deal with Difficult People, $395

09/29, Employee Benefits Practices and Trends, $395

09/30, American Accent Improvement or Modification, $750

09/30, Interviewing and Selection Processes for Supervisors, $395

09/30, Management Fundamentals, $750

10/01, Fundamentals of Leading Organization Development, $750

10/02, Project Management for IT Professionals, $395

10/06, Documenting Employee Performance, $395

10/07, Integrated Management, $395

10/07, Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) Test Preparation – Part 2, $750

10/09, Project Planning, $750

10/13, Principles of Employee Compensation, $395

10/13, Problem Solving and Decision Making, $395

10/13, Strategic Planning and Measurement, $750

10/13, Business Process Management and the Balanced Scorecard, $995

10/13, Data and Process Modeling, $750

10/20, Advanced Editing and Proofreading Strategies, $395

10/21, Legal Issues for Managers and Supervisors, $395

10/21, Handling People with Tact and Diplomacy, $395

10/21, Successfully Dealing with Conflict at Work, $395

10/23, Project Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, $395

10/27, Performance Management Process, $395

10/28, Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) Test Preparation- Part 3, $995

10/29, Leading Through Change, $395

10/29, Personal Influence and Leadership, $395

10/30, Project Risk Management, $395

11/03, Successful Manager’s Leadership Program, $2995

11/05, Handling People with Tact and Diplomacy, $395

11/05, Advanced Creative Training Techniques, $495

11/05, Financial Intelligence, $395

11/06, Project Execution, $395

11/10, Technical Writing, $395

11/10, Organizational Training and Development, $395

11/10, Measuring and Improving Work Processes, $995

11/11, Managing Performance and Developing Talent, $395

11/11, Professional Writing, $750

11/13, Applied Project Management, $395

11/17, Writing Correspondence for Internal and External Audiences, $395

11/18, Developing Leadership Skills, $750

11/19, Increasing Power and Influence through Listening, $395

11/20, Project Control and Closure, $395

12/01, Writing for the Web, $395

12/01, Technology for HR Management, $395

12/02, Coaching for Excellence, $395

12/03, Exercising Organizational Influence, $395

12/08, Process Innovation, $995

12/09, Project Management Foundations, $395

12/09, Certified Internal Auditors (CIA) Test Preparation – Part 4, $395

12/10, In-depth Coaching: Leading Individual Change Intervention, $750

12/15, Writing Business Reports, $395

12/15, Capstone in Supervision, $750

12/15, Capstone in Management, $750

12/15, Verbal and Nonverbal Communication, $395

12/15, Business Acumen for HR Professionals, $395

The University of St. Thomas’ Executive Education and Professional Development, a partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce the following upcoming programs:

9/10 Principles and Tools of the Lean Enterprise, $425

9/16 – 12/9 Mini MBA for Technical Professionals, $2495

9/17 – 11/19 Mini Master of Supply Chain Management, $2495

9/18 – 10/13 Mini Master of the Lean Enterprise, $2495

10/2 – 10/24 Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, $3795

Normandale Community College, an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announce upcoming fall programs.  Council members receive a 15% discount.  The programs are as follows:

9/14-1/5 Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate Class, $8950

9/21-22 ScrumMaster Certification, $1260

9/24-10/23 Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate Class, $3355

10/14-15 Certified Scum Product Owner, $1260

10/29 Measurement Systems Analysis, $345

11/11-12 ScrumMaster Certification, $1260

11/12 Lean Transformational Thinking, $345

11/19 Value Stream Mapping, $345

12/3 Lean Leadership, $345

South Central College is pleased to announce their fall 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):

9/9-10/14/09, Certified Quality Technician (CQT) Review, 6-9 pm, $300

9/15-10/13/09, Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) Review, 6-9 pm, $450

9/30-12/2/09, Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Review, 6-9 pm, $450

10/1/09, Introduction to Lean Application, 8a-4:30p, $235

10/6/09, Understanding & Implementing ISO 9001, 8a-4:30p, $235

10/7/09, Internal Auditor Skills, 8a-4:30p, $235

10/27/09, Problem Solving Tools & Methods, 8a-4:30p, $235

10/29-12/3/09, Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) Review, 5:30-8:30 pm, $250

11/3-12/1/09, Certified Calibration Technician (CCT) Review, 6-9 pm, $250

11/17-18/09, Blueprint Reading, 5:30-9:30p, $235

11/19/09, Project Management , 8a-4:30p, $235

12/2/09, Calibration Processes, 8a-12n, $125

12/2/09, Calibration of Dimensional Gages, 12:30-4:30p, $125

12/3/09, Gage Repair, 8a-4:30p, $235

12/15-16, Intro to Quality, 8:00-4:30, $445

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

10/13-14, Intro to Quality, 8a-4:30p, $445

10/20, Project Management, 8a-4:30p, $235

11/5, Supplier Quality Management & Improvement, 8a-4:30p, $235

11/18, Problem Solving Tools & Methods, 8a-4:30p, $235

12/1, Introduction to Lean Application, 8a-4:30p, $235

12/2, Understanding & Implementing ISO 9001, 8a-4:30p, $235

12/3 Internal Auditor Skills, 8a-4:30p, $235

The Midwest Business Opportunity Fair (MBOF), hosted by the Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council, a partner of the Council, will be September 24.  The event will be at Touchstone Energy Place, RiverCentre in St. Paul, and will feature a keynote from Ralph G. Moore, President of Ralph G. Moore & Associates (RGMA), a Chicago-based management consulting firm founded in 1979.  Other speakers and exhibitions will also be available.

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