Baldrige Excellence Framework

Baldrirge Excellence Framework

How would you answer these three questions:

  • Is your organization doing as well as it could?
  • How do you know?
  • What and how should your organization improve or change?

The Baldrige Excellence Framework, which includes the Core Values, the Criteria, and systems view, can help an organization answer those three key questions.  All of this is part of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, #Baldrige, https://www.nist.gov/baldrige.


As the leading edge of validated leadership and management practice, Baldrige promotes a systems perspective, with a focus on core values, processes, results, linkages, and improvement. Baldrige is adaptable; the Criteria do not prescribe how to structure the organization or the operations.  Each organization determines what is important and encourages creative, adaptive, and flexible approaches to incremental and breakthrough improvement. All areas of an organization are included: Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement/Analysis/Knowledge Management, Workforce, Operations, and Results.


Interested in reading about Baldrige recipients' success? Check applications from role model organizations: https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/award-recipients


Sound like a journey worth taking? Then let’s talk . . .


I have been an appointed to the national Baldrige Board of Examiners 20 times since 1998, serving as an alumni examiner, back up team leader, scorebook editor, tech editor, and mentor to new and returning examiners as a Master Examiner (2020, 2021).


Since 2011, I have served The Partnership for Excellence as a team leader, facilitator for examiner training, member of the Board of Trustees (where I am the Board secretary and chair of the Education Committee), and judge.

As an independent consultant I have assisted organizations in several different sectors with internal Baldrige-based assessments:

  • Manufacturer of automotive transmissions;
  • Major health care system;
  • Business school of a private university;
  • Large urban utility;
  • Nonprofit agencies.
A Speaker Discussing in Front of Many People — Zionsville, IN — Performance Improvement Consulting

There are a number of ways to begin a Baldrige journey, from a high-level review by leadership and the workforce to an in-depth review of organizational approaches and results. Let me guide you through those alternatives and help you design a path forward on a Baldrige-based performance excellence journey.


Want some data that shows Baldrige works? Check out these articles and documents:

Let's talk:

Send me an email at kurt@kwschochconsulting.com or call 317-732-1048.

Schedule some time here:  Kurt's Calendar

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