Originally posted on Blogrige by Dawn Marie Bailey

In 2005, when Park Place Lexus (PPL) became the first automotive dealership to be named a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, it ranked among the country’s top Lexus dealers. And in the four years of applying the Baldrige Criteria, of receiving feedback reports, and leading up to the award, the company’s gross profit had increased by 51.3 percent.

At its two locations in Plano and Grapevine, TX, PPL continues to sell and service new and pre-owned Lexus vehicles, as well as sell Lexus parts to the wholesale and retail markets. But the highly competitive automotive market has seen some direct market hits since 2005, so how does PPL ensure its continued performance excellence? According to Jamie Capehart, Performance Improvement Specialist at Park Place Lexus, success, in part, comes from a focus on the workforce.

At both upcoming regional Baldrige conferences in Nashville, TN, and Denver, CO, Capehart will be sharing the importance of a workforce focus, especially in a competitive industry. In a virtual interview, Capehart previewed her upcoming presentation:

Why has a focus on the workforce been important to your success?
Our employees (which we call “Members”) are central to our success. We attribute our growth and ability to retain our Members in a highly competitive market to our hiring philosophy–putting the right people in the right jobs–and our commitment to the development of our Members.

What are your top tips (e.g., three to five suggested practices) for using Baldrige to support a workforce focus across an organization?

1. Hire for your culture
2. Apply a systematic, meaningful approach for onboarding and training new Members
3. Utilize a learning management system to manage and track learning
4. Plan for growth through a systematic succession planning process

What are a few key reasons that organizations in your sector can benefit from using the Baldrige Excellence Framework?

• To maintain a balanced focus on all contributing success factors
• To remain innovative and stay ahead of the competition
• To ensure that you have the most skilled workforce in the industry

What else might participants learn about at your conference session?

• Our team structure
• Performance improvement methodology
• Member engagement methodologies
• Development methodologies
• Strategic planning process
• Growth since 2005
• How our workforce supports innovation