Building Trust and Stability in Time of Uncertainty — Apr 29 IN-PERSON Twin Ports PEN Discussion

Great leaders prioritize the well-being of those they serve, especially in times of chaos. By fostering a sense of belonging and care, they provide much-needed stability for their teams. And during times of uncertainty, effective communication becomes critical. The Performance Excellence Network is pleased to host an IN PERSON discussion on Tuesday, April 29 from [...]

2025-04-06T17:35:29-05:00April 6, 2025|

Leading Through Crisis: A Panel Discussion — April 17 PEN Webinar

There’s a lot going on these days. A lot. Businesses and organizations are facing increasing uncertainty and a growing number of complex challenges: the federal budget freeze, federal agencies closing or shrinking, the new (and potentially escalating tariffs), as well as shifting national policy (in areas such as immigration and DEI) are resulting in uncertain organizational budgets, [...]

2025-04-13T09:33:33-05:00March 22, 2025|

Best Practices in Building & Maintaining an Inclusive Culture — May 1 PEN Webinar

Regardless of what you call it, an organization’s success depends on having an engaged workforce that benefits from meaningful work, clear organizational direction, the opportunity to learn and grow, and accountability for performance.  The workforce must also have a safe, trusting, inclusive, and cooperative environment – an inclusive culture that capitalizes on and supports the [...]

2025-04-07T13:46:28-05:00March 22, 2025|

Achieving EXtraordinary Together: 38 Insights to Excellence — Mar 2025

There's a lot going on these days.  A lot.  Businesses and organizations are facing increasing uncertainty and a growing number of complex challenges: the federal budget freeze, federal agencies closing or shrinking, the new (and potentially escalating tariffs), as well as shifting national policy (in areas such as immigration and DEI) are resulting in uncertain [...]

2025-03-22T13:35:51-05:00March 22, 2025|

Moving from Checkers to Chess: 7 Strategies for Leaders to Navigate Today’s Chaos – February 2025

Sometimes the topic for my newsletter article just comes to me.  Last week I ran across a podcast (and companion newsletter) published by Jo Saxton, a nationally known speaker, author, and leadership coach.  Before I share a portion of it, let me start by saying my column is not about politics -- everything PEN does [...]

2025-02-25T16:46:34-06:00February 25, 2025|

igniteEX 2025: Achieving EXtraordinary Together!

The region’s largest, most powerful conference focused on continuous improvement and organizational excellence! April 10-11, Mystic Lake Conference Center (and on demand!) Hosted in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and the Iowa Quality Center. Time is Running Out -- Register Today! Information

2025-03-22T10:04:02-05:00February 22, 2025|

Insights to Excellence: An igniteEX Prequel — March 20 PEN Webinar

In many ways, what’s required for organizational excellence these days has changed: there are new work environments (such as hybrid), severe talent shortages, emerging technologies (like artificial intelligence).  But in other ways, nothing has changed: we still need to satisfy our customers; we still need to engage our teams; and we still need to improve & innovate [...]

2025-03-03T16:08:37-06:00February 22, 2025|

Leadership is a Conversation — Feb 20 PEN Webinar

Amazingly, 68% of leaders are afraid to communicate to their teams. And, since so much of our leadership spans from our staff and employees to our customers and stakeholders, we as leaders are required to be skillful at ensuring people love working in our communities. The Performance Excellence Network — in partnership with the Wisconsin Center [...]

2025-01-28T09:25:28-06:00January 28, 2025|

Unlocking the Power of Employee Engagement — Feb 6 PEN Webinar

Sustained organizational success requires having an engaged workforce that benefits from meaningful work, clear organizational direction, the opportunity to learn, and accountability for performance.  The simple truth is: engaged workers leads to satisfied, engaged customers.  But today -- with work environments continuing to evolve and employees' needs and expectations shifting -- how do organizations stimulate [...]

2025-01-14T12:45:04-06:00January 13, 2025|

Leading with Love: Insights on Leadership and on Life — December 2024

It’s not often I use this column to write a “book report,” but I was recently made aware that one of our members -- Connie Delaney, Dean at the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing -- wrote a book on leadership: Leading with Love.  I thought I’d just skim it (I have probably 30 books [...]

2024-12-18T14:03:44-06:00December 18, 2024|
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