Paul Borawski is asking the big question this month… “What is the most important challenge the quality community faces in ensuring that the value of quality is fully realized for the benefit of society?”

Answer: How do we change consumer behavior?

At the end of the day, the power lies in the hands of the consumer… Us.  When we convince ourselves that purchasing quality is what we demand and back that up with our actions, then quality is what will be supplied.  As long as we continue to accept less, that’s what we’ll get.

As quality professionals, I would suggest we have an even greater responsibility to share our knowledge with others here.  We’re so quick to talk cost of quality at work, but how often do we mention the benefits to our friends and family?

A friend of mine recently commented that Deming’s handwriting was so impeccable.  Doesn’t that make sense?

There are two primary misconceptions I think exist that really hinder society from the full benefit and value of quality.  Here they are:

Quantity is better than quality. 

Quality costs more, not less.

Raise the voice.  Spend wisely.

Even if you’re extraordinary at the technical aspects of your job, it is still without a doubt necessary to distinguish oneself… “Soft skills” count for quite a bit.

Both Sally Hogshead and James Melton recently spoke at the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement about “making oneself likable, fascinating, and charming.” Julia McIntosh sums up the common themes discussed at the event and asks if it’s necessary to distinguish ourselves and how do we do it?

Think about the type of person you would rather work with…  Think about what’s common among the people that get things done.

Broaden the definition of “soft skills” and you can see why…

“Soft skills are personal attributes that enhance an individual’s interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person’s skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person’s ability to interact effectively with coworkers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace.”

“Soft Skills are behavioral competencies. Also known as Interpersonal Skills, or people skills, they include proficiencies such as communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, personal effectiveness, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, influencing skills and selling skills, to name a few.”

How do you improve “soft skills”?

1. Do a SWOT analysis on yourself.  Brainstorm your personal Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats and assess what you need to focus improvement efforts on.  Mind Tools tells you how and even has a template you can use.
2. Create a S.M.A.R.T. goal for yourself to make sure you’re specific about what you’re wanting to improve.  Instead of trying to improve too much at one time, set it up in phases or smaller segments that are more manageable.  (Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Realistic – Timely) 
3. Create an Elevator Pitch that establishes a personal brand that you’re comfortable with.  Distinguish yourself and be able to effectively communicate this to others. Practice until you don’t sound rehearsed.  Friends and family should hear it several times before it gets tried elsewhere.
4. Get out there and network.  Look for local events that provide an opportunity to practice specific skills.  Start small and gradually increase your exposure.
5. Write it down for continuous improvement.  After each opportunity to network and/or otherwise practice “soft skills,” journal what worked, what didn’t and why.  In addition to continuous improvement, the journal is motivating in that you can track your progress.

At the end of the day, “you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

OK, I am going to preface this by saying I am generally not a reality show enthusiast.  But, I recently discovered Bravo’s Tabatha Takes Over and particularly enjoyed a segment on quality I happen to catch.

The gist of the whole series is that a badass stylist, Tabatha, visits suffering salons that are essentially on the verge of collapse.  The dynamic at most of these places is much like I remember high school, so there’s drama around every corner and a general theme of poor management.  Tabatha cleans house in a matter of days and always seems to turn the disparaging business around.

So, the episode with quality was addressing a complaint the stylists had concerning their inability to give quality cuts because they were held accountable to such a high quantity standard.  Of course other issues such as lack of training, poor team management, etc. were at play as well.

Tabatha brings the owner to some kind of restaurant and has her make a significant number of burgers in a ridiculously short amount of time.  The owner manages to make half of the required order, and they looked inedible.

A follow-up activity was to give the owner a variety of resources, fresh ingredients and no time limit and requests she make a burger in these conditions.  Obviously, the product looked quite delicious.

I thought this was kind of a nifty way to say that quality is what counts.  Bravo to Bravo…

This particular episode reminded me of one of my favorite people in the world, a dedicated Aveda stylist that puts a ridiculous amount of love into her craft.  

I live in Tampa, Florida. It’s beautiful here.

A 2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people and a 2017 projection of 4,536,854 people. This doesn’t make ensuring quality easy, but overall I can say both Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa are doing a great job.  Paul Borawski is asking why this month?

1) Mission

The county’s mission focuses on quality and is consistent.  As quality professionals, we know this is where it starts.

The mission of Hillsborough County government is to provide effective quality service at a reasonable cost with courtesy, integrity and accountability in a manner that protects and enhances the quality of life of our diverse population.

The mayor of Tampa, Bob Buckhorn, continues to focus on “quality of life” in his State of the City and other communications and has succeeded with many initiatives, for example the Tampa Walk-Bike Plan among others.

2) Sustainability

In 2008, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes.

In 2012, Clean City removed over 1,237 tons of litter and debris including 14,131 snipe signs from major thoroughfares and residential corridors. In addition, 2,800 volunteers completed 91 clean-up projects and collected over 2.22 tons of litter and recyclables as part of the Annual Clean City Day.

In 2012, Tampa ranked in the Top 25 U.S. Cities with the Most ENERGY STAR Buildings.

Recently, the Traffic Signal Section completed the conversion of incandescent bulbs to LED for both traffic signals and pedestrian crossing signals. The conversion is saving the City more than 70% on the electric cost per year by converting the 65W incandescent bulbs to 15W LEDs.

St. Petersburg has gone all out with their efforts as well, and you can see it taking shape.

St. Petersburg is the first city in the state to receive the Green Building Coalition’s Green City designation, and has been recognized for energy conservation, recycling, water conservation, fuel efficiency, landscaping and preservation of open spaces, and other environmental programs.

3) Transparency & Accessibility 

If anything, people in Tampa can’t say there’s limited information available to them about what’s going on in their local government.  You wouldn’t have to look much farther than either the county or city websites for most things.

Hillsborough County

City of Tampa

The city is conveniently accessible via social media as well and actually posts consistent, useful information.  And, of course, City of Tampa Television (CTTV) is pretty cool.

If that’s not enough, as I was digging through their websites, I was impressed to see that the 2011 Quality Control Review Audit Report included praise to the government staff for their use of Risk Analysis!

Of course, continuous improvement is key and I’d likely have an earful to tell my local officials if they were standing right here.  But, I’d also add that I think they’re doing a great job.  Of course, community involvement and support is key.

I’ve travelled all over the world and must say Tampa makes a great home.