My personal props this year go out to Chevy, Budweiser and Honda, which would probably really surprise my friends.  Chevy played on some serious PR with the direct attack against Ford.  I also thought that “Stunt Anthem” was pretty cool too. As for Budweiser with the “Eternal Optimism” spot, it made me smile.  I don’t know… it seemed genuine and it’s something we may just need to get out of this learned helplessness rut we’re in. The bleak depictions of industry demise kind of bums me out… Failure of the auto industry to compete effectively in the global market shouldn’t make me feel bad.  It should make them want to get off their butts and actually listen to their markets instead of dictating what consumers want… that only works for Apple.

Oh, I totally dig Honda’s “Matthew’s Day Off” campaign… They couldn’t have tapped into their target market any better, and I’m left wondering how many people younger than me have seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

My personal nots go out to the majority of animal ads and the GoDaddy spots.  I mentioned the animal distain before, but I just think GoDaddy is full of themselves to stick with the same stuff and remain in-house for development.  Their ads are nothing better than amateur, and I’m not even judging based on how much they suck for supporting SOPA (opposed later for obvious reasons).

As for the Volkswagon spots, I thought combining the dieting dog with the Star Wars cantina was a little too fragmented. It just didn’t transition well, and it was too obvious they were trying to keep up the momentum from last year.  It wasn’t terrible, but it failed to meet my expectations.  One prop for that spot would be their choice of car to include (Red Beetle) and the many snapshots of the logo.  People will likely remember whose ad it is this time.  Anyone remember their Fahrvergnügen campaign?

Oh, I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention the Coke ads.  Sure, Pepsi’s wasn’t anything special and it would have been much better without Regis, but I’ll never understand what polar bears have to do with drinking flavored high-fructose corn syrup (which I love so much). Really, what is the link there? I’m a big fan of many of Coke’s other ads, but just not the polar bear ones.

Either way, it’s been real… I still have no clue how to play football, but I can say for certain that the commercials have had me excited for weeks. Still, no competition to “1984″ out there yet… Apple is still holding that title and going strong.

PS: Note to Samsung regarding “Thing Called Love”… The millions of people with iPhones are laughing at you.

Check out all of the ads on the AdBlitz YouTube channel.

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I need a cable.  I’m told I need a VGA adapter cable to project my presentation materials at HCC via my MacBook Pro.  I checked online but couldn’t figure out exactly what I needed and thought a quick trip to the Apple store would mean instant satisfication for next week’s classes.

I’m an Apple fan… I talk about Apple a lot.

But, I’ve never purchased anything from the Apple store.  To my advantage, I married an early adopter (smart guy) that researches, purchases, sets up and maintains all of my fun electronic goodies. He’s amazing at this… so, I’ve never purchased anything at the Apple store even though I own many of their products and speak of them often.

My experience at the Apple store has me thinking…

Although the mall just opened and the parking lot was seemingly empty, I found the Apple store to be beaming with eager consumers ready to hand over their credit cards in exchange for the latest and greatest shiny gadgets.

I just want a cable, so I head over with my 3yr old daughter and ask the guy in the blue shirt standing near the end of the store.  He’s holding an iPad and quickly looks up to nonverbally inquire about what it is I want.  He tells me quite simply that this area is the “technical area” and someone would assist me soon.

I stand there.

I stand there some more, with my 3yr old getting anxious in the stroller.  She had been promised a carousel ride and wasn’t happy about the unexpected stop.

I start listening and hear all about the wonder of Apple products and how much they improve our lives by their seemingly limitless capabilities and shininess.  They are pretty.  The herd thinks so as well.  It’s written all over their faces.  For these sales people, it must be like shooting fish in a barrel.

I smile.

I stand there some more.

It’s 10:45am.  I’m not smiling anymore.

I visually check the accessory shelf to determine if I can just make a quick choice, but I don’t see anything referencing “VGA”.   I do notice some pretty cool iPhone cases though.

It’s 10:50am and I pull over a guy in a blue shirt as he’s heading to the “technical area.” The guy with the clipboard had been standing there the whole time, not oblivious to my increased impatience.  He has an important job though… protecting the “technical area.”

The guy I flag down helps me out but finally walks me over to an iPad conveniently docked by a MacBook Pro.  He continues to talk of the “magic of Apple” in that I only need to select something on the iPad to be in a queue for an associate.  I’m confused and somewhat shocked that I had failed to notice any cash registers before.  OK…

It seems that if I want to “buy” this cable I now have in my hand, I need to wait for an associate using this “magic” system of no cash registers.

It’s 11am.  I flag a lady down in a blue shirt and ask if I could just make a quick purchase of the cable.  She says she doesn’t have the equipiment but will return in a moment.

The nice lady returns several minutes later and asks me for my name and other information.  I indicate again that I would just like to “buy” the cable and be gone.  My 3yr old was now obviously ready to escape the confines of the stroller and was only moments away from ripping the store apart.  These gadgets were of no interest to her since we have them at home.

I’m told that I won’t receive a receipt without providing the requested information.  I’m OK with this and am released from the store with the $29 cable to proceed with my day.  It’s 11:10am.

Time for the carousel…

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“The practice of mindfulness will increase the quality of our learning & also improve the quality of our life.”

Amazon recently recommended a book that I couldn’t resist… Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness With Children.  Plum Village looks like an amazing place… amazing!

I’ve made it through most of the book and find it to be one of those books that you savor and go back to.  The first page sums it up best:

“May this book help you plant the seeds of mindfulness in the garden of your own life & in the lives of the children you nurture. And may you, your family, your school and your community reap a rich harvest of peace, contentment & togetherness.”

I’m not drinking any Kool-Aid or singing Kumbaya or anything, but if you really think about those words, it’s quite tempting.  In all seriousness, the book is great and offers some realistic things (tools, activities, etc.) you can do for yourself and others to really focus and connect with things around you… And, I translate that into success. For me, I find being mindful fuels my drive for whatever it is I’m doing.  And, it inspires me and gives me the kick in the butt I sometimes need to make changes and continuously improve.

Being mindful (aware of the moment) seems very easy, I know.  But, I assure you it’s one of the most difficult things to actually do.  For some, it comes naturally.  For the rest of us, it’s about being too busy or otherwise distracted from truly being in (and appreciating) the moment.

“You cannot transmit wisdom & insight to another person.  The seed is already there.  A good teacher touches the seed, allowing it to wake up, to sprout, and to grow.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Spring semester at HCC starts tonight, and I’m excited as always.  I’ll be teaching Intro to Business, Principles of Marketing & Principles of Management again… each one of them, good times!  My most significant suggestion for doing well in my class is to always be engaged and know what’s going on.  Rather than focusing on the long-term objective of scoring the credit hours, enjoy the moments in class when there’s an opportunity to learn new things.  Here’s to a great semester!

Sidenote: Another great book targeted to kids but great for all ages is Thinking Tools for Kids.  From fishbone diagrams to affinity exercises, this book simplifies key quality and decision making tools with fun examples and useful templates.  

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1) Responding like a trained monkey – I am an admitted “send-receiver”… I feel the need to check my email and respond to things at completely unreasonable times.  I think I can handle a simple once per hour check.  What can’t wait an hour? Anything urgent is going to notify me via iPhone anyway, right? Can I do the same with Facebook? That’s kind of asking a lot!

2) Mindless traditions – I’m already there… sick of the mindless and just need some creative inspiration and action!

3) Reading annoying things – I won’t get rid of The Economist print subscription, but I have cleaned up my Google Reader and think I have my stream of information well organized and condensed.  Also, Luke had recommended podcasts for the commute to HCC, so I’m thinking this will be a great way to multitask and even reduce my number of annual speeding tickets. (Note that also checking emails once per hour will likely improve my driving success as well)

4) Work that’s not worth it – I really need to give up the HOA this year.  I gave up one last year, but I keep hanging onto this responsibility because I feel like it’s my civic duty.  But, I’ve come to realize that HOAs are powerless to government legislation and people are going to do whatever the hell they want to anyway.  I do love the other members and our CAM though, so it makes it hard.  I’m keeping all the other stuff! It doesn’t take that much time, and I get enjoyment from being busy.

5) Making things more complicated than they should be – Been there, done that!

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Referenced Link

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But, the FaceBook and YouTube data seem to indicate that people just don’t care about what’s actually going on.  We’re looking at things like Nyan Cat and worrying about what celebrities are doing (Charlie Sheen blew away Hurricane Irene in FaceBook updates).  We simply don’t seem to dedicate any true mindfulness regarding how we can contribute to making the world better.  It’s almost as if we think about it, introspectively, but don’t follow-up in our conversations and actions as they relate to others.  Are we afraid to be too serious?

I worry about us sometimes.  And,  I ask myself… what can I do?

UPDATE: I turn on the television to see CNN’s Morning Express covering the YouTube top videos of the year.  However, instead of pointing out the obvious, they instead decided the newsworthy thing to do was to add their own interpretations of the Talking Dog. The follow-up story was “Santa monkeys around with chimps”… no joke.

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For this introspection, I took a more “micro” approach…  Reflecting back, what were my personal quality wins and fails for the year?

Pro QC’s Online Presence -

I feel really good about how Pro QC’s online presence has developed this year. This is a big win for me personally, because it always feels good to see ideas turning into results.  Through our social media efforts, we’ve solidified our position as a company that adds value to the quality community by adding informative, useful content.  I’ve worked hard to get the blog up and create content that people both new and seasoned to the industry can benefit from. I created our Facebook page as a way to primarily communicate with our team.  As a company spread across thirty countries, I wanted a way to connect with everyone outside of daily work email.  The photos and sharing of events and industry news has proven to be a valuable addition to our online presence.  It improves the quality of our team.

While this is an obvious win, it did also fail to meet my expectations to some degree. I’ll admit my expectations regarding involvement were much higher.  One of my goals for 2012 is to take a deeper look into what we’ve done so far, how it can be improved and figure out what new things can we try.  My biggest obstacle is time… there’s never enough it, and most people share in this observation.  But, I don’t think people in general truly understand the benefits of getting involved with social media and the limited time it really takes vs. the overwhelming benefits of being connected.  How do you get people engaged?  Where is the “on” button? How do I get people as interested in quality as I am?

Overall, let’s just say that I’m very pleased with the results so far and am excited to see how we’ll grow and continue reaching even more people with the importance of quality and the role we play in that process.  I wouldn’t be a true quality professional if I didn’t shoot for continuous improvement!

ASQ’s Influential Voices - 

Being a part of ASQ’s Influential Voices has given me the motivation I needed to “raise the voice” outside of my daily work activities.  It reinforced the idea that quality isn’t just what I do… it’s part of who I am.  And, it’s connected me to the larger quality community, whereas I’ve learned quite a bit!  One of my goals for 2011 was to increase my blogging content, and A View from the Q is a large contributor there.  I’m hoping to keep up the momentum and double my average number of posts this year.

While  I would definitely suggest the Influential Voices initiative has been a success, I think the program would largely benefit from additional cross-commenting and communications between bloggers.  I’m guilty of this… posting something and then failing to read all of the other follow-up posts.  I think it really comes down to the time issue again, but additional comments really would create more of a conversation.

And, the winner of the most significant quality event of the year goes to… 

I would be crazy not to mention my adventures in China a few months back.  How does that relate to a quality win for the year? Well, the adventure gave me some much needed perspective.  I needed to remember what production looks like and step into the work of others that I’m often so quick to try and improve or change.

Standing in front of people I’ve worked with for years and only knew via email was pretty cool.  And, my realization of how the Chinese culture interacts (or rather doesn’t interact) with social media in the same ways we do, really had an impact on how I need to get things done in the future.  It was an “ah ha” moment for sure!  From a marketing perspective, I suppose it was more of a “duh” moment…

Taking a video camera into the factories and producing content that gives others an idea of what it’s like to produce “stuff” and the role quality assurance and control play within that process has been interesting, to say the least.  A visual representation of the complexity was just the answer I was looking for.  My only regret is that I didn’t get enough video, but my hope is that I’ve planted the seed and will continue to get footage from our offices that I can edit and post on an ongoing basis.  It’s going to be great…

And, on that note, here’s to a quality 2012! May our successes always outweigh the disappointments… And, may we always learn and adapt when things fail to meet our expectations.

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Let me just say that it’s amazing how much energy and enthusiam kids have! I asked them what they thought “quality” means and was received with some confused glares. You could see that they were really thinking about it and trying to put what they knew it was into words.  Finally, one girl identified it as “good”… <insert big smile>.

Fortunately, I decided to bring some LEGOs with me to discuss the topic.  We pulled down the map and talked about where LEGOs are made (Billund, Denmark) and how they are made. We talked about how the LEGOs would get from Denmark to Tampa, FL. The kids were totally engaged and you could just tell they thought it was pretty cool… they were floored that 1,000 LEGOs are made every second and by how long it takes for “stuff” to to get places.  Did you know that LEGO is the #1 tire manufacturer in the world?

Now, when I asked them how they would feel if they got a LEGO kit and found pieces missing, they used words like “bad” and “angry”.  Quality is good… poor quality is bad.  They got it! But, I wanted to incorporate an international trade component because that part of it is what makes my job with Pro QC so cool.  To do that, I used an activity that I picked up from my macro economics professor way back.  The activity builds value through trading… it gets students thinking about how free trade creates choices and lets us be more demanding for quality when there are more options.  Let me just say that 2nd graders are far more appreciative of “stuff” than the community college crowd! I left there feeling like a superstar having let them keep the traded items. And, when it was all over, they were more comfortable talking about what quality is and why it’s important… win!

Anyway, I’ve enjoyed reading the ASQ Influential Voices responses this month regarding World Quality Month and have really felt the love within the industry.  The quote Paul Borawski references from an old IBM sumes up my sentiments exactly:  “Here’s to National Quality Month and Eleven More Just Like It!”

Sidenote: I can hardly believe one year has passed since I joined ASQ’s Influential Voices program. I feel fortunate to be included among so many other passionate quality professionals.  I have no doubt that we have raised the voice of quality and will continue to do so!

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(1) “1984″ – Apple

I dare anyone argue that this commercial changed the entire way we market products.

(2) “Think Different” - Apple

Hell yes… “Here’s to the crazy ones” – This commercial sums up everything that makes humanity great!

(3) “Sienna Family” – Toyota (Swagger Wagon)

This campaign figured out how to make driving a minivan not seem so lame.

(4) “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” – Coca-Cola

I want to live in a world like this… minus the high-fructose corn syrup.

(5) “Nike Courage” – Nike

I’m not an athlete, but I sure do feel like one after seeing this commercial… They’re giving me a good “feeling” so I don’t have to bothered by something so menial as shoes.

(6) “Cooper & Castle Hills” – Castle Hills Realty

They got me… It blew my mind that this was all marketing.

(7) “Back to the Start” – Chipotle

I can’t help but respect that they really went all out on creativity here and got the power of Willie Nelson’s voice behind a bold move in the right direction where sustainability is concerned.  They took a big risk budgeting this… it certainly doesn’t hit their mainstream market.

(8) “Star Wars Cantina 2010″ – Adidas

This is one of the only times I’ve actually thought celebrity associations work… it’s both entertaining and fits well with the overall campaign.

(9) “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” – Old Spice

This was the first time I ever really noticed such a successful cross-over between social media and external media.  It also did a great job at rebranding.

(10) “ShamWow” – ShamWow

“The Germans always make good stuff….” – Come on, I think this guy could sell anything.

I also reached out to others and asked what some of their favorites are.  A large majority of people referenced Geico and Jack Links Sasquatch campaigns.  I was surprised I didn’t see more references to Coca-Cola commercials, but I think we’re so stuck thinking about panda bears that we’ve forgotten how progressive they were way back when.

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“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

One of the most inspirational speeches I’ve seen includes Jobs’ 2005 commencement at Standford…

And, my all-time favorite quote also comes from Jobs…

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

So, the world will obviously move on without Steve Jobs  (1955-2011) in it, but I hope we don’t soon forget the contributions of a true visionary… someone that really did make a dent in the universe. He was more than iPods and iPads… he just got it.

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Here’s to the crazy ones…

In Terry’s interview with ASQ, GM isn’t promising that they’ll exceed your expectations, but rather are being a little more cautious and simply promising you that the “product will do everything they say it will do.” It feels like they are promoting the idea that the same promise wasn’t assumed before.  And, then the consumer (or employee) wonders why not? It also seems inconsistent with their mission, which states that “GM will design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles.” It sounds like the message is that they’re going to shoot for the best, but will promise that it will at least do what we say it will.  Either way, if quality is defined as meeting or exceeding expectations, you can’t negate they have repositioned themselves into  a quality-centric organization. That’s a good thing…

That said, I do think Laurel Nelson-Rowe poses an interesting question when she asks if companies must sometimes (often? regularly?) undergo radical organizational change or substantial economic shifts to get back to rigorous quality systems? And, the answer is a resounding yes to both.  As an industry historically resistant to change, I think the U.S. auto industry is the best example of this.  Also, I don’t think “radical” organizational change is necessary on a regular basis, although the assessment of such change is.  If companies are out there scanning the environment and examining internal and external factors affecting their objectives and performance, then they will be able to make ongoing small changes as necessary for realignment.  Of course, regular strategic (macro) level assessments are necessary as well in order to determine if the objectives set remain relevant.  GM learned this the hard way.

“By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail.”  ~Benjamin Franklin

Regarding corporate culture, I think this is something that must be seen and heard.  It can’t just be words in a mission statement.  You have to feel it, both as someone working for the organization and as a consumer in general looking in from the outside.  Reinforcement of the corporate culture must be ongoing and incorporate managements’ passion, dedication and overall support.   While it all seems obvious, we also must make sure we employ the right people that fit the expected corporate culture model.  Reinforcing is much easier than reeducating.

I am rooting for GM to succeed as a leader in the industry and do see passion, dedication and overall support coming from people like Terry. I suppose the proof is in the pudding.

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I finally got my invite the other day and played around it with it for a few.   Here’s my feedback on the beta evaluation…

• Limited customization – I’d like to have more options to adjust the size and general layout. Currently, there are six templates to choose from, and none of them seemed really spectacular.  A little more tweaking capability, especially where formatting is concerned, would be helpful. The color schemes and such were fine.
• Limited content editing – I really wasn’t able to customize info to a great extend… For example, I can’t see where I can incorporate the several titles I’ve had at Pro QC throughout the years.  It’s only representing the most current one over the entire span of time.
• Instead of only allowing LinkedIn info, why not allow people to import their resumes from other sources (like .doc files) and customize from there? I will admit, however, that pulling the info from LinkedIn sure was convenient!

While I didn’t spend too much time playing around with this because I’ve got a list a mile long to get through today, I did end up with this: http://vizualize.me/VTA-pjB3ae.  It’s certainly a pretty way of introducing yourself, but I think it’s missing the bigger picture of what employers are looking for.  What there is now only skims the surface…

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Does the quality community bear some responsibility for making sure its philosophic foundations are not lost to history?

Too much commentary is unnecessary here… it’s ridiculous that people within the quality industry are somehow lacking basic understanding of historic contributions that still impact how things are being done today.  The better question is where is the disconnect?  I see Deming and Juran referenced everywhere, including the textbooks I’m teaching from.  So, is retention and application somehow an issue?  And, Deming and Juran shouldn’t be limited to the quality industry’s responsibility. Find me an industry where you couldn’t make an argument for their relevance in practical applications… I can’t think of one.   “The past is prologue.” 

What do professionals under the age of 35 see as the future of quality? 

Having read Paul’s post right before my Principles of Management class started (and as a marketer at heart), I decided to reach out to the students and get their opinions. As a night class, I do often find a great deal of students that fall into the under 35 professional demographic.  Here are a few of their comments that they so graciously allowed me to incorporate for introspection:

“Personally, I feel that the future of quality is determined by three aspects; organization, determination & sustainability.” (22)

“I think in the short-term, quality will go downhill as more and more things shift from being handmade to being automated, but as technology gets better, so will quality.” (32)

“The future of quality is customer service. As we move forward in technology and in general, the mark of quality for both an individual and company will be service.” (21)

“I see the quality of the future to be bright, as innovators and visionaries will be in contact and developing more and more technology.” (20)

“The future of quality can simply be defined as sustainability. In an ultra-competitive, high-paced, up and down market, a company must find a way to maintain.  They must find their own identity and stick to it.” (26)

“Quality is a base of a product.  Quality of  a product can drive a person to change their mind.  For example, after looking and considering the qualities of a MacBook, an individual will rarely go back to PC.” (22)

**As an observation from my discussions during previous classes, I have also seen an increasing interest in sustainability and a focus on technology.  I would tend to agree that this is the future of quality.  If accomplished, amazing things will likely happen!

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A few months ago, I proposed a trip to our offices in China.  I was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of social media content development and participation (turns out there’s a good reason for that… people don’t have “free” access to these sites there and more people don’t know about Facebook than do).  Either way, I proposed taking a nine day whirlwind tour to get video and other content and also educate our team there on how they can help.  My idea was approved.

I’m writing all kinds of stuff about the trip on the Pro QC blog and such, but I do have some personal observations as well.

Shanghai…

So, I had no idea how much land would be necessary  to house ~25 million people…  it’s massive… it’s vertical.  The first thing you notice leaving the airport are all the “green” billboards in English.  I didn’t note there was a great deal of smog or anything, but they obviously realize they have a major PR problem on their hands. I also heard that production facilities have been moved further outside the major city centers.  Pro QC had arranged for a driver that was pretty great about introducing me to all the sights on the way in.

I had so much fun at the Yuyuan Bazaar and Yu Gardens.  It was such a cheesy thing to have done, but I’d do it again if given the opportunity.  The Gardens were exactly how I had imagined… a natural, yet well maintained, space for peaceful enjoyment would look.  The carp… weeping willow looking trees, jade stones that were 1000s of years old… it was magnificent!

I’d have to say the highlight of Shanghai was definitely the night out with our Managing Director and a few others.  Dinner was awesome (Lost Heaven) and we ended up at this little Beatles themed bar called Abbey Road where there was a band doing covers ranging from Nirvana to Zeppelin.

Ningbo…

I won’t say the bus ride from Shanghai to Ningbo was the best experience, but I can’t say the same experience would be any better here in the U.S. (with the exception of the bathroom accommodation situation that I’m not even going to discuss).  I’m just not a good bus rider… I get motion sickness, the smell bothers me and I just hate sitting that close to people in any kind of hot environment.  If I take away the “princess perspective”, for little to nothing, I travelled three hours to quite an industrialized and historic city of ~10 million.  The views along the way were spectacular.  It’s amazing to see how much food is being grown… even though you realize how many people there are.

I’m going to own up to requesting a check-out of the first hotel I stayed at here.  I guess I’m kind of a hotel snob too, although I did prepare myself that a work trip wasn’t going to be what we would necessarily book for a personal vacation.  My general OCD to have things new and shiny sometimes affects me more than I’d like.  In my defense, there was some shady business going on there… Fast forward to the Crowne Plaza in the city center and I’m livin’ large.  There’s amazing shopping in the square right across the street (Tianyi Square), and the hotel itself was sweet!

I had an opportunity to go through a factory in Ningbo, and that was pretty awesome… although, the no air conditioning thing did test my limits.  I had gone through one in Taipei and several here in the U.S.  It’s just interesting to see the relationship of resources to region… also, there’s serious variability when it comes to productivity.  As with all of the office visits, meeting up with our team was really fun!  I’ve worked with many of those guys for nearly 13 years!

Shenzhen (Shekou)…

This was my favorite city… I guess it’s just kind of cool how the government took this little fishing village ~30 years ago and decided to make it an experiment in capitalism (special economic zone).  It’s super high-tech and brand new… They even “moved” the sea back to make room for luxury high-rise residences.  The view of Hong Kong from the sea walk is breathtaking!  We strolled along the water one evening and saw people of all ages doing slow dancing in unison or tai chi… children were playing… it was peaceful.

Ah, I did get to go on another factory tour and saw Foxconn on the way.  I’ve talked so much about Foxconn in my classes that it was pretty cool to see an operation that employs and houses nearly 600,000 people (yes, I did see the “nets”).  The factory I toured was making little Betty Boop figurines… I don’t think people ever consider how much labor and general resources goes into production of even something that simple.  It’s crazy! (I’m hoping my video will do a good job… I need to figure out editing first).

Hong Kong…

My expectation of riding a ferry was that I would stand outside in a romantic scene that included wind in my hair.  Instead, I pulled all of my luggage up three flights of stairs to a huge yacht looking boat.  It was a bus on water… and, that thing moved!  The ride took ~45 minutes and included some amazing scenes of the HK port (largest in the world).  Holy crap, so much stuff moves in and out of there (mostly out).

I only had a night in Hong Kong, but I’ll say that it’s one crazy cool city… like New York on crack times 10.  You get off the ferry and are greeted with a series of escalators (not stairs like in the mainland), a mall, taxis standing by to assist… It’s a mega concrete jungle surrounded by mountains and beautiful coastlines.  I really, really wanted to go see the Big Buddha , but I didn’t want to deal with the sky lift ride that late… I went shopping instead and did actually get quite a bit of work done once I could finally access social media sites!  Next time, I want to check out the Temple Street Night Market and the Big Buddha & Po Lin Monastery.

In general, China is a seemingly well run machine.  City centers are comparable to that of the nicest cities here in the U.S. (some nicer)… when you leave the city centers, it’s exactly how you would imagine it to be in areas with a great deal of industrialization going on while still dealing with the obvious issues of developing as a major player in the world economy.  It’s obvious they are master investors in infrastructure and seem to create an odd form of harmonious chaos for the people.  People naturally have a larger sense of culture and history, but are able to incorporate innovation and change without having to compromise.  It’s really very interesting…

Oh, I was a bit worried about communication with the crew while I was away… but, Luke figured out FaceTime would work on the iPhone with airplane mode and WiFi. Internet was widely available in the hotels, which made things super nice.  I still found myself trying to pull up FaceBook and Twitter, but it just wasn’t going to happen without a special setup.  And… there were lots of Starbucks and KFCs in the downtown areas.  I did eat at KFC once for lunch and can say it was different, but good.  In fact, all of the food (with maybe the exception of the squid and fish heads) was that way.

Overall, China was an amazing adventure!  I met so many wonderful people, saw crazy cool stuff and ate things I never thought I would, eventually using chopsticks like a boss… highly recommended!

Check out the pictures…

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The latest View From the Q post included a series of videos from an interview with Dr. J.J. Irani, who was “in the C-Suite of Tata Sons, based in India, as the Managing Director of Tata Steel for nearly a decade, and then on the Board.” Having just watched the video series and then digging around a little about Tata, I’m just so impressed at what a powerhouse of business Tata Group is and how they are such a living example of best corporate practices.  I really am! I had heard of Tata Motors and Tata Global Beverage, of course, but I had no idea how much more there was.

The Tata Group turns out to be “one of India’s oldest, largest and most respected business conglomerates.”  Spread out over seven business sectors, I can’t say I’ve seen many companies so well diversified and positioned. With a history dating back before liberalisation, it’s just impressive to see such an inspired organization.  From all accounts I can see, they actually “walk the walk.”

While I enjoyed all four videos, there were two key points that Dr. Irani communicated with both passion and sincerity.

“Quality of management systems is the DNA of the organization.”

“Corporate social responsibility is not a cost… it is always an investment.”

I think the biggest hesitation in talking to Pro QC prospects regarding the importance of top-down, unified quality efforts, is simply convincing them that it’s an investment and not a cost.  I truly believe that to be true and also reiterate this to my students.

If every organization centered their organizations around these two value propositions, we would eliminate the issues we face today and ensure sustainable prosperity.

Check out all four videos… My favorite was this one:

“Big Q” is where it’s at!

Oh, there’s also a must-see Ad Gallery… 

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Over the years, I’ve gravitated towards foreign vehicles and still believe they offer overall better quality, safety and value.  As an example, Subaru is paving the way where social responsibility is concerned, maintains high quality & safety standards, understands their target market(s) better than most and manages to avoid unions and maintain low turnover and highly rated overall employee satisfaction. What more can you ask for?  I’m quite sure they don’t have a magic recipe for success locked up somewhere, so why can’t the Big 3 follow suit?  Well, my kids don’t have much incentive to do things either if they know I’m always there to bail them out.  But, I digress…

I’ve found this conversation strikes quite a chord with people and can earn you a negative badge of patriotism these days.  I certainly wouldn’t consider myself anti-American because I choose tough love (free market solutions) over bailouts and performance based incentives over union inspired learned helplessness.  The way I see it, industry in the United States has a responsibility to maintain competitiveness.  They have the responsibility to identify and respond to various environmental trends and influences. The U.S. automotive industry continues to fail here.  And, their sense of entitlement to my tax dollars is frustrating at best.

Enter Ford…

Out of the Big 3, I’ve always thought of Ford as the top pick.  I was impressed by their denial of government bailout funds, although I think there should have been greater public disclosure of the government “loans” they took.  I’ve seen them take a more proactive approach to managing public perception and have seen a much greater commitment to quality over the past few years. After watching the videos posted to View from the Q, I feel even more confident that Ford is on their way to innovating their way out of the mess that has become the automotive industry.  (Psst, you guys should have listened to Deming… or even to consumers, and you would have weathered economic downturns like bosses!)

OK, so no one would argue Henry Ford’s contribution to industry and I think my refusal to give up on Ford as a company in large part has to do with their salient origins.  My hope for Ford’s future is that they tap into the energy that Henry created with his original vision… a utilitarian mission to make transportation accessible for most through mass production, competitive wages and some “lean” thinking.

Something Bennie Fowler said during the ASQ interview reassured me that Ford will be just fine… He noted that “You really can’t have a great company until you have great quality.”  And, with top-down thinking and support like that, you can’t lose! Ford, I’m rooting for you…

Related posts:

Top 10 Quality Quotes Quality: Learning from the past & leading the future GM talks quality and makes a promise…

I found the books through a magazine of which the name I no longer recall.  But, I ordered them as a way to get my six year-old interested in writing.  In reality, I ended up keeping them for myself and find them to be an effective way to get going when I’m staring at a blinking cursor.

And, they’re just fun… Full of stupid little activities that get your gears going… And, sometimes you learn something about yourself in the process.

Here they are:

• Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life
• Rip the Page: Adventures in Creative Writing
• Listography: Your Life in Lists

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Here’s a short clip from the episode on technology… I can’t resist Apple… I can’t resist…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0dUuHo58UE

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdANElmRU6k

What got me thinking about this was a NPR post today referencing Vonnegut’s ability to turn the timeless tale of Cinderella into a simple equation… I wish there more out there…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ

My Vonnegut favorites: Player Piano, Gallapagos, Deadeye Dick & Welcome to the Monkey House… Just picked up Look at the Birdie and looking forward to reading some of the short stories over summer.

“Still and all, why bother? Here’s my answer. Many people need desperately to receive this message: I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.” ~Vonnegut

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Here’s my schedule for fall (HCC – Dale Mabry Campus)

Monday 7pm-9:45pm: GEB1011-09300 (Introduction to Business)

Tuesdays – 7pm-9:45pm: MAN1021-09587 (Principles of Management)

Wednesdays – 7pm-9:45pm: MAR1011-09595 (Principles of Marketing)

Looking forward to it… Until then, I’m focusing on Pro QC stuff and enjoying time with the family.  Oh, I’m going to have to get familiar with Blackboard too, but that shouldn’t be too bad.

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