It seems like today we’re all focused on the economy.  While it’s certainly relevant, I’d like to offer some thoughts about the bigger picture – about how the world is changing in ways that we cannot fully comprehend and most certainly cannot fully predict, let alone manage.  Doesn’t it feel like – daily struggles aside – the world is accelerating?  We are changing at rates never before experienced and probably only represent the proverbial tip of the iceberg.  In fact, many experts predict that the pace of change will only accelerate, drastically impacting our businesses, our schools, our healthcare system, our communities, and certainly our personal lives.

It may ultimately lead to what some futurists call “technological singularity”: the point at which accelerating technology becomes so advanced that it surpasses the capabilities of the human brain.  Basically, technological change could accelerate to a point at which humans can no longer proactively manage it…it manages (and changes) by itself.  I’m not sure I completely buy it, but if it’s true, it’s a frighten notion.  However, in many ways, the pace of our change represents a tremendous opportunity for economic, political, social, and professional development.  And what it means for our organizations is compelling…

In 2006, Karl Fisch, a high school technology teacher in Colorado, developed a video and slide presentation called “Shift Happens” (you can easily find it on YouTube).  Consider some of his thought-provoking findings regarding the pace of change in the world:

• The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQs is greater than the total population of North America.  Translation: they have more honors kids than we have kids.
• China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world.
• Name this country: richest in the world, largest military, center of business and finance, strongest education system, world center of innovation and invention, currency the world standard of value, highest standard of living?  England in 1900.  [Probably could be said, too, of Rome and Greece before them.]
• The US Department of Labor estimates that the average US worker will have 10-14 jobs…by age 38.
• There are 540,000 words in the English language – that’s five times more than during Shakespeare’s time.
• There are 3000 books published every day.
• A week’s worth of NY Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in their lifetime in the 18th century.
• It is estimated that 40 exabytes (4.0 x 1019) of new unique information will be generated worldwide this year – which is more than in the previous 5000 years combined.
• Third generation fiber optics are now being used that can carry 10 trillion bits per second down a single strand of fiber.  That’s 1900 CDs or 150 million phone calls every second.  It is currently tripling every six months and is expected to do so for the next 20 years.
• Predictions are that by 2013, a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computation capability of the human brain.  And while technical predictions further out than about 15 years are hard to do, predictions are that by 2049, a $1000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human species.

Basically, his premise is that the world is changing in significant and pronounced ways.  In fact, to alter a familiar saying: the more things change, the more they change (rather than stay the same).

Sure, we’ve had significant changes before – the agricultural revolution (which allowed us to more efficiently feed a growing human population), the industrial revolution (which facilitated higher productivity, growth of cities, new forms of transportation, and new standards of living), and the information revolution (where the speed of information transfer facilitates accelerating communication, knowledge transfer, problem solving, and commerce).

But the pace of this change is what is fascinating.  Consider this: based on population growth, the worldwide economy doubled every 250,000 years from the Paleolithic era (2.5 million years ago – the “Stone Age”) until the Neolithic Revolution (about 10,000 BC – the Agricultural Revolution), at which point the economy began doubling every 900 years.  That’s a considerable increase!  And the Industrial Revolution of the mid-1800s caused the world economy to double every 15 years (that’s 60 times faster than the agricultural era).

If the expansion of technology – which really is responsible for the previous significant changes – continues to accelerate and we witness similar revolutions in the future, some experts predict that the economy could double every quarter and possibly every week!  In fact, one statistic I found says that the worldwide economy could increase between 60-250 times what it is today sometime in the next 40-60 years (Robert Hanson, “Economics of The Singularity,” 2008).  Mind blowing.

But see the pattern?  Every major period of change has led to an accelerating pace of change. 

Ray Kurzweil (inventor, futurist, author, and MIT-trained scientist) claims that the rate of change itself is growing exponentially.  While change has always been accelerating (witness the statistics above), we certainly notice it more today.

There’s even a phrase for it: Moore’s Law (named after the founder of Intel, Gordon E. Moore).  This phenomenon describes a long-term trend in computing hardware, in that since the invention of the integrated circuit in 1958, the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has increased exponentially, doubling approximately every two years (Moore, “Electronics Magazine,” 1965).

We really see this phenomenon all around us.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune had an article on Singularity a few months ago (Karen Youso, February 21, 2009) that illustrated a few compelling examples.  One is the telephone.  Since its invention in 1875, it took over 100 years to go from a crank-style to push button.  Then the transformation accelerated – from cordless (but still on landlines) to headphones and speakerphones to cell phones (a different technology altogether) and from analog to digital to 3G to 4G.  The hardware – the phones themselves – continued to get smaller and smaller, and smarter and smarter.  Now your phones take pictures, play music and videos, send texts, show GPS, connect to the Internet, keep your calendars, play games, even serve as construction levels – they’ve basically become 3x5 personal computers that also place phone calls.

You could probably come up with hundreds of similar examples – from changes in travel (horse to chariot to train to car to plane to jet to whatever’s next – personal transport devices?); changes in medicine (herbs and natural remedies to penicillin and antibiotics to new forms of bio-pharmaceuticals and stem cell solutions); changes in computers (from massive supercomputers to mainframes to personal computers to integrated smart phones and netbooks to whatever’s next)…you get the picture.

Technical knowledge today doubles about every two years, and some predict that technical knowledge may double every 72 hours in the next 3-5 years.

That’s incredibly fast change.  So “…survival, naturally, depends on innovation, especially in times of economic uncertainty,” claims Youso in the Star-Tribune article.

And Fisch states: “The corporations that survive and go on to excel are going to be the ones that use this time to increase their use of technology and data gathering, and find new and innovative way to use it.”  Youso expounds: “They are the ones who will be bringing us more and increasingly sophisticated robots; medical treatments delivered directly to cells, turning on and off as needed; instant information so you’ll know who the person is who just waved to you across the street and why you know them…avatars [little virtual images of yourself] that try on jeans [at the store, allowing you to] never leave the house.”

Sound ridiculous and far-fetched?  So was the smart phone 10 years ago.  Or the Internet 20.  Or landing on the moon 50.  Or getting from Minneapolis to Paris in seven hours 100.

“We aren’t going to experience 100 years of progress this century,” says Kurzeil.  “Rather, we will witness on the order of 20,000 years of progress this century – at today’s rate, that is.”

So what are implications for our organizations and our society?  I believe there are several major implications for our accelerating technological change:

Implication #1: Organizations must change – to keep up (and indeed perhaps create) some of this discontinuous change, organizations must:

• Have flexible operations – more adaptable processes; more fluid work systems where materials, resources, and activities quickly transfer between suppliers, partners, and customers.
• Rely on closed-loop, data-based decision making – they must have the information technology to facilitate rapid access to data, must have agility in quick decision making and execution, and must be adept at making rapid transformations (starting new plants/sites, acquiring new technologies, identifying and developing new products and solutions, creating new work structures, building new capabilities, and so forth).
• Have quick planning cycles – be skilled at identifying shifts in their environments (new technologies, new competitors, new regulations, new market needs); be savvy at research and development (for products, processes, solutions); have responsive, proactive voice of the customer (VOC) methods to anticipate market changes; have systematic ways to innovate products, processes, and business models.
• Have a highly adaptable workforce – trained employees (and partners) in how to deal with and manage change; employees that have skills that are transferable – the “soft skills” of communication, leadership, conflict resolution, analysis, decision making, project management – that can apply to new situations and emerging environments.

Implication #2: The educational system must change – if technical knowledge is indeed doubling every two years, then half of what a student learns about technology as a freshman in college is out of date by the time he/she graduates.  Former US Secretary of Education Richard Riley speculated that the top 10 in-demand jobs for 2010 did not even exist in 2004.  John Moravec, director of the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development’s Leapfrog Institutes states: “We send kids to school, they move grade by grade, using the 18th-century model, and during that time, the whole world has changed so much.  How relevant is that education?  We’re training them for jobs that existed 20 years ago, not for those that’ll exist when they finish school…”

Implication #3: There will be massive implications on our society:

• People will live longer, thanks to accelerating improvements in healthcare and medical technology, which will impact our healthcare delivery system, our health insurance system (even more than today’s debates are suggesting), and our long-term care system.
• Technology maybe used to better address community and social problems like pollution, energy, climate change, crime, poverty, hunger.
• Singularity, however, may have a negative side – a risk of institutional control, loss of privacy (remember the book “1984”?), more deadly terrorist attacks, or – as some futurists predict – a threat to human’s existence itself (as machines begin to adapt themselves, challenging human’s place as superior beings on this planet).

That’s a bit far out for me, but the pace of technological change has significant implications on our social, political, and economic policies.

And all of that aside, there are major implications – and a major opportunity – for organizations that can harness, and indeed create, contribute, and manage the pace of change for their benefit.  Companies (think Google, Apple, 3M) seem to be creating the change rather than responding to it.  Therein lies the lesson probably for all of us.

-=-=-=-=-=

By the way, I get the emerging sense that the economy is turning.  In the last three days, we have heard positive earnings reports (and/or earnings that beat expectations) from several major companies such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Yahoo, Starbucks, Ely Lilly, United Health, Southwest Airlines, Imation, US Bank, and Wells Fargo.  And – while other companies still report losses – many of them (like Seagate, Caterpillar, Whirlpool) are beginning to provide positive guidance, indicating that Q3 and Q4 may be better.  Though our recovery may take awhile, we may have indeed seen “the bottom.”

Yours in Improvement,

Brian S. Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

www.councilforquality.org

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.

“Those who know what, and those who know how, work for those who know why.”

Zig Ziglar

Don’t miss this 2-day workshop Aug 5-6 in St. Paul (or Dec 1-2 in Duluth!).

Good organizations today have specialists in Six Sigma, Lean, Baldrige, Reengineering, PDCA, and other techniques working to improve the performance of their enterprise.  They are excellent at knowing what to do and how to go about it, but they may not have a good appreciation for the system of quality, the theory behind their activities, and the rationale for why particular concepts, theories, and methods work.  In short, they don’t fully appreciate the “why” of quality and improvement.  In addition, they may not have the tools to effectively integrate process improvement frameworks with the strategy and culture of the organization.

The Minnesota Council for Quality, in cooperation with Process Management LLC, is pleased to offer a 2-day seminar on the history of quality and the theories of the American and Japanese masters of quality such as Deming, Ishikawa, Juran, Kano, and Crosby. 

This seminar will also focus on how improvement professionals can integrate their process improvement work in the context of their organization’s strategy and culture.  The seminar is a mixture of lecture, exercises, and demonstrations.

The seminar will be presented by Lou Schultz, a uniquely qualified expert who has enjoyed meeting all but two of the quality masters.  Mr. Schultz, author of Profiles in Quality, Learning from the Masters, has nearly 50 years experience – half in industry and half as a consultant.  He worked closely with Dr. Deming for 13 of those years.

This seminar is a must for executives or quality professionals who are now leading (or aspire to lead) performance improvement activities for their organizations.  Whether your organization embraces Six Sigma, Lean, Baldrige, ISO, Scorecard, another framework, or any combination of frameworks, this seminar will provide the context of quality -- the “why” quality is important.

The workshop will be presented at US Bank's Riverside Flats (just south of the river from downtown St. Paul) on August 5-6, 8:00-4:30 PM both days.  (It will also be presented in Duluth December 1-2 at Lake Superior College.)  The fee for the 2-day seminar is $400 (for members), $800 (non-members).  For more information, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent4.cfm. 

To register, email brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org with your name and affiliation.

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 August 20 in the Twin Cities, 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: Wed, Aug 20 (Twin Cities); 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

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 that the next Lean Six Sigma Forum will be Thursday, September 17.  The Forum will be hosted by IBM-Rochester, who will share how IBM is using Lean, Six Sigma, and a variety of other methods to improve performance.  IBM will also be joined by other Rochester-area organizations in a panel discussion that focuses on how voice of the customer can be used to facilitate partnerships and improved performance.

Further details are forthcoming.

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 Minnesota Council for Quality announces the election of Dr. Joyce Helens, President of St. Cloud Technical College (St. Cloud) and Steve McDonald, Managing Partner with Abdo, Eick & Meyers (Edina), to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Helens was appointed president of St. Cloud Technical College in July 2006.  SCTC is a fully-accredited two-year college, which offers associate degrees, diplomas and certificates and serves about 12,000 students a year in both credit and non-credit classes.  Before coming to St. Cloud, she served as the Executive Director of the University of Alaska Corporate programs; President Helens was also Associate Dean for Instruction and Dean at the University of Alaska Anchorage; President of Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington; Founding Executive Dean of Collin County Community College, McKinney, Texas; and Director of Instruction and Maywood Park Center Campus at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.

Mr. McDonald joined Abdo, Eick & Meyers in 1991, after graduating from Minot State University with a B.S. Degree in Accounting.  Founded in 1963, Abdo is an 80-person, family-owned accounting firm based in Edina with offices in Apple Valley and Mankato, that specializes in government, nonprofit, manufacturing, construction and other industries.  Today, Steve oversees many of the Edina office’s governmental and OMB Circular A-133 audits and serves as the firm’s managing partner.

The Council would like to recognize 49 organizations and individuals who joined or renewed their membership in the third quarter.  

“Times are tough for all organizations today,” says Brian Lassiter, president of the Council.  “But many organizations are serious about continuous improvement and performance excellence.  I believe that these 49 members are investing in their futures by focusing on quality and performance excellence.  We thank them for supporting our mission of excellence, and we look forward to working with them on their journey to excellence.”

These individuals and organizations became members last quarter (asterisks indicate renewal members):

Advance Management Group, Rochester, MN*

Ted Amundson, Hastings, MN*

Andersen Corporation, Corporate Administrative Office, Oak Park Heights, MN

Kris Anderson, Minneapolis, MN

Aveda, Blaine, MN

Avicenna Technology Inc., Montevideo, MN*

Lois Bollman, Minneapolis, MN*

Boston Scientific, R&D Design Systems, Maple Grove, MN*

Leanne Branham, Glenwood City, WI

Catalyst for Change, Minneapolis, MN*

City of Minneapolis, Business Process Improvement, Minneapolis, MN

Core Value Partners, Woodbury, MN

Deluxe Corp, Shoreview, MN

Larry Esterberg, Maplewood, MN

William Glaves, Minneapolis, MN*

Hazelden Foundation, Center City, MN*

Kevin Heaton, Hudson, WI

Hennepin Technical College, Eden Prairie, MN*

Patricia Hildebrand, Sugarland, TX

Hoglund Coaching LLC, Shoreview, MN*

Christine Krason, Chaska, MN

Management Consulting in Healthcare, Burnsville, MN*

Mark it! Advertising, Rochester, MN*

Memorial Blood Centers, St. Paul, MN*

Metro State University, St. Paul, MN*

Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MnSCU) Office of the Chancellor/System Office, St. Paul, MN*

Minnesota State University-Mankato, Mankato, MN*

MTS Systems, Eden Prairie, MN

New Strategic Directions, Tom Walkington, Lakeville, MN*

Padilla Speer Beardsley, Minneapolis, MN*

Paul Pelkola and Assoc, LLC, Oakdale, MN*

Performance Improvement and Quality Management, Minneapolis, MN*

Plunkett's Pest Control, Fridley, MN*

READY Thinking, Minneapolis, MN

Rick Shomion, St. Paul, MN*

Sico America, Minneapolis, MN*

South Central College, North Mankato, MN*

Mike Stoecklein, Lakeville, MN

Strategic Consulting and Coaching, Cheryl Jensen, Minneapolis, MN

Strategic Improvement Systems, LLC, Excelsior, MN

Stratis Health, Bloomington, MN*

The Catholic Cemeteries, Mendota Heights, MN*

Todd Thorsgaard, St. Paul, MN

Toro, Bloomington, MN

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities -- Housing & Residential Life, Minneapolis, MN*

Jaqueline Vaale (AdviCoach), St. Paul, MN*

Verum Consulting, Minneapolis, MN*

Lynn Willenbring, Oakdale, MN*

Workforce Development Division, MN Dept of Employment & Economic Development (DEED), St. Paul, MN*

We thank all members for their support.  As of June 30, the Council represents a growing community of nearly 325 members representing over 150,000 employees.  A complete list of members is available at http://www.councilforquality.org/member.cfm.

Why should you or your organization consider membership?  There are many reasons. Your or your organization receives:

* recognition (in this newsletter, in press releases, on the website, and with a certificate/letter);

* discounts to Council services (Evaluator training, organization assessments);

* access to Council services (Clearinghouse, Consultant Referral Network, and free admission to Performance Improvement Network discussions); and

* discounts to our partners’ services (other improvement-related non-profits, universities/colleges, and professional/trade associations).

When you’re committed to performance improvement and facing the most significant economic down-turn in decades, what do you do?  Money is tight.  Financing is tight.  Companies are being forced to trim expenses, including people.  Management is holding the line on any discretionary spending.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Hanson Performance Alliance, LLC to our August 6 program, “S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G the Development $$$ You Do Have . . . Finding Sources for the $$$ You Don’t.”  The discussion will be facilitated by Bob Hanson, founder/president, Hanson Performance Alliance, along with Judy Hartley and Julie A. Berg.

The most valuable asset of any company is its people.  People are also the greatest share of the cost to a business.  Nevertheless, the case has been made that developing the talent of an organization’s people is the surest way to reach higher levels of performance improvement and long-term gains toward business growth, innovation and stability.  Hanson Performance Alliance (HPA) will share ways your company can continue to develop your most valuable asset, your talent, even when your development budget is tighter than you’ve ever experienced.  The presentation will include:

• What Senior Management Wants . . . Return On Investment (ROI)
• Standing the Learning & Development Pyramid on Its Head!
• How Savvy Organizations S-T-R-E-T-C-H Learning & Development Dollars.
• Collaborative Ways to Fund Learning & Development.
• Case Studies to Show How Some of These Approaches Have Worked in Real Companies.

Sharing Best Practices:  Be ready to share ways you and your organization have continued to invest in your most valuable asset . . . your people.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on August 6 (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). 

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

Albert Lea Medical Center, part of Mayo Health System, offers a broad range of inpatient, outpatient, and specialty services and clinics in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.   ALMC knows that their patients’ health, and the health of their families, is of the utmost importance and they are on a continuous journey to performance excellence to improve and sustain their clinical and operational performance.

The Rochester Area Quality Council, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council for Quality, is pleased to announce their August 11 program “Baldrige: What's in it for Us?”  The session will be led by at team from Albert Lea Medical Center.

The session will focus on how and why ALMC got started on this journey, what have been their challenges along the way, what they wish they had done differently, what are the benefits of their efforts, and where do they see themselves going in the future.

Space is limited.  Please register by contacting Jennifer Burmeister before Aug 7 at jennifer.burmeister@councilforquality.org or 507-213-8132.

Times are tough for all organizations today, but some organizations are intensifying their focus on performance improvement – striving to eliminate waste, improve productivity, and increase process effectiveness.  Many are using Lean and similar tools to do so.

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Linda Basara and Mike Boeselager of St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, along with Steve Wagner of Lake Superior College, to the August 18 Twin Ports Performance Excellence Network.  Linda and Mike will share how St. Luke’s is using Lean to reduce waste and improve process performance at the hospital, and Steve will share how Lake Superior College has partnered with St. Luke’s to increase the Lean expertise throughout the organization.

The discussion is from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on August 18 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:00 a.m.) at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth.  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
• 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 August 13 webinar (“Delivering World Class Service”) will provide attendees with proven concepts and techniques to deliver world-class service.  Webinar attendees will also learn the most effective ways to build a team with high morale.  Specific topics covered include: Universal Service Rules; Steps of Service; and Motivating your Service Superstars.

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.

Both webinars are from 12:00-1:00 PM CT and are free for Council members (non-members are $20 for each session).  For more information on the sessions, 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 and state which webinar(s) you prefer.

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-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.

Join the MNODN, an affiliate partner of the MN Council for Quality, and the Human Systems Dynamics Institute as they host Harrison Owen, who will facilitate an engaging event that highlights what leaders need to do to ride the waves of change or be Wave Riders.  We encourage you to bring leaders from your organization to this special evening.

Superior performance for individuals and groups has become the Holy Grail for organizations, institutions, and individuals.  Metaphors from complexity science help us understand that we live and work in self-organizing systems that seek sustainability in today’s quickly changing and challenging landscape.

The 20-year natural experiment with Open Space Technology has shown that we can use the primal force of self-organization to achieve genuine high performance for ourselves and our organizations. In his new book, Harrison Owen describes Wave Riders as leaders who engage in the self-organizing nature of systems.

We invite you to join Harrison and us in an event to explore The Way of the Wave Rider where you will be empowered to:

• understand your organization as a self-organizing system
• experience self-organization by participating in an event designed on Open Space Technology
• understand a role for leaders when they cannot, in fact, control or predict in their organizations
• learn to ride the waves of change and growth as a leader in a self-organizing system

The session is $20 for members ($25 for non-members) and will be held from 4:30-6:30 on May 5 at St. Thomas, MOH Room 201.  No RSVP needed.  Contact CinoAdel@aol.com or visit  http://www.mnodn.org/mc/page.do with questions.

MNODN also welcomes you to attend a national 2-day workshop on September 16-17, 2009, also featuring Harrison Owen.  This session will go into more depth on Wave Rider.  Location TBD.  Cost is $475 Early Bird MNODN Members & HSD Associates;
$525 Early Bird Non-Members.  For more information, visit http://www.mnodn.org/mc/community/eventdetails.do?eventId=229951 or email CinoAdel@aol.com. 

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.

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:

Aug 19: Finding New Revenue Streams in Sales, Marketing, and Prod Development, Twin Cities

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 its 14th annual Conference on Quality, Safety, and Service.  The event will be September 29-30 in Rochester – save the date!

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

07/28, The Human Resource Audit, $395

07/28, Working Assertively, $395

07/29, Managing Virtual and Remote Teams, $395

07/29, Improving Work Processes, $395

07/29, Accelerated Daytime Essential Management Certificate Program, $3,500

08/06, High Impact Presentations, $395

08/11, Staffing: Recruitment and Selection, $395

08/11, Performance Consulting, $495

08/12, Delegating to Enhance Job Performance, $395

08/13, Workforce Development Planning, $395

08/18, Foundations in Business Writing, $395

08/18, Accelerated Daytime Business Writing Certificate Program, $1,850

08/19, Creativity and Innovation, $395

08/19, Investigations and Documentation, $395

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:

7/13-8/6 Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate, $8200

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

The Council is pleased to announce that “Performance Excellence USA,” a new radio show dedicating to advancing U.S. competitiveness using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, is now available as a podcast series.  The weekly broadcasts are available through the Baldrige Web site at http://www.baldrigenist.gov/State_Local.htm.

The show is hosted and produced by Julia Gabaldon of Quality New Mexico.  Julia’s interviews include:

• Ms. Letitia Baldrige, sister of late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige
• Dr. Joe Alexander, chair of the Baldrige Foundation
• Mr. Paul Borawski, president and chief executive officer of ASQ
• Dr. Harry Hertz, director of the Baldrige National Quality Program