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Examiner Video Transcript (back to video) examiner "It was, really and truly, about making a difference in the country, helping the entire country be more successful. It was an amazing experience.” ”It's a wonderful form of intellectual stimulation.” ”It's the opportunity to learn and grow.” “That is to me the essence of service to your country.” examiner “We all want to make a difference and this is a way that we can give back through sharing what we know, learning from others, being a part of the success of all types of organizations in the United States who take part in this journey.” [showing copy of the law] The Baldrige National Quality Program was established by Congress in 1987 to improve the quality and performance of United States enterprises, to help make them world-class-competitive in the global marketplace. For over twenty years, it has done just that! At the same time, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was created. Its function, among other things, is to publicly recognize American endeavors that achieve performance excellence. Helping choose Award recipients is one of several significant responsibilities of a group of competitively selected volunteers. Experts from U.S. business, education, health care, and non-profits, these volunteers are deeply invested in, and passionate about, the Baldrige Program. It’s understandable! Leaders in their fields, they are outstanding people who know the Program affords them the opportunity to render exceptional service not only to American organizations, but to the nation as a whole. They are Baldrige Examiners. Baldrige Examiners: Outstanding People, Exceptional Service Every year, a wide variety of organizations pursuing a wide variety of objectives apply for the Baldrige Award. Since its inception, well over 1,000 have done so. Each application is carefully evaluated by Baldrige Examiners who, themselves, have been carefully evaluated. Dr. Harry Hertz ”The selection of volunteers to serve as Baldrige Examiners is done through a competitive process. We have criteria that we use for selecting Baldrige Examiners and those criteria include in-depth knowledge of one or more of the Criteria categories. [Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and Market Focus, Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management, Workforce Focus, Process Management, Results] Then we look for expertise in industry sectors where we know, based on recent trends, we'll be receiving applications. And, then, finally, we look for characteristics that are needed to be a good Examiner…characteristics like good oral communication, good written communication, skills at leading a team and participation in a team. So, everything you would expect of somebody who has to hit the ground running, join a team of people they don't previously know and then function at a high performing level.” Those chosen to become Examiners join the Baldrige Board of Examiners, serving a one-year term. They need to re-apply in subsequent years. Selection is a high honor. But beyond that, there are real and substantial rewards. Jackie Beede ”Most of what I believe I get from the program is such a sense of contribution, contributing to the success of other organizations, contributing to the success of the country, helping America grow and thrive and become much more competitive." LaWanda Burwell ”If you're a Baldrige examiner, you're always thinking about improving, making more connections, being more systematic. And whether you have a large department to run or whether you're an individual, if you're thinking of your work in that fashion, it is helpful to your organization.” Dr. Patricia Martinez ”I have been able to expand my knowledge base in many areas such as finance or education and broaden my experience with quality, as well as learn about other industries' performance and that allows me to become more innovative within my own organization.” Each year, a third of the Board of Examiners turns over, assuring a continual re-energizing through the infusion of new people with fresh ideas about quality, ideas that all Examiners can take back to their organizations and communities. Examiners who combine a strong commitment to the program with leadership ability can be named Senior Examiners. David Branch ”Senior Examiners have demonstrated great criteria knowledge through multiple experience as an Examiner. Also, the team leadership skills to facilitate a group in accurately assessing an applicant.” Further, each year, several Examiners are recommended to be included in a pool of candidates from which 12 Baldrige Judges are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. ”About two thirds of them are experienced Examiners, those who really understand the Criteria and the process of examination so they know what's going on in the field. And another third are considered outside judges who come [from] without that experience, but bring a fresh perspective and that fresh set of eyes about what is going on out there. The next most important thing is that we have broad sector experience on the Judges, just like a given Examiner team.” Every returning Examiner takes a three-day Examiner Preparation Course, while those who are new or are named as Senior Examiners participate in four-day sessions. Dr. Frank Toda ”One of the things that this annual training does for me...is it gives me those fine tools of leadership in terms of communications, strategic planning, focusing on core values, developing measures and metrics that make a difference. These tools are built right into the training program for Baldrige.” John Timmerman ”What you learn in the course applies not only to the examination process, but also to your professional career. The fundamentals of the Baldrige Criteria for excellence apply not only to the applicants, but they're transferable to any business, including the one that you work in.” ”The Baldrige Preparation Course is very experiential in nature, rather than being lectured to or doing a lot of reading. It’s hands-on experience. It's a great learning experience and I've always told people it's probably the best training I ever received.” Examiners play key roles in the vital process of selecting Baldrige National Quality Award recipients. They are called on to scrutinize applications, but more than that are asked to respond to those applications with comments which form the basis of feedback reports prepared for all Baldrige applicants. These reports, independent external assessments of an organization's strengths and opportunities for improvement, are of enormous benefit to applicants, and of immeasurable value in helping them become better. ”The feedback reports are…they’re gold...it is the output product, if you will, of being an Examiner and, so, as an Examiner, that is where we put a lot of energy, making sure that we capture the right words to convey the message in terms of strengths and opportunities for improvement.” ”In any organization, even if you're in the leadership position, you need ammunition to help the organization get better. The feedback report is a wonderful way to provide that ammunition to the leader because it does describe the strengths and opportunities for improvement of the organization. It is in written form and you can come back to it and revisit it, and it allows the entire organization to see what it is that an outside team of experts recommended to them and gives them the opportunity to improve.” ”I was talking to a bank president last week...I told him about the feedback report...and he said, ‘and I can get this for the price of the application?’ And I said, “you absolutely are correct.” And he said, 'Why wouldn't I do this? I can bring a consultant in, I'll pay him $100,000.00, but I can write a check for the application and I'll get seven times better of a review of my organization.’ ” Evaluating applications and developing feedback reports, while major Examiner responsibilities, are just part of what they are called on to do. Not only do they take the knowledge they gain as Examiners back to their own organizations–which have allowed them to contribute their time–but, as ambassadors for the Baldrige Program, they spread its message as widely as possible. And they do so with an enthusiasm that makes clear how deeply they are committed to the Program. ”And we encourage them to go out and speak broadly about what they've learned about the Baldrige Program, not what they've learned from an individual applicant since that's considered proprietary, but about the Criteria, about the lessons learned, about good practices in general and to share those broadly with organizations across the U.S. because the goal of the program is really educational.” The Baldrige National Quality Program has been called the most successful public- private partnership in American history because it has made organizational quality and high performance more than national goals–it has made them national priorities. Baldrige Examiners have been an essential component in that success. These outstanding people have rendered exceptional service to the Program and, through it, to the country. ”This is an experience that cannot be replicated...you learn how to think systematically about work in an organization. You get an opportunity to work with other people who are of the same mind about that. You get an opportunity to look at some of the highest performing organizations in the country to see what they do as best practices. And, you get a chance to give them feedback. To me, that's an immeasurable experience.” |
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Website comments: nqp@nist.gov Date created: 3/10/2008 Last updated: 3/12/2008 |