“When actions speak louder than words”

An excerpt from the book, “Why TQM Fails”

By Mark Brown, Darcy Hitchcock and Marsha Willard

Many executives acknowledge the organization’s quality initiative, but they

do so with gestures that are perceived as superficial. These executives might
give speeches on the importance of quality initiatives, they might get
together with other executives to develop a mission statement and values,
they might approve a huge budget for quality related training, or they might
even preside at ceremonies recognizing the commitment of other employees.
But when all is said and done, these executives return to what they view as
their real responsibility – the financial well-being of the company.

By their actions, and in the way they allocate their time and resources, these
executives are viewed by employees as being removed from customers and
suppliers, out of touch with employees, uninterested in quality data, and,
therefore, uninvolved in the quality effort.

Behavior That Demonstrates Commitment

Executives who are successfully providing the leadership necessary for the
implementation of total quality management, like their less-effective
colleagues, give speeches on quality and, on occasion, even hand out quality
buttons, coffee cups, and plaques. But these executives back up their words
with actions. They literally live their commitment. There are six behavioral
characteristics that usually identify executives who are effectively
demonstrating their commitment to the organization’s quality effort. Let’s
discuss these indicators of executive commitment one by one.

Time is spent with customers. One of the most powerful ways executives
demonstrate their commitment to total quality management is by spending a
significant amount of time with customers. Unlike the executives,
particularly those in large companies, who tend to spend most of their time
on strategic and financial issues, the committed executives allocate time to
focus on the issues that keep them in touch with customers and suppliers.

Suppliers are considered partners, rather than adversaries. The manner

in which executives interact with suppliers is another clue to their
commitment. Committed executives support a partnering relationship with
suppliers, as opposed to the traditional adversarial approach.
Time is spend in the plant, on the floor, or in other areas where the day-
to-day work is done. Building rapport with employees also demonstrates a
commitment to quality. However, more is involved than simply being
visible. Employees often are suspicious of periodic management visits that
are promoted as an informal way for them to meet and interact with
executives. They view the visits as an excuse for an inspection, thus
negating any opportunity for positive rapport-building. The key to
establishing an appropriate relationship with employees is sincerity and
consistency. Those who are most successful have developed an
interpersonal approach tailored to their individual management style and
personality.

Time is spent attending quality related education and training courses,

and in quality related committee and team meetings. One of the best
ways executives can demonstrate a commitment to the quality effort is to
visibly participate in training courses and in quality related committee or
team meetings. The executive’s participation in the full session tells
employees that the course really is important.

Results in the areas of customer satisfaction and quality are reviewed,

along with financial and operational results. A good measure of an
executive’s commitment to TQM is the amount of time spent reviewing
customer satisfaction and quality data, as compared with financial and
operating data. In many organizations, executives do not review quality data
unless such circumstances as a product recall or a design flow creates major
problems. Executive who take a consistent interest in the quality of the
organization’s products or services, as well as the bottom line, demonstrate
their commitment in one of the strongest ways possible.

Money and other resources are committed to total quality management.

This is the truest test of commitment and, human being what it is, it’s one of
the first things employees will look for. In an economic climate where most
companies are looking for ways to reduce overhead expense, many
organizations scale back or discontinue their TQM effort because executives
feel the cost is too high. They argue that training sessions and team
meetings add to overhead expense. On the other hand, executives who are
committed will view the expense as an investment in the future.