Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for Attitude?

L

little__cee

#1
I recently had a discussion with one of my coworkers who was sharing a story of seriously bad attitudes in our company. Coworker asks me, "Is there anything YOU can do with your internal audits to identify the sources of all this negativity?"

My short answer was "no" but I am still thinking about the idea.

Attitude isn't in the standard, per se, but does anyone try to gauge the overall feelings of morale while doing internal audits? I was thinking of encouraging auditors to ask a general question about the 'mood' of the shop but that's so subjective...I guess I'm stumped and wondered if anyone else has a method for dealing with this.

My longer answer to coworker was that some people are just negative and will always have a bad attitude about SOMETHING and no there's really nothing built into the internal audit process that would help with those people. Gee, that sounded negative, didn't it?:rolleyes:
 
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RoxaneB

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Super Moderator
#2
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Add a section for general awareness and attitude - could tie in with communication, I suppose.

But be my audit for safety, environment or quality I ask the following:
  • On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, how would rank us on S/E/Q?
  • Do you feel that, over the past few years, we've been improving, getting worse, or staying the same?
  • Why?
  • If you could do it, what one thing would you do to improve S/E/Q in your area/the entire company?
 

Coury Ferguson

Moderator here to help
Staff member
Super Moderator
#3
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

I recently had a discussion with one of my coworkers who was sharing a story of seriously bad attitudes in our company. Coworker asks me, "Is there anything YOU can do with your internal audits to identify the sources of all this negativity?"

My short answer was "no" but I am still thinking about the idea.

Attitude isn't in the standard, per se, but does anyone try to gauge the overall feelings of morale while doing internal audits? I was thinking of encouraging auditors to ask a general question about the 'mood' of the shop but that's so subjective...I guess I'm stumped and wondered if anyone else has a method for dealing with this.

My longer answer to coworker was that some people are just negative and will always have a bad attitude about SOMETHING and no there's really nothing built into the internal audit process that would help with those people. Gee, that sounded negative, didn't it?:rolleyes:

I may be way off base with citing the following paragraph from ISO9001:2000 as the requirement.

ISO9001:2000 said:
The organization shall determine and manage the work environment needed to achieve conformity to product requirements
If the negative attitude from the employees or management (work environment) could ultimately affect the conformity to product requirements, then that might fall under Paragraph 6.4 of ISO9001:2000, in my opinion.
 

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#4
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

If attitude (bad attitude) is rampant, it definitely could and probably will impact product quality. Something needs to be done to find the cause. Often times it falls squarely in management or perceived management style. There are numerous classes for controlling conflict available, some are quite good. But, everyone, including management has to be willing to try to change.
 

Sidney Vianna

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#5
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Attitude isn't in the standard, per se, but does anyone try to gauge the overall feelings of morale while doing internal audits? I was thinking of encouraging auditors to ask a general question about the 'mood' of the shop but that's so subjective...I guess I'm stumped and wondered if anyone else has a method for dealing with this.
I don’t think that you would effectively audit for attitude, but definitely you can assess how you management system works in terms of promoting and assessing employee satisfaction.
As we all know, very few people know of ISO 9004. Fewer people realize that ISO 9004 has a self assessment tool. One of the questions that ISO 9004 asks, in the self assessment is :
Question 12: Work environment (6.4)
a) How does management ensure that the work environment promotes motivation, satisfaction, development and performance of people in the organization?
Other assessment protocols include questions related to employee’s well being. For example, from DNV’s isrs7 ™
3.8.2.
The organization measures and reports on the following as indicators of employee well-being, morale and satisfaction: (2 /14)

1. Sickness rate.____
2. Absence rate.____
3. Personnel turnover.____
4. Grievances.____
5. Strikes.____
6. Worker compensation.____
7. Other.____

3.8.3.
Exit-interviews are held with employees leaving the organization and data used on a continuous basis to improve HR policies. (PJ-10)

3.8.4.
A recognition program is in place supported with active senior management involvement. (PJ-15)

3.8.5.
The organization has a teamwork development program in place. (XO-5)
 
L

little__cee

#6
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Thanks for your interpretation, Coury.

I like the idea - just trying to find a way to justify adding it to the audit function. I am not doing it "just to do it" or to please the registrar - I just want to try and determine as best as possible what is really going on.

I've heard stories - but they're just stories, that's the problem. Trying to find out if dept. A held up Supervisor X's order on purpose due to retaliating against X is a different matter...and I've got my work cut out for me on this project.

I'd welcome as many ideas as possible and am really hoping for a success story on this issue (more than one would be very encouraging!!!)
 

RoxaneB

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#7
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Sidney : Amusingly enough, the questions I ask are just part of what I learned during my ISRS audit (6th edition) of a sister mill with a DNV auditor.
 

Coury Ferguson

Moderator here to help
Staff member
Super Moderator
#8
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Sidney,

I really like ISO9004 and too bad most corporations don't see the advantage of implementing a system within the guidelines of ISO9004.

I have to ask this question Sidney:

After reviewing ISO9004, if the company's business is built around the guidelines, could their Business system meet the Requirements of ISO9001:2000, since you can only register to ISO9001:2000?

I believe they would.
 

Bev D

Heretical Statistician
Staff member
Super Moderator
#9
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

Some quick thoughts are that if you approach this incorrectly it could be very dangerous...you are wading into a very emotional issue for all concerned. And with a relatively small sample you may just pick the bad apple who hates ISO.

Given that a coworker is asking you to find the "source" of attitudes thru your audit program. does this mean you simply "measure" attitude and leave it to the manager to determine the cause? Do you simply record your observations and hope the manager makes a connection that he has a problem? Do you detect bad attitude and then probe for the likely casue of it and write up the cause as an item requiring corrective action? (perhaps the cause is a nonconformity to the standard, such as inadequate staffing, competency or effective training)

then we must ask the question: attitude about what? ISO? Management? work place safety? Training? promotions? pay? hours?
The 'survey' approach works for objective/annonymous surveyors but only if you ask very specific questions and you ask them of many people to understand measurement variation...

Let's think this thru a bit more:
  • How would you 'write up' a bad attitude?
  • what evidence would you cite?
  • what corrective action response would you expect?
  • How will management likely respond to an "attitude" finding?

anyway just a few thoughts...
 

Sidney Vianna

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Admin
#10
Re: Auditing ISO 9001:2000 for...attitude???

I have to ask this question Sidney:

After reviewing ISO9004, if the company's business is built around the guidelines, could their Business system meet the Requirements of ISO9001:2000, since you can only register to ISO9001:2000?
Yes, I agree for the 2000 Edition of the documents.

As already mentioned in another thread, the ISO 9004:2009 document will no longer be a companion document of ISO 9001:2009. So, that will change.
 
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