Complexity Is Simpler Than You Think

Kay Kendall and Glenn Bodinson, authors of Leading the Malcolm  Baldrige Way, shatter myths about excellence models such as Baldrige and EFQM.

- Kay Kendall and Glenn Bodinson

1. excellence models are too complicated

Quite the contrary. All these models do is provide a list of processes that successful organizations have and ask about your processes for accomplishing the same important actions. It is true that there has to be some complexity to any good management model because today’s businesses compete in a very complex and competitive environment. An excellence model that is relevant to today’s businesses will reflect that complexity. But complex should not be confused with complicated. Within complexity, we see important relationships and linkages.

The Baldrige Excellence Framework (and its related European model, EFQM) provides a holistic approach for leaders to view their organizations as a system rather than a collection of siloed departments or business units. Its non-prescriptive approach means that all existing quality initiatives, such as Lean or Six Sigma, can easily be integrated under the framework. The framework provides this non-prescriptive approach in two ways. First, it begins with an organizational profile; this sets the context for the organization. The questions in the profile provoke dialog among senior leaders to understand if they are on the same page regarding how the organization operates to drive its strategy. It takes a tacit agreement on what is most important to the organization and makes it explicit. Second, the framework is comprised of questions that ask senior leaders to consider how their organizations should do things rather than dictating a specific approach. This allows executives to use the approaches that align with their organizations’ vision, mission, and values. Nothing could be simpler than alignment and execution.

2. implementing an excellence model is too expensive