“If the rate of change outside your organization is greater than the rate of change inside your organization, the end is in sight.”  -- Jack Welch

Translation: in today’s world of accelerating change, more and more organizations will find themselves obsolete in the future.  Perhaps today’s challenging economy makes the need for change more obvious, but I think both in good times and in bad, organizations should constantly evaluate their business models, reflecting on how and where they choose to compete and on how they create innovative value for their customers.  The reality is that many organizations are currently operating in shrinking and highly competitive “red ocean” markets, where instead they could enjoy increasing and sustainable growth in less competitive, more profitable “blue ocean” markets…

Last month, I outlined five traits common to successful enterprises of the future (visit here for more information on this year’s IBM Global CEO study).  One of those traits is being “disruptive by nature” – of radically challenging your business model, disrupting the basis of competition.  The IBM research declares that the successful company “…shifts the value proposition, overturns traditional delivery approaches and, as soon as opportunities arise, reinvents itself and its entire industry.”

Bill Mills, CEO of locally-based Executive Group, borrows the phrase “Blue Ocean Strategy” from the popular 2005 book by the same name to describe organizations that pursue business models which set them apart from their competition.  In a talk he gave last week at our Performance Improvement Network, Bill noted that successful companies today and in the future are successful because they have chosen to CREATE new markets rather than compete in highly competitive existing markets. 

What does he mean exactly?  In his talk, Bill claimed that “organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they are getting.”  I think that’s a compelling thought.  So if you’re struggling right now, blame it not on the economy but on your business model – one that may not be appropriate for today’s market conditions (or today’s customers’ needs, or your organization’s core competencies, or your workforce’s capabilities, and so forth).  Bill’s premise – and I completely agree – is that success is largely due to an organization’s strategic positioning in the marketplace…of being at the right place at the right time to capitalize on a market need, to create value for a set of buyers, and to benefit from the flow of resources (money).

But Bill goes on to claim that strategic positioning may only be part of the equation: success is also based on an organization’s ability to create a business model that fully capitalizes on that market need.  In other words, just being at the right place at the right time doesn’t ensure success (look at Texas Instruments and their attempt in the PC market: right idea, wrong execution).

So enter the notion of a “blue ocean strategy.”  In their book, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne ask readers to imagine a market universe composed of two sorts of oceans: red oceans and blue oceans.  Red oceans represent all industries in existence today; it is the known market space where industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and competitive rules are generally known.  “Here,” they say, “organizations try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater market share of existing demand.  As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced.  Products become commodities, and cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody.”

While their last comment is a bit graphic for me, the concept holds water (ok: I couldn’t resist the pun).  We’ve all seen it in many markets: as industries mature, more competition enters, differentiation diminishes (until innovations and new industries emerge), prices generally fall, and profits are divided over a larger number of players.  In the 80s, Michael Porter called this a “highly concentrated market” – one with a high degree of “rivalry” – in his Five Forces strategic framework.

Contrast that to what Kim and Mauborgne call blue oceans, which denote all the industries NOT in existence today.  Basically, this is the unknown – or at least untouched – market space.  Blue oceans “…are defined by untapped market space, demand creation, and the opportunity for highly profitable growth.  Although some blue oceans are created well beyond existing industry boundaries” – disruptive changes like Motorola’s creation of cell technology, which completely changed how we communicate with telephony – “most are created from within red oceans by expanding existing industry boundaries” – like iPhone did.

“In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set.”  As a result, companies can set prices where the market will bear them, without having to consider competitive offerings (at least not at the outset).  Hence, growth and profit are enhanced, according to Kim and Mauborgne, when organizations swim in blue oceans instead of red.

Think about the various examples of companies that have found – or created – their blue oceans over the years:

• Southwest Airlines, who has redefined customer focus in an industry that otherwise is not known for its service.  They have also reinvented the airline operations model, moving from a “hub-and-spoke” strategy to a far quicker, more reliable (and more cost-effective) direct short-haul model.  Finally, they eliminated seat assignments (at least at first), airline food (who wanted that anyway?!), and only use one type of aircraft (so that maintenance is cheaper and more efficient).  As a result, they killed the market with their new model, and still today are one of the only airlines that consistently turns a profit.
• Cirque du Soleil, who redefined what it means to go to the circus (and what it costs).  In just under 20 years, more than 40 million people in 90 cities have attended a Cirque show (it took Barnum & Bailey over a century to hit that number).  They did it by changing the model: a circus directed toward adults and corporate clients willing to pay two or three times what traditional circuses (who cater mainly to kids and families) charged.  Essentially, the integrated Broadway theater and circus performances under a tent with a cash bar.  Different than cotton candy, smelly elephants, and jugglers.
• Apple, who redefined personal computing (remember Apple was first to market over Windows), then redefined the music industry (iTunes then iPod), and then redefined the personal communications industry (iPhone).  Rather than competing with entrenched red ocean players like Columbia and Sony for music and Motorola and Nokia for cell phones, they just changed the game.  And consequently captured pretty much 100% of new, emerging markets.

Indeed, there have been many organizations who have “changed the game” to capitalize on a market need – they have moved from a competitive, red ocean to the high growth, high profit blue oceans. 

All of these examples are compelling, but a bit anecdotal.  So here’s something that might grab your attention.  The authors of Blue Ocean Strategy contends that there is economic evidence that companies that create Blue Oceans – that choose not to compete with others but rather invent or reinvent the marketplace – enjoy better returns in aggregate than their peers.

Specifically, Kim and Mauborgne studied business launches within 108 organizations.  Of those, 86% were line extensions (incremental improvements within an existing red-ocean market space).  Yet those launches accounted for 62% of total revenues and only 39% of total profits.  On the other hand, the other 14% of business launches were in blue oceans (non-competing market spaces), and they generated 38% of total revenues and 61% of total profits.  So 14% generating 61% of profits; that’s compelling.

And that data were from 2005: think about how much more competitive markets are today, and how the proportion of revenues and profits may have shifted even further to those organizations who are in non-competing markets.  Here’s a sobering thought: Kim and Mauborgne believe that worldwide demand for many products is not keeping up to ever-increasing supply.  As technologies continue to improve and global trade continues to increase, more and more companies are increasing productivity and output…but are chasing stable or declining dollars (not just because of the recession, but their research shows that worldwide consumption may have stabilized in general).

All of this is to say that organizations are finding themselves facing increasing levels of competition, which undoubtedly will impact revenues and profits.  (And, by the way, that “competition” is now being felt by non-profits, governmental agencies, and other organizations traditionally immune to those market forces.)

So finding a way to differentiate your organization and create uncontested market space may be the only long-term way for sustained, profitable growth.

How do you do it?  Kim and Mauborgne suggest a notion they’ve labeled Value Innovation.  Their definition: “Value Innovation is created in the region where a company’s actions favorably affect both its cost structure and its value proposition to buyers.  Cost savings are made by eliminating and reducing the factors an industry competes on.  Buyer value is lifted by raising and creating elements the industry has never offered.  Over time, costs are reduced further as scale economies kick in due to high sales volumes that superior value generates.”

That’s simple enough: increase value for customers and drive costs down for the company.  But the difference from traditional economics is in that the Blue Ocean Strategies require changing the business model rather than just the product or service.  Think Southwest: they didn’t just change the core product (your flight), but they changed virtually everything else in the business model that surrounded that product. 

Kim and Mauborgne suggest six principles for creating Blue Ocean strategies:

• Reconstruct market boundaries: rethinking about how a market can be defined, in terms of alternative industries, customer segments, product/service offerings, and other domains.  By redefining how you define “market,” you open up potential blue oceans.
• Focus on the big picture, not the numbers: creating strategic plans that are less about numbers and jargon and more about a vision for future success.
• Reach beyond existing demand: creating the greatest potential market for your blue ocean.  This principle is counter to a common perception that we need to segment markets into smaller niches to satisfy their needs; however, Kim and Mauborgne believe we need to “aggregate demand, not by focusing on differences that separate customers but by building on the powerful commonalities across non-customers to maximize the size of the blue ocean.”
• Get the strategic sequence right: building a business model that allows you to capitalize on the market potential.  Basically, this is following a process that allows you to move from buyer utility to pricing to cost structure to market adoption to implementation.
• Overcome key organizational hurdles: building leadership to manage the new business model.
• Build execution into strategy: integrating a blue ocean culture throughout the organization, for sustained performance and constant evolution.

Sounds pretty much like what Southwest Airlines repeatedly does…or Apple…or Google – those that have found a blue ocean, but also continue to explore and refine new opportunities and markets.

Yours in Improvement,

Brian S. Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

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 and our affiliate the Rochester Area Quality Council 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 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, 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

Workshops sold out last year and had nearly 100% attendee satisfaction – don’t miss this valuable program!!  Space is limited.

For more information, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent3.cfm.

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

Zig Ziglar

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 and Lake Superior College, 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.  The workshop will be December 1-2 at Lake Superior College in Duluth.

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

The workshop 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.

“You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”

   --- The Stockdale Paradox

The Stockdale Paradox encourages us to recognize the serious challenges we face and -- at the same time -- hold the hope and trust that we will find our way through.  Admiral Stockdale was the highest ranking prisoner of war during the Vietnam Conflict and he attributes his ability to survive his darkest days to this philosophy.

The challenge of these difficult times requires us to be able to deal with uncertainty, complexity and competing demands.  Each of us in our role as leader carries the responsibility for making good decisions and taking the right action to move through these uncharted waters.  How do we lead authentically in challenging times when there are no easy answers and the way forward is uncertain?  How do we sustain ourselves and support those we are leading in the midst of stressful environments?

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Laura Kinkead, MBA to our November 5 program, "The Courage to Lead: Sustaining Yourself in Times of Uncertainty."  Laura will share her experience working with business leaders, physicians, and teachers to help them renew their passion for their work, reconnect to meaning and purpose in their lives, and access their own capacity for resilience.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Nov 5 (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.

With knowledge doubling every two years, the tectonic plates of organizations shifting: with eight out of 10 new initiatives failing, and people struggling to find their way, we need a more effective way to adapt to rapid change.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Ralph Jacobson, principal of The Leader's Toolbox, to our November 11 program, "Leading for a Change: Do the Right Stuff." After five years of research and ten years of practical implementation, Ralph developed a repeatable, measurable, teachable, improvable, and yes institution-able process for making change.  And he wishes to share this knowledge with us.

In the session, Ralph provides two approaches to leadership and change that have been used to help organizations more readily and easily adapt to the market realities. It helps individuals, at all levels engage more effectively in accomplishing the organization’s most important work. Participants leave the session with:

• An understanding the critical difference between leader and leadership
• A specific process that can be used to insure the success of a critical project or initiative
• An opportunity to plan for and gain feedback for an initiative you are currently working that will significantly increase your odds for success

Why are we using 20th Century tools to do 21st Century work? Come to this session and learn an approach you can use to improve your organization or your personal life.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Nov 11 (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.

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

The business model for the newspaper industry and for media companies generally are changing rapidly. Learn how a local newspaper in the age developed a commitment to customer service, continuous improvement and serving the community.

The Rochester Area Quality Council, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council for Quality, is pleased to announce their Nov 10 program “Customer Service: It Matters to You, It Matters to Us."  The session will be led by Randy Chapman, Jay Furst, and Todd Heroff, all of the Post-Bulletin.

Program Take Aways:

• How a quality customer service process can be adapted to fit your business: Listening to what your customers are saying and changing to fit their needs

• Strategies for finding new customers and reinvesting at a time of economic stress: Diversifying

• How continuous improvement is built into our customer service processes: Measurements

The session is Oct 13 from 7:45-9:00 at RCTC.  Learn how the Post-Bulletin developed its reader driven orientation.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability, capacity, or skill to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups.  Like other forms of intellegience, EI can impact your success in business and in personal life.  So when it comes to Emotional Intelligence, how savvy are you?  How savvy is your company?

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Dr. Heather Rose-Carlson, principal at Calibrate, LLC, to the November 17 Twin Ports Performance Excellence Network.  During this presentation, Heather will provide an overview of the fundamentals of EI and how it benefits business.  You will be able to experience an EI assessment first hand by take a sample EI quiz.

Heather will share basics of Emotional Intelligence, including:

• Knowing your feelings and using them to make life decisions you can live with.
• Being able to manage your emotional life without being hijacked by it -- not being paralyzed by depression or worry, or swept away by anger.
• Persisting in the face of setbacks and channeling your impulses in order to pursue your goals.
• Empathy -- reading other people's emotions without their having to tell you what they are feeling.
• Handling feelings in relationships with skill and harmony -- being able to articulate the unspoken pulse of a group, for example.

The session is from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on November 17 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:00 a.m.) at maurices.  Admission to TPPEN is FREE for Council members and guests. 

The Council would like to recognize 68 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 68 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.”

In particular, the Council would like to recognize the Mayo Clinic/Mayo Health System and the State of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, Chemical & Mental Health Services for renewing their Sponsoring Membership.  “As our largest members,” says Lassiter, “Sponsoring Members not only receive the same benefits as all members, but their contribution also helps support the work we do with K-12 school districts, non-profits, and other organizations who do not have as many resources to invest in their improvement efforts.  We thank Mayo and DHS CMHS for their contribution and support.”

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

3M Corporate Quality Council, St. Paul, MN*

ABDO, EICK & MEYERS, LLP, Edina, MN

Academy of Holy Angels, Richfield, MN*

Acorn's End Training & Consulting, Stewartville, MN*

Adams, Colleen, Rosemount, MN

Artistic Finishes, Roseville, MN*

Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester, MN*

Braas Company Minnesota, Eden Prairie, MN*

Cargill Business Excellence, Minneapolis, MN*

Coalition for Continuous Improvement (CCIH), Thief River Falls, MN

Colder Products, St. Paul, MN*

Collaboration Healthcare, Minnetonka, MN*

Dakota Communities, Inc., Eagan, MN*

Dover-Eyota Schools, Eyota, MN*

DuFresne Manufacturing, Vadnais Heights, MN*

Eckert, Bob, Shoreview, MN*

Fire-Formed Consulting, Pat O'Boyle, Eagan, MN*

Hird, LaChel, Minneapolis, MN

Hollstadt & Associates, Burnsville, MN

IBM Minnesota, Rochester, MN*

Innovation Process Design, Inver Grove Heights, MN*

International Management Technologies, Inc., Bradenton, FL*

John Hardy's Bar-B-Q, Rochester, MN*

Karayianes, George, Eden Prairie, MN*

Kingsland Public Schools, Spring Valley, MN*

Klabechek, Richard, Andover, MN*

Lake Superior College, Duluth, MN*

Lappin, Greg, Rochester, MN*

Liberty Paper, Becker, MN*

Lifetouch Publishing, Eden Prairie, MN*

Lores Consulting, Rochester, MN*

Marvin Windows and Doors, Minnesota Operations, St. Paul, MN*

Mayo Clinic Rochester, Mayo Health System, Rochester, MN*

Minnesota Army National Guard Corporate Office, Cottage Grove, MN*

Mitchell, Robert, Maplewood, MN*

MN Governor's Council on Development Disabilities, St. Paul, MN*

Mosaic Consulting, Detroit Lakes, MN*

North Memorial Quality Services Department, Robbinsdale, MN*

Northland Community and Technical College, Thief River Falls, MN*

Organizational Concepts International (OCI), Minneapolis, MN*

Pace Dairy Foods Administrative Staff, Rochester, MN*

PDP Solutions, Mankato, MN

Pentair McLean Thermal, Hoffman, Champlin, MN*

Pillsbury United Communities, Minneapolis, MN*

Powers, Joe, Rochester, MN*

Presbyterian Homes & Services, Management & Services, St. Paul, MN*

Quality Culture Institute, Rochester, MN*

Reagan, Mike, Lino Lakes, MN*

Rochester Medical Corporation, Stewartville, MN*

Rochester Public Library, Rochester, MN*

Rochester Public Schools #535, Rochester, MN*

Rolfs & Associates, Kasson, MN*

Samaritan Bethany Inc., Rochester, MN*

Schroeder Company, Maplewood, MN*

Schroer, Hal, Golden Valley, MN*

Schwan Food Company, Quality Department, Marshall, MN

State of Minnesota, Dept of Human Services, Chemical & Mental Health Services, St. Paul, MN

State of Minnesota, Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, MN

Stinson, Mike, Apple Valley, MN*

Superior Tool and Machining Company, Andrew Tool & Machining, Maple Grove, MN*

United Business Mail, Minneapolis, MN

UnitedHealth Group, Duluth Quality Department, Duluth, MN

University of Minnesota - Duluth ASSL, Duluth, MN*

University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education, St. Paul, MN*

University of Minnesota Quality Liaison Group, Minneapolis, MN*

Wayzata Public Schools, Wayzata, MN

Winona Health Services, Winona, MN*

Zumbrota-Mazeppa Schools, Mazeppa, MN

We thank all members for their support.  As of September 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).

The MNODN, an affiliate partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce its next monthly program: “The M-Factor: Why the Millennial Generation is Rocking the Workplace,” featuring Seth Mattison of BridgeWorks.

American business is in the early stages of being rocked by the arrival of a new and powerful generation. Millennials (born 1982 to 2000)—the first generation to rival Baby Boomers in population size—are showing up at work with their own set of attitudes, expectations and values. Techno-savvy, demanding and ambitious, they’re bringing with them an entirely new way of doing business. How prepared will Gen Xers, Baby Boomers and Traditionalists be to manage them? The M-Factor offers strategies for recruiting, retaining and motivating this influential new work force. Companies that are forewarned and forearmed will reap the rewards of the Millennial generation’s talents, creative and pragmatic approach to the world of work.

The MN Chapter of ISPI, an alliance partner of the Council, is pleased to announce its next meeting “Measurement” on November 17, facilitated by Bob Bodine, Senior Manager at Medtronic.  Topic details are forthcoming.

The Minnesota Section of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) is pleased to announce its November meeting: “Biomedical Quality Careers.”  Numerous studies and reports indicate that healthcare and related technologies are a growing industry.  So just what are the qualifications needed to position yourself for a career in biomedical quality?  What training and experience would best position someone for a challenging yet satisfying career in biomedical quality?  Join a panel to explore this topic: Jim Broge, Quality Manager at Boston Scientific; Gordon Dosher, director at Medtronic; and Mary McDermott, director of Quality at St. Jude.

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:

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

Dec 16: The Next Generation of Lean, Twin Cities

The Center for Radical Improvement in partnership with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Customer Service and the Change & Innovation Agency will host the Lean Government Retreat. The goal of this event is to share some alternative-thinking on process improvement, change management and innovation as well as customer service and satisfaction strategies in government.

Ken Miller, author of We Don’t Make Widgets: Overcoming the Myths that Keep Government from Radically Improving will lead the Retreat along with the Governors Office of Customer Service. This Retreat will challenge conventional wisdom around the application of Lean process improvement tools in government and will showcase best practices in customer service and satisfaction.

The principles, tools and techniques you will apply:

• Understand how to make any government process run 80% faster with improved quality
• Turn squishy government service work into concrete “widgets”
• How to handle multiple customers with competing interests who can’t agree
• How to lead a large-scale change initiative without the mugs and t-shirts
• Customer service and improvement strategies from the State of Georgia
• Where do we go from here? Putting the concepts into action

The Lean Government Retreat will be held at the James H. Floyd Building across from the State Capital in Atlanta, Georgia: 2 Martin Luther King Drive, Twin Tower West, 20th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30334.

Tuition for Minnesota Quality Council Members is $395 (discounted heavily from public rates). 

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):

11/19      Baldrige, Magnet, TJC: Could I Do All Three?

12/17      The Relationship of Quality and EHR Informatics

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.

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):

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):

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 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.

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:

1/4 – 1/14 Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, $3795

1/25 – 2/28 Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, $8200

3/26 – 4/10 Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate, $3795

2/22 – 5/17 Mini Master of the Lean Enterprise, $2495

Also, coming in the fall of 2010: Mini MBA for Technical Professionals and Mini Master of Supply Chain Management.

MCQ members qualify for a 15% discount. Use VIP Code Quality2010 when registering.  To register or for more information, visit http://www.stthomas.edu/execed or call 651-962-4600.

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:

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

.

.

.