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
Never Trust a BananaIn business, as with bananas, look at the condition, peel it and examine the inside, scrutinize the surrounding area
Wed, 07/03/2019 - 12:03
This blog, “Blogrige,” is about organizational performance, but first I need to set the stage. One of the most prized commodities in many organizations, including mine, is space. Space is tight. Organizational (business) units are always looking to…
Avoid Startling StatisticsDo you have the data for your organization?
Mon, 05/13/2019 - 12:02
Recently I’ve seen some startling statistics from Gallup and Glassdoor about employee and customer engagement. I hope those statistics do not represent data from any organization you or I associate with. The actions of senior leaders, as well as…
Keep on LearningTake stock and pick up the trash
Tue, 07/31/2018 - 12:02
I recently read a blog post by Mary Jo Asmus titled “Eight Unexpected Ways to Continue to Develop Yourself As a Leader.“ Some ways were more obvious (to me) than others, and I will quickly summarize all of them below. However, my main takeaway was…
Love and ExcellenceHere are six themes that led five organizations on their Baldrige journeys
Wed, 05/02/2018 - 12:01
The greatest challenge I have each year when I return from the Baldrige Program’s annual Quest for Excellence Conference is prioritizing the most important messages for me and my organization, whether that is my work organization, volunteer…
On Innovation, Intelligent Risks, and Leaking Sinks Not all out-of-the-box ideas are intelligent risks leading to innovation
Tue, 02/27/2018 - 12:01
The Baldrige Excellence Framework encourages organizations to create an environment for innovation by pursuing intelligent risks. How do you know whether a new idea is an intelligent risk, and therefore worth pursuing? How do you know if the…
A Time for RenewalShort subscription cycles for charities and magazines are off-putting for customers
Thu, 06/29/2017 - 12:01
The title to this column probably has you thinking about some life-changing transition or a big vacation to refresh, or maybe a new exercise regimen. If that is the case, I am sorry to disappoint you. I’m actually about those renewal reminders for…
Heads Up, OED10 suggestions for the venerable lexicon
Wed, 10/26/2016 - 14:48
Yes, it’s time for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) to pay attention! Having recently seen an article in The Guardian about the new additions to the OED, it seemed a good time to take a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at the 10 words I would…
A Word for Busy LivesFrom hectic to happy in six syllables
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 14:59
I recently returned from the ASQ World Conference in Milwaukee. After going through security in Terminal C at the Milwaukee Airport, there was an area (as is typical) for putting shoes back on, and reassembling belongings and yourself. What was…
What Is a Leader to Do?What do employees expect?
Thu, 05/26/2016 - 16:47
I recently read an HBR blog by Sunnie Giles that reported the results of a study of 195 leaders representing 30 global organizations. The leaders were asked to identify the most important competencies for leadership. The study reminded me of a…
Effective Use of Social MediaThe Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence can help
Tue, 05/24/2016 - 12:35
In 2013, the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence started asking questions related to an organization’s use of social media. An emphasis was placed on effective use of social media. In the early days of this criteria change, many users of…