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 Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
    
      
  Foundations for a Successful Business
                            Expand or Collapse
          Organizational Context
                      Leadership
                      Strategy
                      Customers
                      Data and Analysis
                      Workforce
                      Operations
                      Results
                      Learn and Improve
                      Your Turn
                      What’s Next?
                      Foundations for a Successful Business Interactive ModulesFoundations for a Successful Business Interactive Modules

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Factory engineer looking through a manufactured part.
Credit:
          
  Hodoimg/ShutterstockIntroduction & Organizational Context

Start with a deeper understanding of your organization. Decide on your mission and vision and what groups of people are important. Understand your strengths, internal weaknesses and external challenges.

Woman leader meeting with staff.
Credit:
          
  fizkes/ShutterstockLeadership

Share your vision and lead your organization—leadership is behavior and actions, not a position. Determine your values. Communicate and listen to employees and customers. Obey the law and fulfill your responsibilities to the public.



Strategy meeting with three employees in office.
Credit:
          
  Gorodenkoff/ShutterstockStrategy

Prepare for the future. Develop specific objectives and measurable goals. Identify and consider innovative ideas. Decide on the actions your organization must take to reach its objectives. Monitor your progress and adapt if needed.

Customers photo showing woman holding a five star excellence sign.
Credit:
          
  Black Salmon/ShutterstockCustomers

Engage with your customers. Find out customers' expectations by listening to them. Use that information to design your products and services. Measure customer satisfaction and resolve complaints. Measure likelihood they will remain your customer.



Data and Analysis photo showing people meeting discussing analytics.
Credit:
          
  Indypendenz/ShutterstockData and Analysis

Use data and information to make decisions. Decide on a few measures. Start making decisions based on information. Make data and information available. Share best practices and protect your data and information systems.

Workforce photo showing group of diverse employees standing at a table with a laptop.
Credit:
          
  wavebreakmedia/ShutterstockWorkforce

Engage and empower your people. Hire and develop a diverse workforce. Support your workforce with compensation, policies and a safe workplace. Offer ways for workforce members to learn and progress.



Operations photo showing two people on factory floor looking at analytics.
Credit:
          
  Gorodenkoff/ShutterstockOperations

Establish operations that deliver high-quality products and services. Design work as regular, repeatable steps. Regularly evaluate and improve processes. Control the costs of operations. Work with suppliers and prepare for disasters and emergencies.

Results photo showing a man reviewing different results.
Credit:
          
  Natee K Jindakum/ShutterstockResults

Measure your results and find out how well you are doing. Track results for trust in leadership, ethical behavior, legal compliance, customer satisfaction, repeat business, job satisfaction, quality of products, operations, financial performance, and business growth.



Learn and Improve photo showing a diverse group of employees around a table excited about improvement.
Credit:
          
  Rawpixel.com/ShutterstockLearn and Improve

Learn and improve. Review your results. Decide what you are and are not doing well and what you should improve or change.



*Module content current as of 6/5/23.*
  Performance excellence, Assessment tools and services and Baldrige Framework and Criteria

    
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Created May 1, 2023, Updated September 29, 2023 ‹ What’s Next?
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