30th ANNUAL LEARNING SYMPOSIUM
November 18th, 2026
With Evening Welcome Reception Nov 17th from 6:00 – 8:00
City University of Seattle, Seattle, WA

The Missing Measure: How Leaders Shape the Culture that Sustains Performance Excellence
Moving Beyond Engagement to Measure the Beliefs that Drive Baldrige Excellence
Organizations pursuing performance excellence have become increasingly sophisticated at measuring engagement, satisfaction, and organizational climate. While these measures provide valuable insight, they often describe the symptoms of culture rather than the underlying conditions that leaders must intentionally shape to achieve and sustain excellence. What if the missing ingredient isn't another survey, but a way to understand and measure the shared beliefs that influence leadership effectiveness, workforce performance, innovation, accountability, and long-term organizational results?
In this thought-provoking session, Michael J. O'Brien introduces the Culture Operating System™: the system of shared beliefs that influences how leaders make decisions, how employees respond, and ultimately how organizations perform. Participants will discover how measuring culture at the belief level complements the Baldrige Excellence Framework by providing leaders with leading indicators that reveal why organizational results occur and where leadership actions can create lasting change. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for intentionally shaping a culture that not only achieves performance excellence but sustains it.

Despite individual efforts, no single organization can address the complex health challenges communities face. This presentation will explore how healthcare systems can lead collaborative efforts to tackle systemic issues by aligning community resources and addressing root causes. Drawing on effective strategies from communities across the nation, attendees will learn how to maximize the impact of Community Health Needs Assessments, value-based care, and social determinants of health initiatives, while leveraging the Baldrige-based Communities of Excellence Framework to drive meaningful collaboration and measurable results.

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PENW's Denali Award in part due to building an employee-focused culture. Learn about engaging employees, hands-on leadership, and how we have incorporated the Baldrige Framework to improve performance.
Bio: John Clifford is the Senior Director of Training and Development at Pagliacci Pizza in Seattle, WA. He has helped spearhead their Pagliacci journey and is an former examiner at both the national and regional levels. He can still bust out a pizza rush on the toss table.