Building a Foundation for Success: Performance Excellence Journey

Abstract

The civil engineering profession has long recognized the need for engineers at all levels to enhance their technical expertise with business, leadership, and management capabilities. During its 17-year journey to strengthen the organization, Freese and Nichols found the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria to be the most effective guide for building leadership and management skills that deliver planned, sustainable business success. To help educate other engineering firms about the benefits of adopting performance excellence strategies, this article describes the impact of strategic planning and leadership development in building a foundation for organizational success.