Baldrige Is the Enemy of Good
“Good is the enemy of great.”
I’ve used that line more than once when talking to senior leaders. It’s the first sentence of Jim Collins’ groundbreaking book, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap (HarperCollins, 2001).
I then add, “Baldrige is the enemy of good.”
An organization that considers itself good at what it does is unlikely to score more than 300 points of a possible 1,000 on its first Baldrige assessment. Most organizations respond to this performance in one of three ways:
- They discount the validity of the score and walk away from the Baldrige process.
- They make the comfortable improvements and leave the basic systems untouched.
- They pursue performance excellence by transforming their management systems.
Those who choose “a” or “b” may continue to be good but they are unlikely to become great unless they are compelled to change. But then, not every organization has greatness in its future.
Jim Collins has recognized the impact Baldrige can have: “I see the Baldrige process as a powerful set of mechanisms for disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action to create great organizations that produce exceptional results.”
Baldrige is the enemy of good.
Help grow our community: 
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...
