Course Descriptions

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Training Schedule

Click here to download the Sterling Training Registration Form 2011-2012

Ft. Lauderdale

Date Requirement Type Of Training Location
Aug 30, 2011 Sterling Criteria 2012-2013 Ft. Lauderdale Directions
Sept 13, 2011 Criteria II – Integration Ft. Lauderdale Directions
Sept 14, 2011 Evaluating Applications Ft. Lauderdale Directions

Orlando

Date Requirement Type Of Training Location
Aug 31, 2011 Sterling Criteria 2012-2013 Orlando Directions
Sept 7, 2011 Criteria II – Integration Orlando Directions
Sept 8, 2011 Evaluating Applications Orlando Directions
Sept 21, 2011 Sterling Criteria 2012-2013 Orlando Directions
Sept 22, 2011 Criteria II Intergration Orlando Directions

Tallahassee

Date Requirement Type Of Training Location
Aug 31, 2011 Sterling Criteria 2012-2013 Tallahassee Directions
Sept 27, 2011 Criteria II – Integration Tallahassee Directions
Sept 28, 2011 Evaluating Applications Tallahassee Directions

Tampa

Date Requirement Type Of Training Location
Aug 24, 2011 Sterling Criteria 2012-2013 Tampa Directions
Sept 27, 2011 Criteria II – Integration Tampa Directions
Sept 28, 2011 Evaluating Applications Tampa Directions

Largo

Date Requirement Type Of Training Location
Oct 26-28, 2011 Examiner Training Largo Directions
Nov 2-4, 2011 Examiner Training Largo Directions

Location: Gus A Stavros Institute, 12100 Starke Road

2012-2013 Sterling Criteria I: Managing for Sustainability

  • Do you know the best practices used by excellent organizations to achieve exemplary results?
  • Do you use a systematic approach to organizational improvement?

This interactive workshop introduces the Sterling Management System Framework and centers on the seven categories of best practices upon which the system is based: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Customer Focus; Measurement, Analysis, & Knowledge Management; Workforce Focus; Process Management; and Results. Through lecture, discussion of Sterling Award recipient examples, and table exercises, participants will understand how linking vision, strategies, measures, and processes enables their organizations to improve communication, productivity, and effectiveness. Participants will take away from this training key learnings and an organizational profile template which will enable them to:

  • Identify important sustainability factors for their organizations
  • Determine organizational strengths, opportunities, and goals using validated standards of excellence – the Criteria; and
  • Engage and unite leaders and the workforce to accomplish goals by establishing a culture of high performance.

Click here for additional information on why you should attend Sterling Criteria

STERLING Criteria II: Connections

Criteria II provides a more in-depth understanding of the Sterling Management System and its requirements. This training will immerse participants in examining the connections between the Organizational Profile, the six approach categories, and the results category. Through lecture, exercises, discussion, and excerpts from Governor’s Sterling Award and Baldrige Award recipients, participants will:

  • Gain a better understanding of the key concepts of Approach (what you do), Deployment (how you communicate and implement your approach), Learning (evaluate and improve), and Integration (how it all strategically ties together); see how some role model organizations created the "Golden Thread" from the Organizational Profile and Strategy through Results
  • Learn how to ensure a link between strategies and the design and management of work systems and processes
  • Understand how to target the "right measures" and how they may mature during implementation strategies
  • Take away a Criteria Connections Matrix to use as a problem solving tool which will enable them to target improvement opportunities through the use of the Criteria Connections Matrix.

    • LEADING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

    Prerequisite: Introduction to the Sterling Criteria or Equivalent

    Based on customer requests, this updated training focuses on more practices of successful leaders as they focus on making the organization better for all stakeholders. Participants will explore linkages between Leadership and other categories and learn from great practices of other leaders.

    Through lecture, exercises, leadership articles, and real-life examples, participants will:

    • Learn key elements of high performing leadership systems and how to create a culture of excellence
    • Learn the impact of environmental scans and innovation on strategic planning
    • Learn how to engage and lead people through change
    • Complete an individual or team leadership assessment and create an action plan for improvement

    Take-aways: Environmental Scan and Leadership Assessment Tools

    One Day: Offered as Organizational Training

    BEGINNING PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

    Requirement: At least 3 people who work in the same process must attend as a team.

    This course is targeted for the front-line workforce. We start with a short overview of the Sterling Management System and how process improvement fits in the big picture. Prior to training, participants should determine the process they would like to improve, and come prepared with any available information or data.

    Through discussion and hands-on exercises, participants will:

    • Define the perceived need for process improvement
    • Use a beginning Plan, Do, Check, Act Model to evaluate their current process
    • Learn about and use beginning quality tools
    • Identify gaps in the existing process
    • Determine strategies for improvement
    • Create an action plan to implement the process improvement and review progress

    Take-aways: Beginning Quality Tool Pack and Improvements for your own Process

    One Day: Offered as Organizational Training

    UNDERSTANDING THE STERLING NAVIGATOR

    • What if you just want to get started in the process and people don’t know the language?
    • What if you want to complete a Navigator self-assessment at the same time?

    This facilitated session includes guiding employees through performance excellence terminology and examples so they have a better understanding of the questions in the Navigator survey. As a result, your organization receives a higher level of feedback.

    1/2-day and full-day sessions available

    BUILDING YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE

    Prerequisite: Introduction to Sterling Criteria or Equivalent

    Requirement for Regional Training: At least 3 people from your organization must attend as a team.

    • Do all employees know the critical success factors for your organization?
    • Would they all agree on the same ones?
    • What are the key challenges you face?
    • How do you incorporate this information in strategic planning?

    Completing an Organizational Profile is the first step in the self-assessment process. It defines who you are as an organization, what’s important to you and your customers/stakeholders, and what core and support processes are critical to desired results. The Profile includes your organization’s culture, environment, relationships, and competitive environment. Also included are strategic challenges, and performance improvement systems you have in place.

    In this facilitated workshop your team will:

    • Outline answers to Profile questions (suggested - bring one laptop per team)
    • Determine critical success factors
    • Determine key challenges and how they may impact your strategic plan
    • Determine existing gaps in information and how to fill them
    • Determine opportunities for improvement that can be assigned to work teams
    • Create an action plan to complete, review, and communicate the draft Organizational Profile for additional feedback

    Take-away: Profile, Process Categories, Results - Connections Matrix

    One Day: Offered as Organizational Training

    ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT TRAINING: MEASURING YOUR ORGANIZATION AGAINST WORLD-CLASS STANDARDS

    • Does your organization want a fast-track start in assessing itself for performance excellence?
    • Do you want to identify parts of the system you have in place and some gaps you can start to address?

    This course includes an intensive study of the Sterling Criteria and Core Values that drive high performance in organizations. You will identify key business factors, build your organizational profile, create a basic outline of your organizations processes that address each category of the Criteria, and create an action plan for using that information to write a Sterling Challenge application or just to use for organizational improvement.

    Three-day Training
    We recommend sending teams to this training or scheduling on-site. Individuals, of course, are also welcome.

    BALANCED SCORECARD FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE

      • Are you getting the results you want?
      • How do you begin with the end in mind?
      • Are you measuring the right things?

      A Balanced Scorecard helps organizations examine and balance measures needed to drive improvement results and satisfy all stakeholders. Learn to identify these measures and link them back to your organization's improvement efforts.

      One and Two-day sessions available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      LEADING TO PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE

      • Do you have leaders, managers or a leadership system?
      • What are some of the best practices in leadership?
      • How does leadership impact organizational results?

      Leadership is critical to driving performance excellence in an organization. Learn how you can lead the change, support the performance improvement process, and begin to preserve knowledge in an environment of constant change.

      One-Day session available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: LEADING A LEARNING ORGANIZATION

      • What is knowledge management and why is it important?
      • How does your organization build, share, and use personal and organizational knowledge?
      • How does knowledge management drive organizational goals?

      Knowledge Management is critical to organizational efficiency and success. As employees move to other jobs or retire, you lose valuable experience and information. Learn how to put systems in place to preserve that knowledge. Organizational information is part of the Knowledge Management System. Storing, filing, and finding information becomes an issue that affects availability to the people who need it to make daily decisions.

      One Day session available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      GETTING STARTED ON THE STERLING CHALLENGE

      • What does it involve?
      • How do we form teams?
      • How do we engage other people?

      This training session focuses on how to develop your teams for maximum effectiveness in completing your Sterling Challenge application. Tips and tools for engaging other employees in your organization will be included.

      1/2-day or full-day session available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      HOW TO PREPARE A STERLING/BALDRIGE APPLICATION

      • What are some tips and tools you can use in compiling an application?
      • How do you determine the WOW’s and how do you highlight them?
      • What else do you need to know?

      This workshop will focus on the most effective approaches organizations have used to complete the application process for the Sterling Challenge or the Governor’s Sterling Award.

      1/2-day or full-day session available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      INTERNAL ASSESSORS TRAINING: BUILDING CAPACITY TO ASSESS ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND WRITE FEEDBACK FOR IMPROVEMENT

      • How can you build Performance Excellence expertise in your organization?
      • What if you can’t commit the time to becoming Sterling Examiners?
      • How can you evaluate and write feedback within your own organization to drive continuous improvement and organizational performance excellence?

      Participants will examine the Sterling assessment processes used to evaluate management practices. You will learn how key business factors shape the process, how to find key strengths and opportunities for improvement based on the Sterling Criteria and how to write relevant, understandable, and actionable feedback. Your team will also create an action plan for next steps in conducting an assessment of your organization.

      Three-day session available
      Prerequisite: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent

      EVALUATING APPLICATIONS ( PRE-WORK IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TRAINING )
      STERLING EXAMINERS ONLY

      This case study-based workshop is required for new examiners, recommended for return examiners, and designed to help participants interested in building internal expertise in their organizations. Participants will examine the Sterling assessment process used to evaluate management practices. As a result of this workshop, participants will learn how to:

      • identify key success factors from the Organizational Profile and how these key factors shape the evaluation process
      • evaluate and identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in Approach, Deployment, Learning, and Integration for the six Process Categories
      • evaluate the Results category
      • use the Scoring Guidelines to develop actionable feedback.

      Participants will take away from this training a Case Study Key Factors Worksheet, Process Item Worksheets for 3.2 and 6.2, and a Results Analysis Worksheet for 7.5.

      STERLING EXAMINER TRAINING
      STERLING EXAMINERS ONLY

      • What is the highest level of learning about this process that you can attain personally and to help your organization?

      This intensive training is part of your development as a Sterling Examiner. You will have completed your initial feedback report and will be working with a variety of teams to learn and improve your skills. Activities will include a reinforcement of your preliminary training, skill building in feedback consensus processes, and an overview of the site-visit process.

      Three-day session
      Prerequisites: Sterling Criteria Training or Equivalent
      Evaluating Applications
      *Required for all Sterling Examiners

      Click here for the Registration form and the Training Calendar