Program of the Day - Lifecycle and Failure Modes of 'Improvement' Programs

[Tom Slack]

It seem the Quality Industry cranks out program after program. Over the years, a pattern has become visible:

1. Management Rollout - A lot of bucks, everyone gets on the bandwagon or else.

2. Grand and glorious "success stories", usually presented by people that want to increase their station. Accountants are not invited to check numbers.

3. Grassroots resistance. Cynicism takes over. People are afraid and only express themselves around coffee, after work and at internet forums. Workers secretly try to scuttle the program. Articles are written in "Quality Progress" about the merits of the program.

4. Program gets cut back. Attempts are made to combine it with other programs.

5. Go to step 1, with a new program.

I've probably left out a lot details. I would like people to jump in and add to it.

Tom

[db]

Originally Posted by Tom Slack

It seem the Quality Industry cranks out program after program. Over the years, a pattern has become visible:

1. Management Rollout - A lot of bucks, everyone gets on the bandwagon or else.

2. Grand and glorious "success stories", usually presented by people that want to increase their station. Accountants are not invited to check numbers.

3. Grassroots resistance. Cynicism takes over. People are afraid and only express themselves around coffee, after work and at internet forums. Workers secretly try to scuttle the program. Articles are written in "Quality Progress" about the merits of the program.

4. Program gets cut back. Attempts are made to combine it with other programs.

5. Go to step 1, with a new program.

I've probably left out a lot details. I would like people to jump in and add to it.

Tom

Nice try Tom, but you forgot the most important step-----------

Hire a consultant!

[Randy]

Originally Posted by db

Nice try Tom, but you forgot the most important step-----------

Hire a consultant!

ABSOLUTELY!!!! YES!!!!

[The Taz!]

ya got my vote on that one. . .

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Originally Posted by db

Nice try Tom, but you forgot the most important step-----------
Hire a consultant!

Not to mention the second most important step, usually found between steps 3 and 4: Blaim the consultant (after he's left, of course).

/Claes

[Tom Slack]

Thanks for the feedback about consultants. It would be good to know how the consultant plays in all this.

I forgot to mention in my original post that I am serious about this. If there is a lifecycle, then it is likely this process will continue. If this is a process then it should be managed at some level. Is it being managed but not visible to us?

Thanks again,

Tom

[db]

Originally Posted by Tom Slack

Thanks for the feedback about consultants. It would be good to know how the consultant plays in all this.

I forgot to mention in my original post that I am serious about this. If there is a lifecycle, then it is likely this process will continue. If this is a process then it should be managed at some level. Is it being managed but not visible to us?

Thanks again,

Tom

Sorry for leading us astray, Tom. I have a bit of trouble taking anything seriously, and thought your post was tongue-in-cheek.

Okay, on a serious note. If this cycle is true, then we can use it to help identify what programs are true, and what ones fall into the program of the day category. We can also use this information to break the cycle. Which leads to a separate question. How do we break the cycle? Is is in better program identification? Perhaps in making sure a program is truly necessary before implementation. Like 6S or not, the first step (Define), could be used to tell what we really need, and what is just a fad (I guess)

[apestate]

wow, this is very interesting. I wish I knew enough to add to this discussion

the really sweet thing would be to manage the process at a higher level once you had learned the failure modes of the programs.

what are all the goals of these programs? to establish a culture? to provide the necessary tools and insight into the problems? to make a measureable difference?