The Core Values Partners Process

The Core Values Partners Process is based on years of experience in helping organizations drive improvement using the Baldrige Criteria.  Our focus is on driving measureable improvement, not on winning an award.  The irony of the award application process is that those who are applying just to win an award will not have the "leadership guts" to drive the process improvement required to win the Baldrige Award.  Those who are goal-oriented, and have the drive to want to be recognized as the best, are the ones that eventually may be a Baldrige Award recipient.

Core Values Partners focuses on aligning an organization's efforts with the Baldrige Core Values.  These Core Values are the foundation of the Criteria.  If an organization identifies the Core Values as being in alignment with their own values and direction, then the Baldrige Criteria are the road map to help them get there.

1. Awareness
Core Values Partners will help your leadership team understand the Baldrige Criteria and its value as a systematic management system that drives improved outcomes.  The output of the Awareness step is commitment to the journey by senior leadership, based on an understanding of the Baldrige process.

2. Assessment
Core Values Partners will conduct an initial assessment of your organization against the Baldrige Criteria to help focus and align your improvement efforts.  Output of the Assessment step is a report with Strengths, Opportunities for Improvement, and a Baldrige-based benchmark score against which to assess future progress, as well as increased understanding of the Baldrige process.

3. Application
Core Values Partners will coach your organization through application development in preparation for applying at the state or national level.  We will also help prepare your organization for a site visit.  We will also work with your leaders to ensure the most effective use of the application in driving performance excellence efforts.

 4. Advancement
Core Values Partners will assist your organization in using the feedback report to prioritize and accelerate your improvement efforts.  Mature organizations in the Baldrige process recognize the great value of the feedback report in identifying the organizations Strengths - and how they can be reinforced - and Opportunities for Improvement (OFIs) - and how they can be the basis for continuous and breakthrough improvement.