What Sets High-Performing Organizations Apart?

Not all organizations achieve excellence. While many aspire to excellence, only some reach the level where results are not just consistent but stellar and improving across all dimensions of performance — from quality and service to financial health and workforce. The difference lies in the deliberate actions and commitments high-performing organizations make—choices that more average organizations often overlook or fail to prioritize.

As I have shared previously, the Baldridge Excellence Framework has been my inspiration for over 20 years and counting. Having first instilled the principles, approaches, and tools for organizational excellence across a rural community health system from my role as the Vice President of Planning & Organizational Excellence, I now find great joy in working with organizations across a range of health, human service, and non-profit sectors who aspire to create their excellence advantage. Some even start from a very modest position.

The Baldrige framework describes eleven Core Values and Concepts that are integral to high-performing organizations. These are elaborated in the Framework and full credit goes to the creators and updaters of this proven model of organizational excellence.

In brief, here are five of the Core Values of excellence:

(I will describe the others in a future edition.)

A systems perspective is one such hallmark. High-performing organizations don’t operate as a collection of silos; they view themselves as an interconnected ecosystem. Every part—patients/customers, providers, suppliers, and community partners—is aligned to a shared purpose. These organizations go beyond day-to-day operations, ensuring their strategic goals, workforce, and processes are integrated into a seamless whole. Where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Average organizations, by contrast, often struggle with fragmented systems, where misalignment leads to inefficiency and subpar results.

Visionary leadership is another defining trait. Leaders in high-performing organizations don’t just manage—they inspire and unify. They articulate a bold vision, align their teams around it, and foster cultures where innovation and improvement thrive. Importantly, they also hold themselves accountable, modeling ethical behavior and adaptability. In less effective organizations, leadership is often reactive, focused on short-term goals rather than transformative change.

Customer-/Patient-focused excellence distinguishes the best from the rest. While average organizations may focus on meeting basic standards, high performers understand that true excellence means anticipating customers’ needs, building trust, and fostering enduring loyalty. In healthcare organizations pursuing excellence, they prioritize equity, safety, and personalization, ensuring care goes beyond treatment to create meaningful patient relationships. Average organizations often overlook these nuances, missing the deeper connection that drives lasting patient satisfaction and true engagement.

Valuing people is a cornerstone of excellence. High-performing organizations don’t just employ staff; they empower them. They create cultures of inclusion, continuous learning, and mutual respect, understanding that an engaged workforce delivers better outcomes for patients and other customers. In contrast, less effective organizations often see workforce development as a secondary concern, missing the chance to unleash their teams’ full potential.

Agility and resilience set high-performing organizations apart. These organizations anticipate change, adapt quickly, and recover stronger. They view disruptions as opportunities to innovate and improve. Average organizations, on the other hand, often struggle to pivot, constrained by rigid systems and an inability to think beyond the immediate challenge.

The gap between average and excellent organizations isn’t a matter of chance—it’s the result of intentional choices. Excellence requires a commitment to systems thinking, inspired leadership, customer-/patient-centeredness, workforce investment, and resilience.

Excellence is a journey, not a destination.

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Kathy Letendre, President and Founder of Letendre & Associates, advises organizations and leaders to create their excellence advantage.
Contact Kathy by phone or text at 802-779-4315 or via email.