I saw this posted on Quality Inspection Tips and had to share it… I actually laughed out loud thinking about all of the stories I’ve heard over the years relating to these very issues .  Imagine how different this would look if quality and the simple concept of continuous improvement was built in to each process.

Source: OnQuality

Selling quality isn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it.  Aside from having the advantage of working with an incredibly knowledgable team of QC professionals, I’ve discovered the most successful strategies are often also the simplest to employ.

Paul Borawski talks about selling quality in his most recent View from the Q post.  He asks if there’s an “essential answer” in pitching top decision makers.  This is an excellent discussion opportunity, and I’m looking forward to hearing from the other Influential Voices here.

My tried and true suggestions are as follows:

- Walk the walk -

Consider for a moment how quick we are to notice inconsistencies in people’s words vs their actions. “Walking the walk” establishes trustworthiness, which is a key contributor to our decision making process.  We can’t expect people to buy into something we don’t back up with personal action.  Consistency is also a key component here.  We need to live and breathe quality.  We need to be passionate about it

- It’s all about the benefits -

This is really the basis of any good marketing campaign.  Rather than scaring people with the realities of poor quality, focus on the positive effects that come with doing it right.  Talk about the improvements and back up the claim that “quality costs less, not more.” Increased profits, a happier and more productive workforce, brand loyal consumers and a positive public perception are just a few of the great things that happen when you support quality initiatives.  Also, as key decision makers, it doesn’t hurt to point out the positive effects of being a steward of such fabulous benefits.

- Know your stuff - 

The key decision makers I’ve talked quality with in the past have responded positively to my ability to back up claims of benefits or disputes to common misconceptions with facts, figures and/or case studies.  Many times, resistance to quality is a faulty foundation of knowledge that has lead the individual(s) to believe ensuring quality is too complicated and not worth the effort.  Of course we know that nothing could be further from the truth, but you’ll need more than your opinion to change someone’s mind.

- All the world’s a stage - 

Paul also asks about cultural considerations when selling quality, and I’m not sure that’s how I would frame it.  I think you have to consider your audience from a broader perspective and then adjust your strategy as necessary.  I talk about quality differently depending on my audience.  Personalizing the approach in this way establishes a relationship and keeps your key decision makers engaged in the discussion.

Raising the voice of quality can certainly be considered a way of “selling” quality.  By contributing value adding content to the industry, we educate and inform key decision makers.

Of all the textbooks I went through during college, only a few remain in my possession.  Feminism: The Essential Historical Writings, is among these.  The women’s history class this book is from was one of my favorites, no doubt.  I always left empowered.  I left feeling like expression and freedom were beautiful things.  I think we sometimes forget.

Because it’s International Women’s Day,  I just happen to pull out the Essential Writings book and noticed my notes in a few of my favorites. In those moments when you find yourself smiling, you know it’s something worth sharing.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Solitude of Self), Virginia Wolf (A Room of One’s Own) and Margaret Fuller (Women in the 19th Century) are all voices in a history rich with ambition and determination.

The past is certainly prologue… Today, I’m inspired.  There’s a long road ahead.

Public relations can be awesome… when it’s good. It’s considered the most credible form of promotion and can dramatically impact consumer perceptions.  But, it can also be negative… and, the way an organization handles the negative can be a make or break situation.

Apple is smart. U.S. consumers started getting word of conditions at Foxconn some time ago when the suicides started and we’ve followed the story through the media as they have taken us to the origins of our shiny toys and shown us what we already know. But, the media hasn’t left Apple alone, even though they are only one client of many when it comes to products manufactured by the hundreds of thousands people that call Foxconn their employer.

Organizations can learn a lot by how Apple has handled this particular situation…

1) Be proactive – Rather than go silent like Carnival Corp. recently did with the recent crash in Italy, Apple has been proactive with social audits from the beginning and disclosed their supplier information for the first time.  While Apple does not own Foxconn, they have spent a pretty penny sending in auditors to assess and apply corrective action where necessary.  Let’s keep in mind that they can’t force Foxconn to do anything.  Working together improves safety and general labor conditions, without job loss or shipment delays.

2) Don’t play the blame game – Rather than calling out the media regarding their obvious bios or even trying to otherwise turn the focus to the many other electronics companies that use Foxconn, Apple has taken the high road and has been forethcomig with activities and actions.  Remember Ford v Firestone? With both parties blaming each other, consumers ended up blaming both.

3) Do something no one else has – Apple paid $250k to be the first electronics company to join the Fair Labor Association.  And, they are now in the process of funding 3rd party auditors to assess the conditions at the factory.  So far, there have been only glowing reports.  Straight from the Nike playbook, it works.

4) Show compassion – Make sure top executives communicate their support for addressing and resolving the issues.  Consumers can be very forgiving if they really believe you’re sorry.  Tim Cook has come out on several occasions and demonstrated his support and compassion for the labor conditions at factories making Apple products.

Apple continues to exceed stockholder expectations and remains one of the most respected brands throughout the world.  They’re doing something right.

So, I just read through the ASQ release regarding youth and their perceptions of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) fields as career choices.  When it says that our youth sees the value of these fields but is afraid they won’t measure up, I’m left to wonder if it’s because we’re failing as parents?  Or, is it that our education system is failing somehow?

My son is in second grade now.  He does very well in school, but getting him to do homework is a real chore.  He has this perception that somehow learning outside of the classroom is infringing on some other entitled play time.  Of course, he ultimately doesn’t have a choice but I’m left wondering what’s up?  He’ll play scientist, surgeon and frontline infantry with his buddies, but worksheets elicit the same reaction as immunizations.

I recall having homework and thinking it sucked as well.  Math was my downfall. I can remember the math teachers standing there talking about numbers in a monotone voice for such long periods of time.  It was so hard to stay awake, much less engaged at some beneficial level.  And, it wasn’t that I thought it was too hard.  It just wasn’t interesting.  I hate to say the same goes for other STEM subjects as well.  The courses in college renewed my interest simply by offering better instructors, although I was and remain a liberal arts kind of girl!  I’ve been interested ever since, but from afar.  Math and I still have issues and are not the best of friends… we tolerate each other at best.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we need to hit the battle on both sides.  We know that these jobs are going to be in high demand, and we must figure out a way to prepare the workforce of the future.  But, how do we do it?

Education 

With the public/private education debate off the table here, we need to start making sure our teachers are using engaging methods throughout the K-12 experience.  From what I’ve seen, elementary students are open books and they suck up knowledge at an amazing rate.  Their teachers sing silly songs and they do arts and crafts… Can we logically conclude that this type of engagement should continue throughout middle school and high school (obviously in a way that evolves with maturity)? For my community college students,  I absolutely make sure that there are engaging discussions and activities.  There’s no doubt that people respond to learning in this way. As an instructor, it keeps things interesting for me as well.

For teachers, I would eliminate tenure and make employment based on performance.  It works in business… it would work in education.  If we must keep unions, they should make a better effort to work towards the greater goal.

I’m not against the use of aptitude tests for career placement.  I really do think we should foster natural talents.  It just might make students pursue fields they otherwise would have shied away from.   And, the incentive of a good career would likely foster higher success throughout childhood.  I believe both Poland and Taiwan use this method for making sure demand is met with supply where human resources are concerned.

What would happen if we provided post secondary education for people who meet certain performance criteria?  Would it cost more or less than the current funding for re-training through unemployment or other related programs? If such post secondary education was made available , there would be an associated incentive to perform well.  Right?  It also helps insure we meet growing industry demands.

Parents

We seem to let our kids off the hook when they get to middle school.  As parents, we need to be committed to their education.  The responsibility is ultimately on us and not the education system.  Paul Borawski, in the latest View from the Q post, talks about making math fun with his family.  Our household is the same in this way, and I can see how the kids love doing science experiments and solving problems.  The minute it becomes homework, they’re done.  It’s our responsibility to keep them on track. I learn new things in STEM fields all the time whenever we follow their natural curiosity. Our jobs much later in life should reflect this as well!

Sidenote: I just wanted to send out a special welcome to all of the new ASQ Influential Voices that have joined this year! I look forward to reading the posts and “raising the voice” with you!