Executive Management Review

Sandia’s Strategic Planning and Laboratories’ Leadership department and Quality Assurance Excellence Group partnered to update the Laboratories’ approach to Executive Management Review (EMR). The goal is to more explicitly focus on issues and risks with potential to impact the highest-priority commitments of the Labs’ management entities. Since the re-designed EMR was implemented in FY16 Q1, it has elevated the executive dialogue and improved the leadership team’s ability to identify and address systemic issues and risks. (100)

A cross-functional team from Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Planning and Laboratories’ Leadership, and Executive Protocol redesigned and executed the National Security Leadership Development Program for the first time since 2010-2011. Twenty-seven senior managers and directors participated in the 10-month program designed to engage, develop, and inspire senior leaders to empower others to lead. The program used self-reflection and experiential learning to instill values-based leadership skills, develop relationships, and enable collaboration. (100)

 Sandia enhanced its approach to achieving high-quality results through an in-depth discussion of its mindful approach to achieving and sustaining operational excellence. Leveraging insights from organizations that achieved operational excellence, Sandia published the first addendum to Performing Work at Sandia that explains to the workforce how a questioning attitude, critical thinking, and the application of five key principles can result in operational excellence. (700)

 Sandia strengthened Labs-wide awareness and understanding of quality-related principles through a three-year QMA that reviewed all divisions and program management units with regards to the 10 criteria specified in DOE Order 414.1.D, Quality Assurance. The QMA identified strengths and weaknesses to further continual improvement and emphasized application of the Plan-Do-Check-Act quality principles and defect prevention methodologies needed to enable consistent and predictable quality outcomes. (700)

Sandia achieved $155.9 million in FY16 cost savings and cost avoidances, exceeding its efficiency goal of $85 million. The cost savings were enabled by the launch of a new Operational Innovation application that is used to collect, analyze, and share data about innovative projects that are improving efficiency and driving down costs across the Labs. The application is available to all members of the workforce and to the Sandia Field Office. (700)