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
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…
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…