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During my recent travels, I have noticed an increasing tendency toward formalizing organizational quality improvement (QI) efforts into a separate silo. Even more disturbing is an increasing (and excruciating) formality. Expressions such as “saving dark-green dollars” are creeping into justifications for such “programs,” usually referred to as Six Sigma, lean, or lean Six Sigma. As always, Jim Clemmer pinpoints this trend perfectly:
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“The quality movement [has given] rise to a new breed of techno-manager—the qualicrat. These support professionals see the world strictly through data and analysis, and their quality improvement tools and techniques. While they work hard to quantify the ‘voice of the customer,’ the face of current customers (and especially potential new customers) is often lost. Having researched, consulted, and written extensively on quality improvement, I am a big convert to, and evangelist for, the cause. But some efforts are getting badly out of balance as customers, partners, and team members are reduced to numbers, charts, and graphs.”
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Comments
transformation and formality
I like your comment about increasing (and excruciating) formality. I have experienced excrutiating formality first hand and seen how the organization reacts to it. Over time, everybody hates it. But I think it is the effort to transform an organization that makes for this excruciating formality in the first place. Things like educating the entire work force and creating a culture are things that require very formal discipline to implement. I think that's why they often fail - they end up being too formal and beuracratic.
I think I understand one part of the problem for the quality gurus out there that always seem to be lamenting the fact that the world doesn't get it and always seems to be missing "our message". So much of the message from the quality professionals ends up sounding like people who are coming to tell us how screwed up we are. They tell the world that they need to fix our culture more than they tell us they will help solve problems. Doesn't matter if they are right or not. The world hears that and gets a little turned off. I don't blame them.
Qualicrat and Six Sigma Crat ?
As ever Davis a good article designed to make us think and bring some reality back in to the quality world.
Just to let you and others know the Bristish Standards Institute is about to bring out a standard on Six Sigma. I wonder what will that will do to the marketplace?
Will it bring formailty?
Will it bring out more auditors?
Will it bring improvement?
Will it transform an organisation?
I wonder .......
Martin Gibson
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