In Pursuit of Higher Performance - Part I of II by Gerry Brokaw and John Mullins

In Pursuit of Higher Performance - Part I of II has been published by the Public Manager, The Quarterly for Practitioners, (Winter 2006-2007, Vol. 35, Number 4) by Gerry Brokaw and John Mullins.

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Excerpt from opening paragraphs:

Working in today’s federal government is challenging, at times overwhelming. In their service to the American public, federal executives and managers must cope with numerous, varied problems: large deficits, demands for discretionary dollars to fund the global war on terror, a possible flu pandemic, rebuilding communities stricken by Hurricane Katrina, and sending astronauts to space. The people expect them to resolve these problems through competent, effective management that uses the best practices available—from business and elsewhere—while complying with federal law and undergoing congressional scrutiny. How do they do it?

This is the first of two articles that offer federal executives and managers an approach for pursuing higher performance in their organizations. This well-documented, blended method has demonstrated success in the private and public sectors. It is an intellectual journey of introspection and discovery, not a cookbook, which starts with a few simple questions and ends with a method for assessing an organization’s effectiveness. Our approach is based on the integration of the High Performance Organization Diagnostic/Change Model (HPO Model) and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria.

Gerald S. Brokaw was the primary instructor at the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) Leadership Academy, a principal in the Commonwealth Centers for High Performance Organizations, and president of the Charleston Center for High Performance Organizations. He can be reached at gbrokaw@highperformanceorg.com. John M. Mullins, a former strategic human capital advisor to the PCIE, is currently a Malcolm Baldrige nationalquality award examiner. He can be reached at mullinism@aol.com.