For over 38 years, The Center for Organizational Excellence, Inc. (COE) has been a trusted adviser in helping organizations and programs transform to more efficiently and effectively accomplish their mission. We help our clients achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes by designing and delivering solutions in the areas of organizational effectiveness, data innovation, information technology, human capital.
Founded in 1984, COE was established to provide true meaningful and measurable solutions to our clients most pressing organizational issues. We also wanted to provide employees with a great place to be, where they enjoy working and feel they are making a contribution.
Prior to COE, our founder, Steve Goodrich, was struck by how genuine care for clients was often usurped by other firms need to increase sales and make profits to the detriment of offering true solutions. In addition, he was struck by how staff were treated as an asset to be used and discarded. He felt that while corporate strength is very important, so are the value-added solutions we provide to clients and how staff are respected. He felt all three could be accomplished.
Therefore, COE functions based on a set of values that steer us in all decisions we make balancing the needs of COE, our clients, and our staff. We are known as trusted advisors and honest brokers. In doing so we strive to always be intellectually curious, good stewards of our profession and clients, be results-driven, hold ourselves accountable, and be a contributing member of our community.
Effective organizations are guided by a clear mission, and the achievement of that mission.
COE’s mission is to:
Improve and transform our clients’ organizations so they may efficiently and effectively achieve their mission.
To achieve our mission, we help our clients achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes through strategy, development, and implementation services in the areas of organizational effectiveness, human capital and technology solutions.
COE supports agencies through organizational effectiveness services; restructuring/reforming, programs, conducting assessments, strategy, data modeling and analytics, realigning organizational systems, and providing program office support.
We support your human capital with workforce analysis, resource alignment, human resources and training solutions.
We design and build technology systems that make organizations more effective and efficient, and effectively engage data to ensure to tell appropriate stories, build justifiable cases, and make meaningful decisions.
Values demonstrate what is important to us. They guide the achievement of our mission.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We are courageous, empowered, and motivated to identify and resolve problems. We are honest with our clients, partners, and each other, and forthright even in difficult conversations. We act with good intentions and think through the intended and unintended consequences of our actions. We do not tolerate passivity or lack of constructive contributions.
COMMUNITY
We are passionate and enthusiastic about our personal and professional lives. We seek fulfillment and achievement that positively impact ourselves, our communities, and our business. We build strong and trusted relationships with our clients and colleagues. We know that we work best as a team and we strive to fully engage with everyone around us.
INCISIVENESS
We learn about all aspects of our clients’ business so that we can answer real, meaningful questions, and anticipate their needs. We leverage industry best practices to achieve thorough results. What we do is valid, repeatable, and reliable.
INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY
We are driven to learn, grow, and discover. We are able to adjust to new ideas, new concepts, and changes in strategy or direction by demonstrating creative problem-solving.
STEWARDSHIP
We recognize that our clients, our colleagues, and our communities place their trust in us, and we strive to do the right thing always. This includes using resources responsibly and wisely and searching for solutions that continue to serve them after our involvement has ended.
We guide and encourage the behaviors we expect and lack tolerance for those which harm us.
The Center for Organizational Excellence, Inc. (COE) embraces and honors the value of equality within our democracy. We must contribute to the elimination of systemic racism, unconscious bias, and every form of discrimination.
Our policies, programs, and the actions of all our staff must contribute to equal and fair treatment of all. The outcomes of our actions must be consistent, regardless of the color of one’s skin, national origin, gender, or orientation. To embrace this, we will:
- Have clear and concise anti-discrimination policies that all employees are provided and educated in.
- Ensure the application of our policies and employee selection, management, and assessment is free of bias.
- Hold all COE managers and employees accountable for equitable and fair treatment of employees, clients, partners, vendors, and others.
- Hold our clients, partners, vendors, and others accountable for their positions within the context of our partnership arrangement and application.
- Review, eliminate, or revise any policy or practice that is found to be discriminatory and ensure accusations or acts of discrimination are not marginalized in discussions or actions.
- Provide open and safe forums or outreach opportunities for employees who feel oppressed or discriminated against due to their engagement with COE.
- Work where we can, to dismantle discriminatory practices, privilege, microaggression, and unconscious bias in our company and society. Admit when we are wrong.
- Readily adopt all client contract clauses requiring COE to have policies and anti-discriminatory practices.
