When I was in Hong Kong last year and spent time with the quality society folks, they asked me to write a booklet
for them on whatever I considered important for the next century. I did that and have just received the booklet Creating a Reliable Organization, which was edited and produced by the City
University of Hong Kong. Dr. K.S. Chin is in charge of it all. The booklet and other materials, including a CD, are part of a Hong Kong government-funded project entitled
"Developing Educational Materials to Encourage and Facilitate Hong Kong for Quality Transformation." The CD is labeled "Beyond ISO 9000." The University
will be conducting courses on the reliable organization concepts, as well as on the other topics. I am presenting a paper on the subject at the Annual Quality Congress in Indianapolis in May 2000.
I've actually been talking and writing about the reliable organization for a couple of years. My book about it is a little more than half done. To my knowledge, no one has
paid the concept much attention. Executives love the idea, and the MBA classes find it easy to understand and include in their package of things to do. Quality professionals, however, don't seem
much interested because it's managerial, not procedural--but that's precisely why they should examine it closely. A reliable organization is one where all transactions are
routinely completed correctly and where relationships with employees, suppliers and customers are successful. Obviously, it would be to all of their benefit to create such a culture in their
company. Doing so requires four things: policy, education, requirements and insistence. We have a PCA II brochure that explains it all in more detail, and we also teach quality college courses on
it. The reliable organization is the future for the quality business. Management is tired of programs and procedures. Managers recognize that the culture of an organization can
be created for good or bad. If we don't step up for good, bad flows right on in. About the author
Philip B. Crosby, a popular speaker and founder of Philip Crosby Associates -- now PCA II -- is also the author of several books, including Quality and Me: Lessons from an Evolving Life
(Jossey-Bass, 1999). Visit his Web site at www.philipcrosby.com or . |
