Quality for Life

My brother sent me this link to an interesting article from MSNBC with many comments in response to it.

http://yourbiz.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/03/11/1830497.aspx

I'd like to get your point of view.  Is there such a thing as "too much customer service?"  If you answer, "yes," please share your story and how you dealt with the situation.

Posted by Kay Kendall at 12:22 PM | Comments (2) | Send to a Friend

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In my long absence from this blog, I've been making the rounds to several state quality programs and their associated conferences.  Not only did I enjoy seeing such enthusiasm from presenters and participants alike, I also was gratified to see how well the organizers, quality folks like you and me, paid attention to the big and little details that make these events enjoyable.  Customer focus was pervasive, and a commitment to evaluation and improvement in all things was evident.

I recently heard from my friend, Eric Malloy, who leads the Carey Program, which is the VA's internal Baldrige-based  program.  He has led the small program office itself to conduct a self-assessment using the Baldrige Criteria.  And did you know that the ASQ staff in Milwaukee has been applying to the Wisconsin Forward Award program since 2002?

In our zeal to help others improve, it's sometimes easy to overlook the fact that we could benefit from our own advice.  So, whether it's your department, an organization where you volunteer your time, or some other group in which you're involved, consider how you might be able to practice what you preach.

Posted by Kay Kendall at 12:21 PM | Comments (1) | Send to a Friend

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Maybe you saw the same news clip that I did this week.  A 5-year old boy in Nebraska decided that he already had enough toys, so he asked for donations to his church's food pantry in lieu of traditional birthday presents.  When asked by a reporter how many people he thought he could feed, he paused and said, "About a hundred."

The reason this scenario had special interest to me was not simply the result of his generosity at such a young age but the fact that he had clearly thought about the impact of his actions.  Earlier this month, the ASQ Board spent several hours in thoughtful dialogue on how we, as a Society and as individuals, could identify measures that would reflect the impact of quality on the world.  The discussions were energizing and profound and ... incomplete.  We still have this challenge before us.  After all, as quality professionals, we know that we can't really assess progress against an objective unless we can measure it!

So, if you have ideas about how to measure the impact of quality, won't you please share them with this community by posting a comment?

Posted by Kay Kendall at 1:34 PM | Comments (1) | Send to a Friend

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Do you ever have trouble explaining to family and friends what it is you do as a quality professional?  I know that I do.  But I recently had a breakthrough of sorts.

In my effort to draw more traffic to ASQ through this blog, I started e-mailing links to it to family and friends, beyond my usual circle of quality colleagues.  (Okay, I grovelled.  I pleaded with them to read my blog and begged them to post comments.  It's not something I'm proud of.)

And to my complete surprise, my big brother read my blog.  He posted a comment.  And then, he sent me an e-mail with tips to increase my blog traffic and encouraged me to keep at it.  And, most amazing of all, he said that he'd added my blog site to his "favorites."  All I can say is that that was a quality moment!

Posted by Kay Kendall at 2:45 PM | Comments (1) | Send to a Friend

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[Note:  All manufacturers shall remain unidentified in this entry, not because I am trying to protect their identity.  No, I'm just convinced that they are among a whole slew of companies guilty of the same wretched behavior.)

A few months ago, I purchased a new laptop.  That experience left many bitter tastes in my mouth, but I finally moved on.   Then I discovered that by biting the bullet and "upgrading" to a new operating system, neither of my all-in-one printers were compatible and neither manufacturer offered (or was willing to go out on a limb and state when they might offer) drivers that would make them compatible.  Why would they?  They had me at "good-bye," so I was off shopping for a new all-in-one printer.

Following my experience with the laptop, I avoided that manufacturing like the plague, and confident after seeing glowing reviews from several reputable sources, I bought my printer.  Okay, after assembling and installing and testing, I could fax, I could scan, I could copy.  But could I print?  Nooooooo!  (Perhaps it should have been called a "some-in-one" device.)  And after two excruciatingly long (each about an hour) chat sessions with two different technicians in "customer  support," I still can't print although I've been assured that as soon as I receive an e-mail with yet another set of fixes that I will be able to.

You know, I work from home.  I'm my own Help Desk.  And I'm getting more than a little sick of this phenomenon.  I don't want to need Customer Support.  I want to take something out of the box and have it work as promised.  The good news for the manufacturers is that in today's economy, I have to take this kind of treatment.  I can't afford to just write off these two expenses and start over (and I have no faith that I'd be able to send this stuff back for a refund).  But, I hope that other organizations start to get the message soon that advertising "world class customer support" just might send a very different message than the one they intend.  It might be sending a signal to consumers that says "you're going to need a whole lot of customer support because our stuff isn't designed to work with you, the customer, in mind."

Posted by Kay Kendall at 10:10 AM | Comments (4) | Send to a Friend

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I can see you now, frowning at the title of this entry, wondering what this crazy person is talking about today.  Bear with me, it will become more obvious in a moment.  In early January, I was one of many, many people who were part of yet another reduction-in-force (aka laid off, aka unemployed, aka "don't take this personally, but we really don't need you any more" ).  I'd been forewarned, so I had the holiday season to prepare myself mentally for another career transition.  And what I decided was that, despite the uncertainty of it all in this economy, I wanted to try to become a consultant.  Scary in so many ways that I can't count them, but...

Remember the movie, "The Bucket List," about two guys with terminal conditions who put together a list of all they things they wanted to do before they die?  I started thinking about all of the experiences that I want to have associated with quality before I kick the bucket, and most of those aren't what I see in another corporate job.  Don't get me wrong.  I know they do exist in some corporations, and I have friends and colleagues whom I envy for their careers.  However, I want to take the time to find and support organizations that are zealots about customer satisfaction, with leaders who "get" that it costs more to provide poor quality products and services, and a culture that encourages passion and energy in its employees.  I'm tired of doing "stealth Baldrige" and want to be open about what I love and why I love it.

Even if you aren't in the position to be forced to make a change in your job status, it might still be time to make your own quality "bucket list."  You might find that some of items on your list could be achieved through volunteer efforts, mentoring others early in their careers in quality, or taking on a challenge in a new way.  Please tell me about your list!

Posted by Kay Kendall at 10:16 AM | Comments (2) | Send to a Friend

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Like a lot of quality professionals, I tend to think of myself as a change agent.  However, leading change can be a frustrating venture, fraught with active and passive resistance, slow progress, and disappointing results.  And yet I couldn't help but notice how many politicians campaign on a platform of change, most recently our newly elected President.  Why is "change" such a welcome message from candidates and such an apparently threatening message when delivered in our own organizations?

Without any cynicism or sarcasm intended, I identified some key differences in these scenarios.  Candidates touting "change" are highly visible, appear anxious to hear the concerns of their constituencies, and craft messages that seem responsive to the needs of voters.  In our own organizations, "change" is often announced following a cloak of secrecy, undermined by poor communication and a lack of transparency, and rarely appears to be in response to the needs of the workforce.

So as "change agents," what can we learn from these two scenarios?  I did some soul searching and decided that in the midst of a difficult change I need to be more visible, more approachable, more committed to listening to what people are saying, and more open to the concerns they express.  Organizations might find more acceptance of change if they had to win the "votes" of their workforce through capturing the spirit of their hearts and minds.

Posted by Kay Kendall at 11:49 AM | Comments (0) | Send to a Friend

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When I told friends and colleagues that I was going to Alaska last week, several remarked on my apparent insanity.  I mean, who goes -- willingly -- to Alaska in the middle of January???  Well, I was joined in my trek by a colleague from Iowa and two from Texas.  Why on earth?  To help with the first official year of the Baldrige-based state program, APEX (Alaska Performance Excellence).

Launched in a pilot program last year, it is moving ahead under the leadership of Ben Park, Executive Director, and supported by a Board of Trustees and a Board of Overseers.  However, the dedication doesn't stop there.  More than two dozen examiners assigned to three applicants braved a brutal storm that blanketed streets and sidewalks with a thick coating of ice to return for Day 2 of training.  Their enthusiasm and dedication helped make this a wonderful trip -- despite the weather.

So, does this mean we're crazy for quality?  It certainly shows that we're committed.  At any rate, we're going back in March! 

Posted by Kay Kendall at 9:06 AM | Comments (0) | Send to a Friend

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