Leadership doesn’t begin when you step up on the first rung of the management ladder. One direct report doesn’t make you a leader; nor does 10. Yet, the moment you have direct reports, you are expected to lead. When you fail to demonstrate traits critical to successful leadership, the expectations of your colleagues and assistants are dashed.

With more than one million certifications issued, ISO 9001 is the world’s most widely adopted framework for quality management systems, helping companies achieve conformity of products and services to meet customer expectations and regulatory compliance. The ISO 9001 standard has become synonymous with quality and confidence, so much so that many global organizations have made certification by suppliers, partners, and solution providers a prerequisite to doing business.

I recently had the great experience of speaking as part of a panel on the value of the Baldrige Excellence Framework, but what meant the most to me was the chance, I hope, to dispel some common misconceptions about what the Baldrige is actually all about. And, no, it’s not just an “excellence award”—there’s so much more.

Layered Process Audits (LPAs) offer companies tremendous potential benefits, but they’re also more involved than other audits. They task all of a plant’s personnel - including multiple levels of management—and cover all key areas at varying intervals. Creating an LPA system that is truly effective and obtaining the best, most accurate results requires a solid plan and prepared personnel.

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Statistical process control (SPC) software has been around for decades, used by manufacturers across industries to help monitor process behavior and control quality on the shop floor. Like any technology, the software has evolved over the years into something much more than a tool for collecting quality data from a single manufacturing site.

We recently passed a milestone moment in the hearts and minds of fantasy fan boys like myself. October 21, 2015, marked the day that Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown traveled back to the future in the highly successful sequel, Back to the Future II.

Job candidates are familiar with being tested during the interview process. True, some interview processes are simply a series of meetings with company personnel, but in all honesty, that type of candidate screening is largely subjective.

Some organizations, or departments within organizations, add empirical skills tests into the mix. Highly advanced organizations may even ask candidates to take personality tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

The business proposal is an essential document not only for sales people but also for anyone who wants to submit a serious proposition for internal or external approval.

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Ihave watched my grandmother cook since I was very young, and she’s tried to teach me her ways. So far I’ve learned that when she tells you all you need is “a little of this, a little of that, and a pinch of this,” it’s definitely not going to come out as if she made it. That’s for sure. So, I’ve faced the facts: Cooking is hard work. You know what else is hard work? Maintaining quality within an organization.