| Quality can be a tender and fragile thing for it relies on | | | | poetic coincidence here are 15 ways to raise the |
| the commitment of its people, and people by their | | | | profile of quality in an organisation: |
| nature are changeable and subject to cultural and | | | | 1. Engagement |
| economic influence. Quality is also vulnerable at certain | | | | Tell them a story, paint a picture or invite them to a |
| times: when people are busy for instance or are | | | | workshop and share a box of Quality Street. |
| working in fear of redundancy. If morale or confidence | | | | 2. Inquiry |
| goes down so might quality and then everyone suffers | | | | Ask good questions - standard ones such as "when |
| in a circle so vicious that if not broken a company may | | | | you are not in the office how can your neighbour find |
| suffer irreparable damage as tainted corporate | | | | your files?" - And more incisive ones like "what is the |
| reputation spreads like a virus. | | | | one thing you can do tomorrow to improve quality in |
| But here's the thing: quality although a serious business | | | | your department? |
| needs to have a playful element for attempting to | | | | 3. Involve |
| engage organisations with its seriousness is not easy. | | | | Don't just 'tell'; really make people feel a part of the |
| Quality should be and often is an instinctive process. | | | | quality system and reward them with changes when |
| Some have the mindset of 'I don't like procedures' and | | | | they make sensible suggestions. |
| yet each of us carries round with them a set of | | | | 4. Coach |
| internal procedures that ensure we lead a good quality | | | | Empower quality representatives to take on initiatives |
| of life. Whether it's rinsing a plate before it goes in the | | | | and coach them through the change process. |
| dishwasher or checking the message in a birthday | | | | 5. Re-launch |
| card before sealing the envelope. Procedures and | | | | Imagine a quality standard is being established for the |
| routines are a way of life and a healthy one at that. | | | | first time and sell its benefits, keep it fresh. |
| A meaningful conversation about quality | | | | 6. Fear factor |
| So in order to have a meaningful conversation about | | | | Scare teams with stories of other organisations who |
| quality with staff in an organisation, it can be helpful to | | | | have lost a quality standard and liken it to a forest fire. |
| hook attention with anecdotes and imagery as well as | | | | 7. Link |
| engaging the intellect with logic about the | | | | Link the quality system to other areas of stature and |
| consequences of not following procedure. No one | | | | kudos - e.g. Data Protection, Copyright Laws. |
| wants a blocked dishwasher or an unhappy friend any | | | | 8. Continual improvement |
| more than they do a report littered with mistakes and | | | | Create a culture continual improvement by setting up |
| an unhappy client. It does not make any difference as | | | | quality forums. Quote Antony Robbins, Steven Covey |
| to the type of organisation in question; retail outlets will | | | | and Japanese Quality Circles as appropriate. |
| think about its customers, schools will think about its | | | | 9. PR |
| pupils, hospitals about its patients; it's all client service. | | | | The value of good PR is golden - i.e. 'we are a |
| So how do organisations manage quality? Adhering to | | | | talented organisation so let's not dilute what we do by |
| a Quality Standard is certainly one way - be it ISO | | | | losing our quality disciplines'. The quality department |
| standard or the more recently introduced Customer | | | | must of course walk around as ambassadors of |
| Service Excellence - successor to Chartermark. | | | | quality and must walk the talk. Sending round audit |
| Others use a traffic light system where Red is | | | | reports with typos is not conducive. Publicising great |
| Non-compliant/Immediate action required; Amber is Non | | | | initiatives is priceless. |
| compliant/Improvements required and Green is | | | | 10. Concepts |
| compliant; others take an 'improvement journey' with | | | | Provide intellectually stimulating concepts of what |
| training consultants or independent assessment bodies. | | | | quality means; show models or relate it to human |
| For a skeptical staff not partial to audits, how can we | | | | things that mean something to people. |
| turn them from 'we really don't need you to come in | | | | 11. Advocates |
| here, we have everything just the way we want it to | | | | Ambassadors, Champions, Quality Reps call them |
| be" into "we are great, but please find something | | | | what you will but have them; 1 or 2 in each |
| wrong and make us even better!". And what of those | | | | department; people who understand it, buy into it and |
| departments who - when something has to suffer in | | | | are great initiators and communicators. |
| the Quality Triangle, will sacrifice quality rather than | | | | 12. Back to basics |
| negotiate cost or timings? | | | | Keep it simple - the message, the systems, everything. |
| Quality then must be shrink-wrapped; laminated and on | | | | 13. M.A.P |
| display every minute of every day - not just as a | | | | Measure Act Publish; ensure measurements are in |
| certificate in the reception area but as identifiable and | | | | place; produce action plans based on those |
| protected office behaviour. When there is uncertainty | | | | measurements; publish the data across the company, |
| there must be one constant - The Magic Constant of | | | | both the good and the bad. |
| Quality. | | | | 14. All inclusive |
| Pathways to Excellence | | | | Everything is quality - everyone is responsible. |
| In a Magic Constant of 15 for instance (sometimes | | | | 15. Marketing |
| known as a Magic Square), all rows and all columns | | | | Get the marketing team to support quality and market |
| must add to that number. So whatever happens, the | | | | cleverly with campaigns, posters, 'quality week' |
| total must always be 15. Equally in a company, | | | | adverts, whatever it takes; treat staff as if they were |
| whatever occurs, quality must be the one true | | | | prospects who needed attracting and convincing. |
| constant. Everything depends on it. There are many | | | | Whatever happens and whatever changes are in |
| pathways to excellence of course and by the virtue of | | | | progress, Quality must be the Magic Constant. |