It’s over.  Except for those 15 million of us still wanting a job, there is growing evidence that the recession is over and we’ve begun our long-awaited (but perhaps slow) recovery.  Whew.

So now we must get back to the the business of growing again (only this time with nearly 10% unemployment; massive budget deficits in local, state, and federal government; and significantly changed consumer buying/saving behaviors).  The economic world has changed over the last 18+ months, and so too must our organizations to be successful moving forward.  Earlier this year, IBM published its biennial Global CEO Study.  The findings might represent a blueprint of sorts for what promotes organizational excellence in the future…

The biennial IBM Global CEO study started in 2004, as a way to get a handle on the changing landscape for organizations from the mouths and minds of their highest-ranking leaders.  This year’s study (published in early 2009) included a survey of 1130 CEOs, general managers, and senior public sector and business leaders from around the world.  The research focused on understanding the differences between financial out-performers and those of underperformers.  Using publicly available financial information, the study looked for insights – differences of opinion – based on top- and bottom-half performers.  In this way, the study could be used to draw conclusions about what truly may be requirements or drivers of high performance.  (For those of you interested, this is similar to the methodology used to change the “Criteria for Performance Excellence” of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.  Those requirements have become a set of validated best practices for driving performance excellence and are updated/changed every two years.  More information at http://www.quality.nist.gov/Business_Criteria.htm.)

So what will (or should) the “enterprise of the future” look like?  In a word, they are changing.  CEOs are rapidly positioning their organizations to capture the growth opportunities they see, and CEOs recognize that organizations will be facing even more change ahead.  In my opinion, change is not necessarily new to organizations: over the last 20 years, we’ve seen dramatic change in terms of technology, R&D, and so forth.  But what strikes me about this report is that future changes are in areas/processes of the enterprise previously more static.  We’ll see emerging changes in how we work with our customers/stakeholders, how we manage and engage our workforce, how we partner and collaborate with our supply chain, how we view and manage global relationships, and how we lead the overall enterprise.

The study revealed five key findings:

• “Organizations are bombarded by change, and many are struggling to keep up.”  The study reported that 80% of CEOs see significant change ahead, but the gap between expected change and the ability to manage it has nearly tripled since the 2006 CEO Study.  Recall my column in July on the notion of “singularity” (http://www.councilforquality.org/about_newsletter.cfm): there is an acceleration and convergence of technology and change within organizations.  The ability to capitalize on it – or even just manage it – will be the difference between high performing and low performing organizations in the future.
• “CEOs view more demanding customers (stakeholders) not as a threat, but as an opportunity to differentiate.”  Dennis Jonsson, CEO of TetraPak commented: “The rate of change has increased dramatically.  Customers are demanding radical change in product innovation.  Our company will need to greatly increase its capabilities to deal with these demands.”  The bottom line: leaders are investing more to attract – and retain – increasingly profitable, informed, and socially aware customers.  The 2009 Baldrige Criteria now include the concept of “customer engagement,” which goes far beyond the traditional definition of customer satisfaction and focuses on how committed the customer is to an organization and its mission/offerings.  It is based on an organization’s ability to serve a customer’s needs, but also its ability to build relationships so that customers remain loyal and will seek and provide positive referral.  For the last decade or two, there has been a sentiment (backed up by data) that a satisfied customer may still defect, but that a delighted – or highly engaged – customer will remain loyal.
• “Nearly all CEOs are adapting their business models – two-thirds are implementing extensive innovations.”  According to the study, 40% are changing their enterprise models to be more collaborative.  And, as we heard in a conference that the Council hosted nearly a year ago, organizations are finding ways to make innovation systematic – from how they organize and manage their workforce to encourage creativity and solutions, to how they develop new products and services (like Toyota, 3M), to how they revolutionize the market (think Apple, Google, Minute Clinic, Southwest Airlines, NetFlix).
• “CEOs are moving aggressively toward global business designs, deeply changing capabilities and partnering more extensively.”  The study found that CEOs have moved beyond the “cliché of globalization” – today, organizations of all sizes and in all markets are reconfiguring to take advantage of global integration.  You can no longer deny how well-connected this global marketplace now is.  Consider some examples in the last year or two: from the ripple of the worldwide financial services industry collapse (and its impact on the access to credit – to all companies of all sizes), to the oil price spike 18 months ago (and its impact on raw materials, transportation, and other prices), to even the current H1N1 global health scare (and its likely impact on workforce productivity, not to mention commodities prices for hog farmers and spiking pharmaceuticals prices for antiviral drugs like Tamiflu).  Regardless of whether or not your company sells overseas, this is a global, highly interconnected marketplace.
• “Financial out-performers are making bolder plays.”  The study found that these companies anticipate more change and manage it better.  They are more global in their business designs, partner more extensively, and choose more disruptive forms of business model innovation.  Perhaps this is intensified by the recent recession, where those who were strong going in are even stronger coming out, creating a bigger gap between the high and low performers.

Building off of these five findings, the study concluded there were five traits common to successful enterprises of the future.  They are, with my commentary:

• Hungry for Change.  The Enterprise of the Future is capable of changing quickly and successfully.  Instead of merely responding to trends, it shapes and leads them.  Market and industry shifts are a chance to move ahead of the competition.

Another phrase for this is “agility” – a capacity for rapid change and flexibility.  Organizations are faced with the need for ever-shorter cycles for the introduction of new products/services, faster and more flexible responses to customer requests, rapid response to competitive threats, and so forth.  Rapid change often requires new work systems, simplification of work processes, and a cross-trained and empowered workforce.  Rapid, agile change requires a culture and an appetite for change that is created, fostered, and reinforced by leadership.

• Innovative Beyond Customer Imagination.  The Enterprise of the Future surpasses the expectations of increasingly demanding customers.  Deep collaborative relationships allow it to surprise customers with innovations that make both its customers and its own business more successful.

I mentioned the notion of customer engagement above.  It’s about building relationships, delivering (or exceeding) requirements, and working together to solve customer issues.  Victor Fung, Chairman of Li & Fung, offers these thoughts: “The consumer’s concept of quality will no longer be measured by only the physical attributes of a product – it will extend to the process of how the product is made, including product safety, environmental compliance and social responsibility compliance.”

• Globally Integrated.  The Enterprise of the Future is integrating to take advantage of today’s global economy.  Its business is strategically designed to access the best capabilities, knowledge, and assets from where they reside in the world and apply them where required in the world.

 This requires complete knowledge of your organization’s competencies – the areas in which you truly have strength as compared to others in the market – building on those core strengths, and finding partners to supplement the other parts of your work systems that don’t represent your strengths.  We used to call this “outsourcing,” but today and in the future it’s more than just shipping tasks overseas – it’s about focus, optimizing resources, and better managing your partners and supply chain.

• Disruptive by Nature.  The Enterprise of the Future radically challenges its business model, disrupting the basis of competition.  It shifts the value proposition, overturns traditional delivery approaches and, as soon as opportunities arise, reinvents itself and its entire industry.

I mentioned Apple, Google, Southwest Airlines and others above.  This is about inventing new business models that completely change the game.  One phrase that has been used to describe dramatic business model innovation is “Blue Ocean Strategies” – creating demand for new solutions (or markets) that represent uncontested opportunities.  In essence, it’s about creating a wide open, blue ocean marketplace.  Our October 14 St. Paul PIN session focuses on this topic (see article 5 below or http://www.councilforquality.org/performance_current.cfm).

• Genuine, not Just Generous.  The Enterprise of the Future goes beyond philanthropy and compliance and reflects genuine concern for society in all actions and decisions.

This is a philosophical shift in how organizations view their role in society – moving from philanthropist to a major force in how it relates to and impacts communities.  The Baldrige Criteria even changed a phrase this year from “social responsibilities” to “societal responsibilities” to reflect the organization’s changing role in society.  Societal responsibilities includes things like regulatory compliance, reduction in environmental impact (going “green”), improvements in social impacts (such as the global use of enlightened labor practices), transparency in governance, management and fiscal accountability, legal and ethical behavior, and support of key communities (where “community” is broadly and strategically defined).  This also brings into play sustainability of the organization, as it has a vital role in providing jobs and output to society.  So no longer is “corporate giving” just about giving money through grants or supporting non-profits through volunteerism, but organizations are beginning to recognize the societal responsibility they have to their communities, which can also serve to advance its own strategic objectives.

Yours in Improvement,

Brian S. Lassiter

President, Minnesota Council for Quality

Times are challenging for all organizations.  Which makes it even MORE important to focus on your customers -- to serve them, respond to their needs, provide products/services that are of value to them.  Now, more than ever, it is critical to focus on customers to promote their satisfaction and engagement.   

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to offer a special half-day workshop on Wednesday, October 21: "7 Principles to Fully Engage Your Customers."  The 3.5-hour workshop will be offered in the morning and then repeated in the afternoon in the Twin Cities, and will be 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.

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 workshop will provide tools, templates, and techniques that can be used to improve service on the front line, with internal customers, and throughout your organization.  Times are tough, but investing in how you serve your customers will pay dividends now and in the future.

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 free webinars we hosted in August and September, but attendance at the webinars is not required to benefit from the live session.

For more information, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent2.cfm.

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

Workshops in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Rochester all 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.

Now -- more than ever -- organizations are searching for ways to increase performance, optimize resources, and improve results. The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence represent a collection of validated best practices that organizations can use to identify and prioritize performance gaps in their operations, upon which improvement action plans can be created.  The framework -- now being used by thousands of businesses, schools, healthcare organizations, not-for-profits, and governmental agencies -- is about helping leaders find leverage in their organizations.  It's about improving outcomes, not winning an award.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Dr. Mark Blazey, president of Quantum Performance Group, to our October 1 program, "Advancing Excellence with Baldrige."  Based in Rochester NY, Dr. Blazey is considered a national expert on the Baldrige framework.  He has trained MN Quality Award Evaluators for nearly 15 years, and will be sharing an overview of how the Baldrige Criteria can be used by any organization to improve results.  Don't miss this special opportunity...

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Oct 1 (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.

In an over-supplied world, companies designed to serve existing demand are doomed to ride the waves of the big E-Economy.  On the other hand, companies who know how to CREATE demand will find themselves in a "Blue Ocean" of uncontested opportunity, thus creating a small e-economy they can directly influence.

The Minnesota Council for Quality is pleased to welcome Bill Mills, president of Executive Group, to our October 14 program, "Blue Ocean Strategies."  Bill’s message will connect the dots on how today’s leaders are producing significant economic value.  Participants will learn how these CEO-superstars think about:

•          Using their business model as their primary differentiator
•          How they create demand
•          How they achieve exponential results

If you are a business owner or a key leader in your organization, AND if you agree every business is perfectly designed to produce its current results, AND you wish to design your business to create sustainable competitive advantage, then this session is for you.

The discussion is from 8:00-9:00 a.m. on Oct 14 (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.

Today, business evolves at a rapid pace, and innovation is more critical than ever.  Health care as an industry lags in developing innovative ways of serving its customers, despite significant advances in medicine in the last 60 years.  Although Mayo has a strong history of innovation, it too must transform to remain robust and influential in the 21st century.

The Rochester Area Quality Council, an affiliate of the Minnesota Council for Quality, is pleased to announce their Oct 13 program “Transforming Patient Care -- Mayo Clinic Innovation." The session will be led by Julie Koch of Mayo Clinic. 

Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation strives to transform the way health care is experienced and delivered by continuously refining and improving Mayo Clinic’s practice and pioneering new approaches to health care delivery.  Center for Innovation projects address complex issues at Mayo Clinic and in the health care industry.   Areas of focus include:

• Mayo Clinic Connection:  Mayo care… anywhere, anytime
• Wellness Experience:  World Leader in Wellness
• Prediction & Prevention Experience: From patients to people, from disease to health
• Destination Mayo Clinic: Signature Onsite Experience
• Competency & Culture of Innovation: Enabling Innovation Across Mayo

The session is Oct 13 from 7:45-9:00 at RCTC.

Most organizations are forced to deal with change these days: customers demand more, competition is tighter, technology is more complicated, and the workforce is more sophisticated.  So many organizations have expert resources in-house to navigate the change – quality professionals, OD consultants, HR experts, and so forth.  But how do organizations create a culture for change that permeates the organization rather than only residing in a quality or HR department?  How do you create a culture of excellence that gets all employees involved, that motivates and rewards continuous improvement, and that allows and encourages everyone to work toward a common goal?

The MN Council for Quality is pleased to announce its next Twin Ports Performance Excellence Network session Tuesday, October 20.  Rather than have speakers, this session will introduce the “World Café” brainstorming method, which encourages sharing and networking in small groups.  Attendees will be seated in groups of 5-8 and will reflect on seeded questions that deal with organizational change, embedding quality/improvement throughout the enterprise, and leading culture transformation.  The groups will mix and mingle two or three times (dealing with different questions), so that you get a variety of insights from the community. 

In an informal setting, everyone will share and learn from other organization’s good practices.  The session will also encourage networking, so that relationships can be built with other leaders in the community.  

The session is from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on October 20 (networking and continental breakfast begin at 7:00 a.m.) at UMD (tentative).  Admission to TPPEN is FREE for Council members and guests. 

“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.

When was the last time you were entertained and got truly new insights at the same time?  Come join us for two thought-provoking, interactive workshops with popular author and nationally known expert, Robin Lawton.  The Minnesota Council for Quality is excited to bring you two phenomenal workshops on October 27-28, 2009.  Be sure to use code MCQ for member discounts!  Read on…

These sessions have been sold out in other cities so become an Early Bird by 21 days prior and your seat is guaranteed at a great price.  Here is the program:

• October 27, 1:00 pm - 5:30 pm, 8 Dimensions of Excellence: Aligning Strategy and Measures with Customer Priorities
• October 28, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, The 12 Voices of the Customer

Early Bird registration by October 6, 2009 gives you big savings off the already reasonable list prices. Go to http://www.imtc3.com/events/UpcomingEvents.cfm  for registration and more information on these workshops.  For personalized answers, please call Mr. Lawton’s office at 941-907-0666.

Rob is an engaging, top-rated speaker who has consulted with world-class leaders in industry and non-for-profits for over twenty years.  Don’t even think about balanced scorecards, satisfaction surveys, Voice of Customer projects or strategic plans without attending these dates.

The first session is called 8 DIMENSIONS OF EXCELLENCE.  How would you feel to discover your car engine was only running on one or two of its eight cylinders?  Whether your version of a car is an entire organization or a key project, you wouldn’t knowingly continue to drive it that way. Change initiatives often promote customer success as a priority but put all the attention on improving process. That only improves performance on 1 of the 8 Dimensions. Come learn, by yourself or with a team, about how to get all 8 cylinders working together like you never thought possible.

Learn how to apply a powerful but elegantly simple framework and process that consistently produces high results in even the most challenging environments.  See why two organizations won their state MBNQA-based awards as a direct result of applying these principles and tools.  You can reasonably expect fast results of at least 5-to-1 returns on investment (ROI) from strategic initiatives and key projects using these methods.

Each member of teams of 3 or more attending the 8 DIMENSIONS OF EXCELLENCE workshop will receive a free autographed copy of Mr. Lawton’s best-selling book (5-star rated at Amazon and Google), Creating a Customer-Centered Culture.  You must register during the Early Bird period to receive this exciting offer!

The second session, THE 12 VOICES OF THE CUSTOMER, builds on the content from the first session.  Just reading the newspaper illustrates how critical it is to attend this session.  Did you see the story of the car executive who thought customers said they wanted bigger gas tanks?  What they really wanted was to go farther on a gallon of gas.  His mistake was a big part of why his firm lost 40% of its market value in six years.  Whoops!  This humorous, high-content workshop interactively shows you how to uncover what customers care most about. 

Customers often don’t tell you their highest priorities, yet they’ll hold you accountable for knowing and satisfying them.  This session builds mind readers.  It will significantly enhance your Six Sigma or Baldrige initiative, satisfaction surveys, innovation, and other efforts to enhance business growth and competitive position.

This workshop will address common but fatal assumptions about (1) the value of surveys, (2) what truly drives satisfaction, (3) the three questions that always uncover wants and needs, (4) how to prioritize their answers, and (5) how to translate squishy perceptions into objectives measures and tangible product/service design criteria and much more.

These sessions are intended for executives, managers, change agents, Six Sigma practitioners, and project teams.  You will gain fresh insights on how to uncover and satisfy customer priorities, from both a strategic and operations perspective. Sign up early with a team of three or more.  Earn kudos for bringing a customer you’d like to understand better and strengthen your relationship.

The MNODN, an affiliate partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce its next monthly program: “Leadership Development: The RIGHT Right Way,” featuring Randy Abbott, president of Schwan’s University.

In his work as President of Schwan’s University, Randy Abbott has learned that so much has changed in what it takes to be an effective leader today that many organizations are getting leadership development wrong.  People are being put into positions for which they are not prepared.  Leadership Development – The Right Right Way is about going beyond behavior-based leadership competency models, and focusing more on developing the right values and the right-brain skills required to lead flatter, faster, more innovative organizations through rapid and constant change.

This session – with the help and involvement of the OD experts who attend – will delve into:

* An assessment of  current practices of leadership development – and where they are failing

* Making the case for fundamental organizational change – the need for speed and fluidity

* What it takes to develop leaders who are creative, innovative, and ethical

The session is $20 for members ($25 for non-members) and will be held from 4:00-6:30 on Oct 6 at St. Thomas, MOH Room 201.  For more information or to register, visit http://www.mnodn.org/Default.aspx?pageId=309832&eventId=84597&EventViewMode=EventDetails.

The Association for Strategic Planning-Minnesota Chapter, an alliance partner of the MN Council for Quality, is pleased to announce its next meeting: “Keeping Communications Fresh: Lessons from Higher Education.”  The session is facilitated by David Richardson , Partner, Artemis Strategy Group.

The strongest organizations don’t rest on their laurels.  They know it’s important to build a brand and communicate to build the strength of it. While learning how leading brands in higher education stay on top of the game you’ll emerge with ideas for your own organization. 

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:

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 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):

10/22      Patient Safety Innovations Panel

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):

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 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.

09/29, 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:

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:

9/24-10/23 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

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