My highest level professional satisfaction comes from removing the stupid from the day to day work of my colleagues, clients, and friends. The place you work exists to solve a customer problem. The solution shouldn't make you want pull your hair out. Deming is one of many important founders of modern quality systems. Though not always directly referenced, Deming's 14 points are integral to QMS standards, regulations, and certifications.
As an exercise to illustrate the basis of my approach to helping clients improve, starting today and over the next two weeks I will release one post about each of Deming's 14 points. So if you're as nerdy about these things as I am, you might just appreciate it.
Point one: Create constancy of purpose
Purpose is critical to motivation. Let's also start at the beginning here. If you own a company, you likely understand WHY you started it. If you are a co-founder you also understand the why. Early employees often are passionate supporters of a new business. Purpose isn't a problem here. Constancy of purpose is the kicker. This statement isn't just to ensure you are committed to your intent, it is to ensure you are committed to making how you accomplish your objectives. What does that mean? It means you need to build in continuous improvement from the get go. Early in the organization's life improvement and responsiveness is simpler. As you grow and the logistics of change become more complicated it isn't as certain you can make it happen. Establish structure early to enable your people to be the mechanism of improvement.
The results
Purpose with structural improvement built in means you survive. You are paying attention to long-term viability. Deming was cognizant of the relationship between purpose and enabling your organization to endure. He was onto something: markets change, people change, failing to to change with to meet customer needs is the opposite of good practice.
Improvement is about serving your customer better, more passionately, and reacting to their needs. Organizational purpose must be well understood and articulated. Employees should be motivated by purpose, otherwise, why are they working for you? Purpose is a cornerstone for the culture you seek to build, don't be stingy. Your customers are going to notice if you haven't worked this out well either. If not right away, later. It will be come apparent if you don't take deliberate steps to define your purpose.
Starting somewhere
The first step in Start. Somewhere. is finding "why". Why does the company exist? Why does this production line make its widgets? Why do people work here? We ask why until you have identified the base level of your purpose. Purpose must drive your organization into the future. By focusing on finding why up front, improvement plans are guaranteed to align with your mission.
Points to consider
Find your purpose, if you're not sure. Start asking now. Mission and vision statements are a good start. Write them up, then revise them. At least three revisions is good. I don't much care for anything I have done until the third version of it is done. Blog posts not included, I try to be raw with these as getting the ideas out is a good exercise.
Improvement as a feature in your organization. You can do this with leadership skills. Give people ownership. Teach them your passion. They will absolutely respond. They will surprise you.
Find some quality references. People and books. ASQ has a library of books with solid quality references. There are local ASQ chapters where members meet and do networking, this could be one way to find sources of feedback or even mentors.
Thanks for reading, I'll be back tomorrow with point two. If you don't what it is, google can help you. It might be a good exercise for you to look it up.
