Page 75 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

62 B u s i n e s s - I n t e g r a t e d Q u a l i t y S y s t e m s

The behavior of senior leaders carries tremendous symbol ic mean-
ing, which can quickly undermine the targeted message and destroy
all credibility. Conversely, behavior that clearly demonstrates commit-
ment to the vision can help spread the word that “They’re serious this
time.” Leaders should expect to devote a minimum of 50 percent of
their time to communication during the transition.
Measuring results. It is important to verify that you are deliv ering on
promises to customers, shareholders, and employees. These measure-
ments form the basis of the improvement efforts, and should include
internal processes as well as external outcomes. Data must be avail-
able quickly to the people who use them and be easy to understand.
Rewarding employees. Employees should be treated like partners in the
improvement effort and provided adequate and fair compensation for
doing their jobs. Rewarding individuals with financial incentives can
be manipulative, implying that the employee wouldn’t do the job
with out the reward, which tends to destroy the very behavior you
seek to encourage (Kohn, 1993). Recognizing exceptional performance
or effort should be done in a way that encourages cooperation and
team spirit, such as parties and public expressions of appreciation.
Leaders should assure fair ness: for example, management bonuses
and worker pay cuts don’t mix. Financial incentives should be fairly
distributed throughout the organization, since most improvements
are achieved due to the collective actions of the organization, rather
than just a few people.
For too many organizations, the journey from a traditional to a customer-
driven organization begins with recognition that a crisis is either upon the
organization, or imminent. This wrenches the organization’s leadership out
of denial and forces them to aban don the status-quo. Their actions at this
point define their success. The successful organization will establish a
customer-focused vision, and develop plans to attain the vision, as outlined
in Part II.
The common thread in the evolution of quali ty management is that
attention to quality has moved progressively further up in the organiza-
tional hierarchy. Quality was first considered a matter for the line worker,
then the inspector, then the supervisor, the engineer, the middle manager
and, today, for upper management. Quality will continue to increase in
importance, in tandem with cus tomer relations. Ultimately, it is the cus-
tomer’s concern with quality that has been the driving force behind qual-
ity’s increasing role in the organization. As Juran (1994) stated, the next
century will be the century of quality.

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