Quality VP/Manager left - Educating his replacement

Hi folks,

My Boss the Quality VP/Manager left and now this guy with no experience took over. He is running around like a chicken with its head cut off... Also there is Audit plan that we must submit by May 11 2012... I don't think he even knows about it...

I was wonder what type of education/training would you need to help him?

regards,

Re: Quality VP/Manager left...

Skipping over the education/training part, if you aren't certain he knows about the May 11 deadline, you could ask "We need to submit xxx by May 11, right?" (this will help determine if he does know about the deadline) and if he answers 'yes', continue with "I know you're really busy with the new responsibilities and was wondering if there was anything I can do to help."

Re: Quality VP/Manager left...

I think now would be a great time for a Management Review meeting. Get all the department heads together and give this guy some help. It will be to everyones benefit if he suceeds.

Instead of asking what training needs for him, why don't you offer some support...

Great responses so far ... you could have a short presentation on what are some of the ongoing activities that he need to be aware of.

1Noob said:

Hi folks,

My Boss the Quality VP/Manager left and now this guy with no experience took over. He is running around like a chicken with its head cut off... Also there is Audit plan that we must submit by May 11 2012... I don't think he even knows about it...

I was wonder what type of education/training would you need to help him?

regards,

Click to expand...

I see several warning flags here.

1. why did the previous guy leave?
2. how do you know this new person has no experience?
3. If he has no experience or education, how did he get hired? (nepotism?)
4. making ANY assumption about what a guy knows or doesn't know is really walking on thin ice in spring melt time - marshal your facts before offering a solution - this apparent "running around" may very well be an attempt by HIM to marshal all his facts about the organization's operation before 5/11/2012

As far as training - any recommendation we make is worthless unless and until we know what he DOES know and what the operations at your organization require. In an earlier post, you wrote about having to deal with a contract manufacturer AFTER noting a number of N/C - that's straight-forward stuff and most executives could handle that with only a quick review, regardless if they had extensive training and knowledge of the tools of quality.

In general, the comments of earlier posters are pertinent. Roxane (RCBeyette) is very diplomatic in her approach - you should ALSO be diplomatic in yours. Don't challenge, just gather data until you are confident you have a good idea of the Big Picture, then you can offer to help or even just ask whether the guy is aware of the Cove, where a motivated person can pick up the equivalent of attending a brick & mortar school of quality at the click of a link.

My guess is the guy is not ignorant about the quality profession, but he may be struggling to catch up if the previous office holder left things in disarray.
(If he is truly ignorant about the quality profession, this implies either:

1. your entire top level management is misguided about running an efficient operation,
   OR
2. you are misguided about the extent of quality expertise needed by a person in the management chair when all the staff is VERY competent in their assigned tasks.)

glad to note that my approach is what is also recommended by experts. (positive approach, extending support... etc,)

Now my situation starts there, what do i do if new boss is neither considering to the suggestions nor doing the required steps...; ( i say this because, i have come up with atleast two alternative approaches for each of the problem; and there are atleast half a dozen improvement areas required...; btw, I draw some solutions are inspired by couple of references including cove... ) btw not only that... we had also implemented those ideas on pilot scale and sowed the difference...

and its not that i have been insisting my way or no-way...its simply not even considered for discussion. and where considered for discussion its discussed to the extent of feasibility of implementation; not on the merits of the need/results of implementation;

nor doing what is required. (reason i say is because, the situation(problems, feedback of internal customers) have not changed!!!);

Thanks for the above replies I was able to find out that another engineer had taken the responsibility to respond to the auditors.

So far there has been no formal communication... this effects are Customer Service and Quality department.... left in the dark....(The person who left was VP Quality & CS)

Also I have been reading quality reports from my former boss and he put this in one of his slide... "Treat the ISO QMS as a tool and opportunity to improve the business, not as a burden"... now I am concerned...

Some other information:
why did the previous guy leave?
He left because he was being replaced. They offered him 1 year to stay and train the other guy and not give him his severance after he has worked for them for 20 years.

how do you know this new person has no experience?
If he has no experience or education, how did he get hired? (nepotism?)
New guy was promoted by brown nosing and taking credit from others.


making ANY assumption about what a guy knows or doesn't know is really walking on thin ice in spring melt time - marshal your facts before offering a solution - this apparent "running around" may very well be an attempt by HIM to marshal all his facts about the organization's operation before 5/11/2012
Could be....

v9991 said:

glad to note that my approach is what is also recommended by experts. (positive approach, extending support... etc,)

Now, my situation starts there, what do i do if new boss is neither considering to the suggestions nor doing the required steps...; ( i say this because, i have come up with atleast two alternative approaches for each of the problem; and there are atleast half a dozen improvement areas required...; btw, some solutions are inspired by couple of references including cove... ) btw not only that... I had also implemented those ideas on pilot scale and sowed the difference...

and its not that i have been insisting my way or no-way...its simply not even considered for discussion. and where considered for discussion its discussed to the extent of feasibility(acceptability by majority :-( ) of implementation; not on the merits of the need/results of implementation;

nor doing what is required. (reason i say is because, the situation(problems, feedback of internal customers) have not changed!!!);

Click to expand...

eager to hear your thoughts...
one thing i could do is not loose heart...and keep doing what i have been trying to do...
other thing is just follow the flow ?

anyhow i think you should be support him fully, perhaps he or other colleage must be grateful;

for assistant method, you can lead him from per customer complaints and process management and so on!