The 24th Annual Quest for Excellence® Conference was held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, DC. from 16-18 April 2012. This annual event is also the official award ceremony for the Malcolm Baldrige Award recipients which were the following organisations:
- Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo.
- Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Mich.
- Schneck Medical Center, Seymour, Ind.
- Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska
On the final day of the conference, Mr Harry Hertz, Director of the Baldrige Programme for Performance Excellence, presented a note of seven points. Mr Hertz initially drew the audience’s attention to the importance of good personal relations between organisations, the company’s board, its clients and the community. He then remarked on the commitment to company values and mission shown by each of the award winning organisations. Moreover, Mr Hertz pointed to the importance of open and transparent communication, of business spirit and innovation and the capacity of senior leaders to promote a culture of intelligent risk-taking. The sixth aspect involved the award winners giving examples on the use of technology, not as a goal in itself, but rather as a way of spreading their mission. Finally, Mr Hertz pointed out that “if all other things are done well” the finances will be in order, too.
This year’s conference was a great learning experience for all participants, however, the following year, which will be the initiative’s 25th anniversary, promises to be an even greater event.
Jorge Román, María Ivonne Johannsen, Alcalde Cristian Labbé, Eduardo Arancibia
David Spong, Jorge Román
Jorge Román, Harry Hertz, Cristián Labbé, María Ivonne Johannsen, Eduardo Arancibia
