Harry Hertz

Advisor, author, and speaker

Harry Hertz retired in June 2013 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where he had served as director of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program since 1995. For more than 15 years he was the primary architect of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, responsible for expansion of the Baldrige Program and Award to healthcare, education, and nonprofits, including government. Hertz serves on the advisory group for the U.S. Veterans Health Administration’s Center for Applied Healthcare Studies, and on the adjunct faculty of American University. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, and a Ph.D. from MIT.

Mon, 06/24/2024 - 12:34
The Customer Is Always Right. Right?Or are your employees more important?
Thu, 12/01/2022 - 12:03
The saying is nothing new: The customer is always right. Customers come first. We’ve heard these adages for a long time. And we’ve questioned them for almost as long. Those of you who know me know that I’ve certainly been doing that for a long time…
Do You Have an Organizational Purpose, or Is It Mere Propaganda?Commitment to making a difference is what really matters
Tue, 10/11/2022 - 12:02
In a recent blog of mine about CEO challenges and opportunities in 2022, the first opportunity listed was to determine how to make a difference. As stated, employees, customers, and investors want to associate with organizations that serve a larger…
The Hybrid Workspace, Societal Well-Being, and ProductivityA proposal for the future of work
Tue, 02/22/2022 - 12:02
Hybrid workspace, societal well-being, and productivity: On the surface, these three concepts aren’t obviously related. But permit me to explore each of them in the context of our current environment, and then conclude with a proposal for…
Truly and Virtually Inspiring: The First Virtual Quest for Excellence ConferenceNine takeaways from Baldrige recipients
Wed, 06/16/2021 - 12:01
Each year after the Quest for Excellence Conference, I sift through my notes and try to identify themes I have heard in the presentations of the new Baldrige Award recipients. The most recent summary was after the 2019 conference (the 2021…
Are You A Role Model Leader for 2021?These are some of the changes leaders must make in their personal roles and attributes
Wed, 03/10/2021 - 12:01
Untitled Document This past year has seen greater change in the work environment than any year in my recollection (and that is quite a few years). It was a year of many challenges, brought on by a global pandemic and a renewed and needed social…
The New Normal Will Require RE2ST3The keys to strategic success and employee engagement are transparency, communication, and empowerment
Wed, 09/02/2020 - 12:03
Rest? The new normal will be about activity, you say. Actually, I believe some rest will be necessary. After the frenzy of activity since March 2020 to establish new work patterns and new home life patterns, many of us—especially those with young…
Now Is the Time for Your Local Community to Choose ExcellenceCommunities of Excellence 2026 can help communities work together using a Baldrige-based, community-centric framework
Thu, 07/09/2020 - 12:02
Communities across America have long struggled with systemic issues, such as education disparities, income inequality, access to healthcare, diversity and inclusion, and inequalities in economic opportunity. When these issues are addressed, they are…
It’s 2020. Is Your CEO Thinking About Perpetual Reinvention?What keeps CEOs up at night?
Tue, 02/04/2020 - 12:03
It has been a little more than two years since I last summarized the topics that are keeping CEOs up at night, either thinking about challenges their organizations face, or opportunities and innovations that should be explored. I ended that column…
OK Watson, Am I Going to Quit?If ‘yes,’ tell me why
Wed, 01/08/2020 - 12:02
‘I have been offered a significant increase in salary by another employer and am giving my two-week notice.” My guess is that this is the most common reason given when employees quit their current job. But is salary the real reason most employees…
Are You a Role-Model Leader?Attributes and behaviors based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework
Tue, 09/17/2019 - 12:03
What are the key attributes and behaviors for a role model, visionary leader? About six years ago, a task force of Baldrige-community senior executives under the leadership of Kathy Herald-Marlowe was charged with drafting a set of senior leader…