MassExcellence Awards Program Information!
The 2012 Performance Excellence Awards Cycle
The MassExcellence Performance Excellence Program is about enabling all of the key people in an organization to better understand what they are doing, and why, to know where to work on the organization and in the organization; to make the right improvements, at the right time, for the right reasons, to get the right results. It's about making the whole organization better, more profitable, and sustainable.
The process begins with an application that is essentially a guided self-evaluation that becomes the centerpiece of the Baldrige-based MassExcellence Performance Excellence Program.
Key Dates
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Intent to Apply for Organization Examination and Awards — Form and $150 application fee due no later than March 5, 2012
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Examiner Applications Due: April 23, 2012
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Application for the Award Form and full fee (but NOT the full application) Due: April 23, 2012
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Full Awards Application Due: May 21, 2012
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Examiners notified of acceptance to Examiner Training: May 14, 2012
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Examiner Training Workshop (tentative, location to be announced): June 6 & 7, 2012
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Applicant Site Visits (tenative—first week in October)
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2012 Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony (tentative—mid-November)
(click here for a pdf of the 2012 MassExcellence Awards Program)
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2009
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2010
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2011
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Maybury Material Handling
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American Eagle Federal Credit
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MidState Medical Center
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An application to the MassExcellence Performance Excellence Awards you will get you a major reward and possibly a prestigious award. The true value will be in the unique organizational learning that you and your whole organization receives from evaluating your organization against the validated Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The possible award is the prestigious MassExcellence Performance Excellence Award. This is public recognition for the hard work it takes to make it happen.
Our Performance Excellence Program has much more value because those going through the award process are becoming world-class organizations! The process begins with an assessment and site visit conducted by a team of trained examiners. You will receive a written feedback report to use in business planning. The assessment provides a comprehensive review of your business systems against the seven Baldrige Criteria categories of Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and Market Focus, Information and Knowledge Management, Workforce Focus, Operations Focus, and Results. This Baldrige-based MassExcellence process is a unique and powerful learning opportunity for management and the whole workforce!
Some Important Questions and Answers
What is the advantage to apply for an examination and award?
Why should you apply? Because writing a Baldrige-based MassExcellence application is a guided, organizational diagnostic. It can help your leadership team better understand your organization as a system and see its key organizational strengths and improvement needs. It enables you to work on your organization so it can perform better as well as enabling people to work better in the organization. The Criteria functions as a virtual toolbox that integrates seven leadership and management tools in one convenient package:
- Organizational Leadership Diagnostic Tool
- Organizational Management Diagnostic Tool
- Organizational Development Diagnostic Tool
- Quality & Process Improvement Diagnostic Tool
- Organizational Systems-Thinking Diagnostic Tool
- Organizational Self-Assessment Tool
- External Check and Feedback Generation Tool
This will be one of the most important steps you can take to creating long-term sustainability and success. You will be using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to thoroughly understand how your organization is really operating and then deciding what needs to change. One of our past applicants who continues to use the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to guide his business has reported unprecedented profitability after implementing the feedback received from the examiner assessment - Yes, in THIS economy.
Is this like a certification or accreditation audit?
Not at all. We assess the present performance of your organizational systems against the Criteria. We go by what you tell us in the application. Unlike some certification and accreditation bodies, we DO NOT tell you what to do. We are not prescriptive. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all activity. You are unique, and we understand that. We verify and clarify what we find from your application. It is not a checklist mentality. Actually, our examiner site visits are quite energizing for organizations because we recognize your strengths as well as opportunities for improvement. Employees and senior leaders are very excited to talk to our examiner team and show off what they do. Do your people get excited about an upcoming certification or accreditation audit?
Is this extra work?
Putting together the application will take time and people, but in the long run, there is less work. Using the Criteria in your business will help ensure that the whole organization is aligned to do the most important things to satisfy your customers and improve the results you achieve.
What kind of feedback do I get?
Your application first tells the examiners what is important to your unique organization. Your feedback report also includes scoring ranges, which you can use to measure progress over time. The feedback will include comments on your strengths – things you are doing well -- and potential areas for improvement you may wish to address. The feedback can help you create better alignment throughout the organization. An application with us is one of the best investments in your organization that you will ever make.
How often can I apply?
You can apply with us annually, with feedback each time.
Can I just answer the questions from the Criteria book and send it in?
Yes and no. Although the Baldrige Criteria isn’t rocket science, it isn’t easy either. It looks at your company from a systems perspective – the big picture. And not everyone has this full view. Realistically, you will need guidance. If you want to submit an application, we will help you put your best foot forward. There are several options available. Contact our Acting Executive Director first. It will be a very important conversation.
What’s the difference between the MassExcellence Award and the National Baldrige Award?
Frankly, there are more similarities than differences. Both are based on the same Criteria. Both have the same application and examination process. Both have well qualified and competent examiners. Both provide feedback reports that recognize strengths and help you identify opportunities for improvement. Two primary differences stand out: First of all, we are local and can be available for support throughout the application process. Second, we provide a site visit for all applicants. And third, our fees are less than those at the national program.
As with other state programs around the country, we operate in collaboration with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program and serve as a “pipeline” to the National Program. We are here to work with you as you go through the process for state level recognition and then, potentially, as you go on to national recognition.
What happens after the application process is over?
That’s up to you. At the request of the senior leadership, our Site Visit Team Leader and Executive Director will be glad to spend time with them to review the feedback report to ensure the interpretation is correct and consistent. Occasionally, our applicants will ask us to come in and provide Baldrige-related workshops to accelerate their speed of improvement. It becomes a very powerful tool to move forward when all the employees understand their connection to the Criteria. In other words, we are here for you long after the application process. We work with you when you want our help.
IT’S TIME TO APPLY
Now is the right time for the future of your organization. Talk or meet with us now to determine if this step is the right one for you to take now. Email our Executive Director, Dick Eppig: Dick@massexcellence.com.
Overview of the Massachusetts Baldrige-based Performance Excellence
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MassExcellence Pledge to Excellence Recognition |
MassExcellence Silver Award |
MassExcellence Gold Award |
MassExcellence Platinum Award |
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A solid leadership commitment to employees and a goal of long–term sustainability |
Systematic approaches are achieving forward–looking, overall improvement showing results in some key areas |
Your key processes are being systematically evaluated and improved and gaining results in more key areas |
You have integrated and well-deployed approaches in most key areas, with good performance against comparisons |
| The Benefit | |||
| Provides critical insight into key internal & external factors shaping your environment | Increase business – this is a very prestigious award, telling your customers and stakeholders that your organization is high-performing with a goal to be world-class! | ||
| Using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence helps you think strategically and system-wide, and to build competitive advantage by asking the right questions | |||
| Gain a better understanding of the context in which you operate your business | Our examiners are non-biased, non-competitive, trained professionals from a wide spectrum of sectors, who conduct a systems assessment against the Criteria categories of leadership, strategic planning, customers and markets, measures, analysis, and knowledge management, workforce, process management, and their related results. | ||
| Senior leaders may request a follow-up meeting to better understand their feedback and prioritize improvements. | Senior leaders receive a comprehensive examiner team feedback report indicating your strengths and potential improvement opportunities, which can be used as your catalyst for prioritized improvement. This feedback is the result of about 1400 hours of professional consulting for a fraction of the cost! This process is budget friendly and the payback is huge! | ||
| How to Apply | |||
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No application required. |
Contact us before you begin. We can advise you on the best way to proceed. You will want to minimize the time to write it and create the most accurate document possible. Our goal is to have you step out with your best foot forward. You will be asked to complete an Intent to Apply form and submit it with a $150 processing fee by March 5, 2012, submit your Application Form and application fee by April 23, 2012, and file your completed full application package by May 21, 2012. Our Baldrige-experienced third-party Panel of Judges determine the appropriate award level based on their review of the application and the scores and feedback from the Examiner Team |
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| Cost of Investment | |||
| $1,500.00 + facilitator expenses | There is both your internal cost of learning to use this organizational change system, and the cost of applying to MassExcellence for a professional review of your journey, which includes a structured review of your 55-page application by a trained examiner team, a 3-day follow-up site visit to your organization by the examiner team, and preparation of a feedback report detailing the examiner team's consensus of your key strengths and opportunities for improvement. In addition, an independent Panel of Judges considers awarding a silver, gold, or platinum Performance Excellence Award. Click here for 2012 Overview and Fee Structure. |
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For additional information, email Dick Eppig, Executive Director: Dick@massexcellence.org |
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The 2011 Performance Excellence Awards Ceremony
Was held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 - State House, Boston
Senator Moore's Keynote Address
2011 MassExcellence Award Story
2011 MassExcellence Awards Photo Gallery
