|
|
 |
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony Remarks by
Dale Crownover, Mr. Vice President… Mr. Secretary… members of the Baldrige family… fellow Award recipients… examiners, judges, staff… family, friends, ladies and gentleman: We thank you for this grand and historic award. It is grand because it confirms the results of our doing business “The Baldrige Way” over the six years since the first time we received the Award. To receive it again, we had to answer a lot of questions. We still gave our common sense answers. For example, doing business “The Baldrige Way,” we changed our leadership system from managers telling employees what to do, to co-workers listening to each other. None of us need to be governed by fear. In America, all of us want to help govern, with deep respect for each other. We linked our sales, production, and accounting software and databases to our Intranet. We built it ourselves, the Texas way: simple, no bells, or whistles. Our Real-Time Dashboard™ and Pipeline Dashboard™ provide immediate tracking of our key measures, such as non-conformances. By achieving less than 1 percent defects, we realized better on-time delivery, decreases in cycle time, higher levels of employee and customer satisfaction. The result: a sustained, positive trend in retained earnings. We look at receiving the Baldrige Award for the second time as historic for several reasons you might not expect. For sure, it reminds us, again, of the difference between the builders of the Titanic and Noah’s Ark. Professionals built the Titanic and it sank; amateurs built the Ark and it saved humankind. It also confirms a characteristic of those of us from Texas. Whenever we are told we can never win the first time, let alone a second time, we recall the secret of the Alamo. On the day of the final battle, an unknown Texan may have spoken to those gathered in prayer: “Today, when you fight for freedom, remember Jesus said ‘Fear is useless; what is needed is trust.’ Trust God. He will never forget our courage under fire. He will always remember the Alamo!” Mr. Vice President, we add our thanks to you for your continuing efforts to improve the nation’s economy and to support the Baldrige Program. Knowing you have deep roots in Texas as well as in Wyoming, let me take this opportunity to share with you, as one cowboy to another, an idea that comes from years of working in the oilfields of quality that you help us celebrate today. We believe it is time, and we are prepared to work with your Administration and Congress, to find ways to provide better and continuing incentives for all organizations to participate in Baldrige Programs. Like our Texas forefathers at the Alamo, we want to draw a line in the sands of time and invite all organizations to join us in building a better world for our children and grandchildren and encourage the next generations to pursue happiness by doing business “The Baldrige Way.” Finally, Mr. Vice President, as you and President Bush stand for liberty, please know that we stand with you. May God bless America.
created on 7/21/05
|
