The Miseducation of Quality

Everyone says they want quality, but most people do not want to do the job required for quality. Worse, some people don’t even know what quality entails, even though they think they do. For that, I must say we have been miseducated! Quality does not start with knowing who the quality gurus are (e.g., Deming, Juran, Crosby, etc.). It does not begin with knowing the 7 Quality Tools (e.g., flowchart, check sheet, pareto chart, etc.). It does not begin with knowing the latest buzz word or achieving the latest ‘belt’. It does not begin with a simple understanding of how to run a project or a team. It does not begin with knowing how to collect and analyze data nor with delineating customer expectations. It does not begin with putting a technique or theory (e.g., Balanced Scorecard, Change Management, etc.) in place, and then crossing one’s fingers, toes and eyes hoping to achieve certain goals, objectives, and targets, such as key performance indicators (KPIs). To achieve quality, one must begin with creating a shared vision, subscribing to a commitment to the work, to the learning, to the trying it out, to the perseverance, and to the LEADERSHIP potential of those involved in creating a quality environment. Quality begins with an adherence to knowing more, doing more, and bringing others along to create and sustain change that ultimately improves an organization, not just changing for the sake of change. My definition of quality is simple: Costs down for day to day operations, and cost up for human potential. Cost down for operations involves: Financial wherewithal, conservation of energy, fleet detail, etc. Costs up for human potential involves: Training, customer service excellence, customer segmentation, internal and external customer feedback, etc. Guess who is responsible for ensuring all elements of quality happen? Guess who is responsible for the balcony view, the interpersonal and relationship building efforts within an organization? Guess who is responsible for defining what customers and employees want, what they are holding you accountable for, and what you can reasonably and feasibly do about it? Guess who is responsible for on-going inspection, evaluation, and monitoring? Guess who is responsible for managing projects and improving processes? LEADERS! Quality means beginning at the beginning, not in the middle, not at the end. Assessing leadership talents is by far one of the most important first steps an organization can take before it embarks on the quest for excellence. You cannot get good data, you cannot improve processes, you cannot achieve excellence, if you have poor leadership skills. So, let’s stop pretending we are doing good work by fooling around with project management, process improvement, and data collection and analysis. As leaders, let’s invest in people, and bring their talents to bear in situations that allow them to make great decisions, share their thoughts, engage others, and move our operations to an exemplary, responsive, and sustainable level. Because if we truly want quality, ‘the answer is within us and we define our own destiny’ (Lauryn Hill, 1998). So let’s get fired up--educate people about quality, hand them the ball, hold them accountable, and encourage them to think, think, think!