Where Outcomes Meet Expectations

Robert Pirsig, in his own twisted way (Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) had it right - quality is the origin of the relationship between subject & object. Of course, he was nuts at the time, but the sentiment wasn't. Quality is a judgement, an impression, a feeling, a moment. You can't define it, but everyone knows what it is. It's an enigma.

That can never be an excuse for not dealing with it.

Practically, we all 'get' quality - we look at the result & give it a thumbs up or down dependent upon our own perception - how we form our relationship with the product. Just because you can't quantify it easily, can't replicate the perception, & can't audit or reproduce the actual quality essence does not invalidate the experience of quality, because the chances are that most people will experience it in the same 'way' (direction, not necessarily distance).

When you ask anyone "is this quality output", you will almost always get the same response from an homogeneous audience. This is important - homogeneity across professionalism, or professionals (not necessarily the same thing) should produce similar perceptions. Quality is not taste. It might be subjective, but it has indefinable (unquantifiable) absolutes.

Therein lies the reproducibility.

That which is poor quality to one person will always be poor quality to their peers.

That's where the outcome doesn't meet the expectations.

That's where the subject meets the object & turns up its nose.

That kind of judgement call is obvious, cannot be fudged or faked (if we are honest with ourselves), & is meaningful.

It does, however, need an awareness of the moment, the ability to perceive it, & the desire to understand the outcomes & the expectations.

Without that, there can be no quality.

Quality Starts Here & Now!

Someone asked me yesterday what my experience was with quality procedures - how to introduce them, etc. My answer came with one of those "Isn't it obvious?" looks down the nose - "quality" is an attitude, an education program, an acceptance of changing habits.

Thinking this over with regards an inaugural in-house quality management meeting, I thought that the first thing that should be done by such a group is to define quality relative to itself (the group), & then see how that can be applied outwardly, which is easier to foster than to come up with rules & procedures in isolation & try to apply them across the company.

The mantra becomes "Quality starts here & now!"

Get up & say it in the room. Get everyone to say it.

With that in your mind, in your heart, everything else follows. If you cannot embody quality, then you cannot instill it. If you do not lead, then no-one will follow. If you do not build it, then no-one will come ... one too many trite expressions.

You have the technology, the power, the impetus, the desire, to take quality to your organisation if you take that first step & open a window & shout into the street "I'm as mad as hell & I'm not going to take it any more!" Do something. Change. Make quality a priority in your life & it will become known to others.

Yes, this has a degree of religious fervor. This could also be seen as single-mindedness (or bloody-mindedness), but it is necessary to adopt that vision of the possibility of quality, & follow through by performing courageous acts of change in your life, your organisation, your every dealing with other people - not just your customers.

The next step is to communicate your revelations - evangelise. Yes, we're going to spread the word of our conversion & hope that others will be inspired by our story. You do not have to do a forced baptism (holding them underwater until their resistance is weakened). You have to appeal to their need for personal salvation. Let them see the light. Let them see the change in you that accepting quality has made.

Let them see your belief in the absolute goodness & rightness of being a contributor to a quality organisation.

A lot of people go to the church of quality because they want to conform or are frightened of the hell that otherwise awaits. Unfortunately, quality needs more than blind belief. It requires that you open your heart fully to changing your life & the way you do things.

It requires diligence to ensure that the darkness of poor workmanship does not return, that you don't slip from the golden path that leads directly to the nirvana of happy customers.

Quality is a movement. Get up & get on with it. Change. Repent. Believe. Tell everyone.