PaulJSmith
(Former) Quality Jerk
It's finally happening to me. I've seen many of my Quality peers over the years find their way back over to Production. I've frequently wondered how that could happen. But, now I "get it."
I've been working as a Quality Manager for the past six years at a company that offered me at the time an irresistible opportunity to improve their QMS. It was an effort started by the previous QM, but abandoned. He offered me some advice at which I snickered at the time, but that I slowly came to realize was no simple parting shot; that my biggest challenge would be the president of the company. He was 100% correct. Try as I might, I could not convert him. He got better for awhile, then recently started another deep dive into terrible decision making that placed product quality and customer satisfaction dead last on his list of priorities. "It's fine, just get it out the door so we can invoice for it" became the default mantra. Once he started asking me to do unethical things (deliberately incorrect documentation), it was time to go.
I felt like a failure. I've been a Quality Jerk for almost 25 years, 10 as a manager, and I've never had to deal with someone like this. This is the reason I stopped coming to The Cove for several years (long enough to get caught in Marc's pruning). I started to question my effectiveness as a Quality Manager. From conversations with some industry peers and local friends, it became evident that I was indeed on the right path, just with the wrong leadership. So, time to move on. After accepting an offer from another company, I submitted my resignation last week. I cannot be a part of such questionable business practices.
The new position will be Production Manager for a contract electronics manufacturer. I've spent about 20 years in electronics in the past, so going back is a comfortable move. And, I finally understand why so many moved in that direction, when I started to think I would be better off driving quality from the production side, rather than constantly fighting against production managers who care little about quality. As I said, now I get it.
I'm hoping to not be such a stranger here, as this is still one of the greatest wealth of information sites on the internet. Thanks for keeping me on the right path.
I've been working as a Quality Manager for the past six years at a company that offered me at the time an irresistible opportunity to improve their QMS. It was an effort started by the previous QM, but abandoned. He offered me some advice at which I snickered at the time, but that I slowly came to realize was no simple parting shot; that my biggest challenge would be the president of the company. He was 100% correct. Try as I might, I could not convert him. He got better for awhile, then recently started another deep dive into terrible decision making that placed product quality and customer satisfaction dead last on his list of priorities. "It's fine, just get it out the door so we can invoice for it" became the default mantra. Once he started asking me to do unethical things (deliberately incorrect documentation), it was time to go.
I felt like a failure. I've been a Quality Jerk for almost 25 years, 10 as a manager, and I've never had to deal with someone like this. This is the reason I stopped coming to The Cove for several years (long enough to get caught in Marc's pruning). I started to question my effectiveness as a Quality Manager. From conversations with some industry peers and local friends, it became evident that I was indeed on the right path, just with the wrong leadership. So, time to move on. After accepting an offer from another company, I submitted my resignation last week. I cannot be a part of such questionable business practices.
The new position will be Production Manager for a contract electronics manufacturer. I've spent about 20 years in electronics in the past, so going back is a comfortable move. And, I finally understand why so many moved in that direction, when I started to think I would be better off driving quality from the production side, rather than constantly fighting against production managers who care little about quality. As I said, now I get it.
I'm hoping to not be such a stranger here, as this is still one of the greatest wealth of information sites on the internet. Thanks for keeping me on the right path.
