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.

Thu, 05/15/2025 - 12:03
Heads Up, OED 10 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 Lives From 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 Media The 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…
In Search of Workforce Performance Excellence Why annual reviews have to go
Tue, 03/01/2016 - 14:44
Even before the landmark publication of In Search of Excellence in 1982, bosses realized that operational excellence gets accomplished through dedicated employees. Yet, to this day, many organizations stifle high performance through the annual…
Effective Communication: Try CELL Caring, explaining, listening, and living
Wed, 12/23/2015 - 15:18
During my 25 years with the Baldrige program, I have never come across an organization that couldn’t improve its communication, no matter how good it already is. The importance of effective communication is demonstrated by the many articles and…
As the Holiday Season Approaches... ... prepare yourself for three of the most dreaded words in the English language
Tue, 12/15/2015 - 14:49
Having recently bought some furniture at a big box store, I couldn’t help seeing these three dreaded words were boldly printed on the outside of the carton: “Some Assembly Required.” As I opened the box, I wondered what I’d find. Would there be…
The Boss and the Innovator Visionary bosses provide a supportive environment
Wed, 11/25/2015 - 09:24
I feel like I should start this article with something like: “An innovator and a boss walk into a bar....” But I don’t have a punch line to follow it, so I’ll stick to the facts. I recently read a blog post titled, “Think Like an Author, Not an…
What Comes After Teaching Leadership? Experiencing it
Mon, 11/09/2015 - 15:41
Business schools today have a renewed emphasis on teaching leadership. Dawn Bailey explored this topic in a recent Blogrige post. One of the principles behind this shift, she explained, is intended to cause a deep dive into values. And values-…
Leadership Behaviors That Count ... and benefit all organizations
Thu, 10/08/2015 - 13:04
As the following diagram of the Baldrige framework indicates, the basis of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence is a set of core values and concepts that are embedded in high-performing organizations. These core values and concepts (…