Downloads - free

We put here some of our own papers and slides that we have produced on the subject of Excellence which can be downloaded (each one opens in a new window). Unless indicated they are consistent with the 2010 EFQM Excellence Model. Feel free to use the information they contain for your own non-commercial use, but they are our copyright so we would appreciate attribution. We would clearly not want to see them used by others for gain.

Current papers

"Thoughts on the definition of Organisational Excellence": a short note with some of our further thoughts on the 2010 definition of Excellence to try to be helpful. It also shows the alignment between porridge and the Excellence Model!
"The Fundamental Concepts of Organisational Excellence - A Blueprint for Success": our own brief overview of the Fundamental Concepts on which the EFQM Excellence Model 2010 is based. The Concepts do not represent a tick box-style ready made blueprint, but they are a blueprint for your thought processes about running any organisation for long term sustainability.
"Self-assessing for Excellence" : a brief introduction to understanding your organisation with the EFQM Excellence Model. It was first written for our good friend David Howard of Management-NewStyle (whose own site can be reached via our Links page). This paper still relates to the old Model, but the approaches are still relevant.
"It's assessment, Jim, but not as you know it" : some creative uses of the EFQM Excellence Model, including assessing effectiveness of project design and implementation, and supplier/partner selection. (There is also a version entitled "Creativity in the practical application of the EFQM Excellence Model", which is the same except for the more traditional title - email us via the Contact Us page if you prefer this version.) This paper still relates to the old Model, but the approaches are still relevant.
"How many reasons for not using the EFQM Excellence Model are just excuses?" : a short article giving some typical reasons heard for not using the Model, and our comments about them.
"The 2006 Companies Act: UK Company Law catches up with the EFQM Excellence Model!": Section 172 of the UK's Companies Act 2006 embeds the concept of Enlightened Shareholder Value (ESV) into company law. It is now one of company directors' statutory responsibilities, and has some strong resemblances to the Excellence Model. Derek suggests that there may be benefits in using the Model if you want to manage according to the spirit of the law, not just the letter.
An Excellence publication in Russian. This article was led by our good friend Dmitri Maslow and his colleague Alex Shestakov, who then invited Derek to join them as authors and contribute some of our thinking. It was published (July 2006) in the journal 'Methods of Quality Management' in Russia, and we thank them for allowing us to use a copy: 'A Useful Model from the EFQM: Preventive Maintenance of a Management System'.
Not a download, but put here as a relevant home for it. Derek was invited by leading UK management writer Bob Heller to contribute an article for a journal he edits called CEO Today. An identical electronic version was also used on The Thinking CEO website, part of a larger site run by Bob Heller and Edward de Bono. Approved by EFQM, and summarising the research that has shown that the Excellence Model can work, the article can be read on The Thinking CEO.

Copies of slides

Excellence Model and Balanced Scorecard alignment: this slide has been asked for many times after our presentations, and shows one simple alignment between the Model and the Scorecard. There is close similarity between the result areas of the two frameworks, and we believe that a key benefit of both is that their use encourages thinking about how results are achieved, and how the organisation's strategy is delivered. The arrows on the diagram represent the 'Review' for improvement that is appropriate for both approaches. The main difference, in our minds, is the timing of use: balanced scorecard is typically used for managing on an ongoing basis, whereas the comprehensive 'health check' of an Excellence Model self-assessment is typically carried out annually at most.
'Initiative Overload': another frequently requested pair of slides. The first shows a random selection of organisational initiatives - in the private and public sectors. We do not claim it is comprehensive, but it is illustrative of some of the ideas that people face. The second slide shows how the same initiatives can be allocated to the 9 Criteria of the Excellence Model - which can help to bring a degree of order to what can sometimes feel like chaos. It is much simplified, as most initiatives will impact more than one Criterion, but the most affected is shown here. The idea of the slides is quite old, but they still seem relevant for many people we speak with!

Miscellaneous

Management Baloney Generator: based on a shorter buzzword generator we saw many years ago, we've put together a framework with which you can create your own three word (meaningful or meaningless) management phrase. Don't worry about attributing if using this one - it's only a bit of humour!

Earlier papers

The following articles are earlier versions that have been updated and superseded by those shown above in the list of current papers. We know that some students use references to our articles in their work, dissertations, etc, and so we feel it may be helpful to leave some early versions here - they are mainly ones where changes have been more substantive.