Henri Haskell
At SPQA, our support in helping organizations on their journey to excellence leverages the talents and experiences of our volunteer workforce. Each volunteer workforce member has a unique story to tell. In this article we have interviewed Henri Haskell, our former Vice-Chair for Operations.
What interested you in becoming an Examiner with SPQA?
Have always had a passion for performance improvement that goes back to the days of being a nurse with over 20+ years in healthcare. I believed that as healthcare providers, we should be committed to making patient care deliver better for our patients. Accomplished not just through direct care but by improving the processes and work systems that drive the work. As I learned more about the Baldrige Framework from my quality and improvement colleagues, I decided that I wanted to learn more about it and decided to start with the state program, as most individuals do, to learn more about the criteria, with my goal of becoming a National Examiner.
What have you enjoyed the most about being an examiner?
As a life-long learner, I loved the insights that were shared by organizations on their improvement journey. Equally as exciting for me was the benefit of the collegial relationships that I have been blessed with along the way, after serving on a number of examiner teams.
What skills have you gained since becoming a volunteer with SPQA?
The obvious skill is my enhanced ability to use and apply the criteria. In spite, of my 8+ years of examiner experiences, there is always more to learn. The criteria also evolves and adjusts with the changes going on the world today. The Baldrige criteria strives to be relevant. I have also learned to be a better listener through my interviewing process with organizations and working with a variety of team members. You learn so much more by deeply listening.
What do you most want to learn from this experience?
Continuing to find ways to better understand the changing criteria and applying it to real world situations/organizations.
Outside of volunteering with SPQA, what is the hobby you’re most passionate about?
Gardening! I recently completed a Master Gardening class and learned so much. My garden is showing off in green and colorful flowers and vegetables. Since I retired last year, I have made some time to get to some things I have always wanted to get to. We are getting ready for a summer trip with our granddaughter to visit National Parks in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona in our RV.