Teaching Quality! The History of Quality (from Artisans to TQM)

[vasilist]

Hello to all of you there again, i am back!

One of new responsibilities in my work is to teach the new assistant managers what quality is. A 3 hour seminar will be held in order to explain some things. As a food technologist i decided to divide my given time in two parts of 1 1/2 hours. So in the first part i will point out a lot of things concerning the foods we are dealing with and in the second part i will focus on quality. I have some ideas in my mind but i would really apreciate if i hear a second opinion too. So please be so kind to say a hint or two (this is the first time i have to teach about quality and i want to express it as simply as it can be).


I have a plan in my head and it is like :

1. History of quality (from artisans to TQM) from Juran's Quality
Handbook
2. What is "Internal Customer"
3. Prevention and not Detection
4. Inputs and outputs


There will be at least 25 new assistant managers and i really would like to tell them what "quality" is in a very simple way. I want to pass some seeds of "culture" so any hint will be helpfull.

Thank you in advance!

Vasilis Theodossiou

 

[Craig H.]

Vasilis

What I do for our incoming employees Q class is this:

At the beginning of the meeting, we do the usual introductions, etc.. Then , as I move into the presentation, I bring out a bag of cookies and say that its nice to have something to share with my class. The bag, still sealed from the store, has been secretly "prepared" by me beforehand - there is not a single unbroken cookie in the bag.

"How do the broken cookies make you feel? Disappointed? Frustrated?"

"This is the way each of us can make our customers and coworkers feel, every day"

At the end of class, have an identical, "nonprepared" bag to share.

Anyway, make the presentation make sense to those in attendance - put it into their context. What does it mean to THEM??

Good Luck!!

Craig H.

 

[vasilist]

Thank you Craig !

The seminar is on Friday!

 

[Craig H.]

vasilist said:

Thank you Craig !

The seminar is on Friday!

No, thank you for the question, and welcome to the Cove.

Remember, make it make sense to THEM, or you will lose them. Use the cookie trick, or not, you have to make it hit HOME.
Remember your audience. These are the people who will make it work. Or not.

The "nuts and bolts" of quality makes no sense to them. The Whys and Hows do. What is it that your customers are looking for (and they may not really know-surprise and delight the customer)? Be Creative - THIS is your chance!!

Great Luck!!

Craig

P.S. Let me know how it goes.

 

[Atul Khandekar]

Vasilist,

Welcome (back) to the Cove!

If I remember your earlier posts correctly, I think you had a major problem of variation in incoming material (chicken, was it?). I would suggest you also cover concepts of variation, common cause, special cause, mean-on-target, measurement etc in you presentation.

All the best for your presentation.

- Atul.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Craig H. said:
---X---
Remember, make it make sense to THEM, or you will lose them. Use the cookie trick, or not, you have to make it hit HOME.
Remember your audience. These are the people who will make it work. Or not.
---X---
P.S. Let me know how it goes.

Hello Vasilis, and welcome back.

I think Craig hit it right on the button there, ... Good trick btw, Craig. The main thing is go get a discussion going rather than the usual lecture. That's what I always try to do, and you need to get the right people talking in order to achieve that.

And do let us know how it turns out...

/Claes

 

[vasilist]

Hello again.

Thank you very much all of you. Almost one day and a half until the seminar.

I have only 1 1/2 hours so i have to be very simple, accurate and must have a great impact. I will talk about quality in the second part. I will try the trick with the cookies (thanks Craig!). I also will try to explain with simple words the meaning of quality chain (external / internal supplier / customer relationships).


I will inform you about it. Thank you again!



Vasilis Theodossiou

 

[vasilist]

Hello all out there!

I am very glad seeing that the Cove is back!

Anyway i am sure that all we have a vision of a better future!

Regarding my lecture about quality all things were fine! Thank you Craig for the cookies trick. It had an impact. On the other hand i had the luck to have a visit in the classroom by the General Manager of the company. The Quality starts from him and his words during his visit to all the people were the best help for me. For once more thank you all and allow me to disturb you with my questions!

Vasilis T.

 

[Al Dyer]

Just keep pumping into people the importance of monitoring variation. Not just on products and measurements but most importantly the process.

In my limited expertise, monitoring and controlling quality in all phases of the operations comes down to variation identity. We have to identify something before we can improve it.

 

[Craig H.]

Vasilis:

Glad to hear it went so well. While the cookie trick helped, I am sure the presence of your GM did much more to "drive home" the point. Who now can dispute that your quality effort is serious?

He made your job a lot easier.

Congratulations on a successful presentation!

Craig