You’re a corporate quality director at a multisite enterprise with operations spread across the country or around the globe. At some point, you’re going to face the question: How do I keep my local quality leaders engaged, and on the same page?

It’s a question we’d be excused for thinking is only as old as the dawn of big business. But it’s been around for millennia. Just imagine the challenges an early Roman emperor would have faced trying to get all his provincial governors, generals, and magistrates to stick with the program. With teams spread across Europe and the Mediterranean coast, separated by months of travel, it’d be tough for him to keep everyone aligned.

And yet, the problems he faced and the tactics he used aren’t that dissimilar from the challenges corporate quality leaders confront to keep their teams on track today.

Before I give you some tips that can help corporate quality heads keep teams on the same page, let’s set the stage by talking about the different types of quality management leadership structures.

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