I'm about to undergo one of life's significant emotional events: My wife and I are expecting our first baby very
soon. In fact, by the time you read this, he or she will be here—a new life brought forth by the mystery of creation. Although it's a little awe-inspiring to know that I will soon be
responsible for a new life, the process is made easier by the nine-month wait. You have time to prepare yourself, your family, your friends, your home, your work and your attitude. Plus, you get
a lot of advice. Strangers seeing my pregnant wife whisper words of wisdom, warning and encouragement, which is surprisingly welcome; it's reassuring to know that billions of other people have
made it through this. The birth of a baby is almost always a happy event. The birth of a new quality initiative, however, isn't always so welcome. I may be stretching the
analogy here, but I think there's a parallel: A birth is a birth. Why not use the strategy expectant parents use when preparing for a baby when planning the birth of a new quality initiative such
as Six Sigma or ISO 9001:2000? One of the first things expectant parents do is to buy books and magazines about the pregnancy process. What to Expect When You're Expecting
(Workman Publishing Co., 1989) has been a perennial bestseller thanks to its sound advice for moms-to-be who want to know what's about to happen to their bodies. Shouldn't a quality manager know what's going to happen to the corporate body once Six Sigma arrives? A multitude of resources are available: books, videos, software, Web sites, magazines and so on. Taking advantage of them can make the task less daunting.
The next thing that pregnant women do is to check in with their doctors. Doctors need to know the current status of the mother's health in order to make sure that her
pregnancy is progressing properly. Likewise, quality managers need to assess the health of their organizations before launching a new quality initiative. A good start is finding a consultant. ISO
9000 consultants, for example, often recommend a gap analysis to see where the organization is relative to the standard's requirements before beginning the registration effort. Of course,
pregnant women continue to see their doctors regularly during their pregnancy to make sure that everything is progressing normally. Quality managers should do the same when implementing a new
program. For example, making the transition to ISO 9001:2000 won't happen overnight. It's important to monitor its progress. Most mothers-to-be attend childbirth classes during their
pregnancy to prepare for the birth. They learn breathing and relaxation techniques to help with the pain and stress of the delivery. Quality managers would be well-advised to practice the
techniques they're learning as well. Six Sigma Black Belt training typically requires Black Belt candidates to work on a real project during training and to apply the techniques learned during
the training. Remember that the introduction of a new quality initiative can be stressful to employees. The planning and implementation stages are good times to practice your interpersonal
communication skills. Although the birth of a quality initiative is rarely met with the pain, stress and emotional highs of an actual birth, it can be an exciting time. If you're not
enthusiastic about the new process, though, don't expect your employees to be, either. I hope your Six Sigma, lean manufacturing or ISO 9001:2000 efforts don't give you as many sleepless
nights as I'm expecting my baby will give me, and I doubt they'll be as rewarding. But with preparation, they can certainly be less stressful. E-mail your thoughts on the "birthing" process to spaton@qualitydigest.com . |
