With apologies to Aerosmith

Walk This Way 

ASQ CEO Paul Borawski recently posted: “If the 21st Century is going to be the century of quality, as Dr. Juran prophesied, those who understand have to raise their voice any time and any place they have a chance. It’s a calling and a calling that has no downsides.”

Yes.

Paul’s post is about “World Quality Month and 40 Under 40″ with the latter part being some recognition about Quality and the Younger Generation (younger being relative to The Movement) and their efforts – and their organizations’ efforts – to Raise the Voice of Quality… to show some models of the path forward – as taken/blazed by others. Leading us all forward via these examples. Encouraging us forward, with our voices more in harmony than discord.

The Quality Path leads to Quality: Improved Products due to improved Processes – and Human capability and capacity – and Environmental Supports capability and capacity.

The Quality Path isn’t one-size-fits-all. There is no “one path” forward for everyone.

It is a unique RoadMap.

There are many signs pointing the way – but the way is situational. Those signs are more like advertisement road signs than directional aids.

It depends on…

• Where you are going
• Where you are starting from
• What changes occur while you are on your journey that will cause mid-course corrections or re-directions

Talk THIS Way

Let’s talk that way.

That Quality, Human Performance Technology, Organizational Development (Design, Alignment), etc., etc., are all about the same thing. Or should be and could be.

That we need to collaborate rather than compete.

Put a Good Performer in a Bad System – And the System Wins Every Time

That is my favorite quote from one of my mentors, the late Geary Rummler. Like YOU many voices have influenced my professional practice.

But one might imagine that quote being attributed to Deming. Right?

Deming talked about cooperation and collaboration. He said:

Deming also wrote:

“The greatest waste … is failure to use the abilities of people…to learn about their frustrations and about the contributions that they are eager to make.” From: Out of the Crisis 1982 – Ch.2:  Principles for Transformation, page 53.

Empower(ment) to the People

Not unlimited Empowerment – which I’ve written on/about years ago – which is inappropriate.

But empowerment with goals and objectives – and a system and processes conducive to the end results – the means to achieve the goals.

Deming again: What we need to do is learn to work in the system, by which I mean that everybody, every team, every platform, every division, every component is there not for individual competitive profit or recognition, but for contribution to the system as a whole on a win-win basis.

Cooperation Can Start At Home

At the homes, the professional homes, of those who pursue quality and improved performance. At ASQ and the OD Network, and ISPI and ASTD and SHRM, etc., etc.

I’d like to learn more about the past efforts and the plans for going forward regarding the inter-Professional Affinity groups’ cooperative efforts. I’d like to see that talk walked.

We all stand on the shoulders of many, who are also standing on the shoulders of many.

There is too much to do. More than any one group can do by itself.

How can we walk that talk about cooperation, collaboration?

Cooperation in the name of Quality – or whatever term you and your professional affinity groups use as the means to the common end.

Welcome to the 40 Under 40 at ASQ!

Who are another 40 – from outside ASQ – who are working to the same ends with slightly different means? Who are another 400? 4000?

And are they really that different?

The number are large.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we focused on what we have in common versus what makes us different!

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