How to Get Out of the Samol Rut
by Jack Pachuta

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His grandfather had founded the company 65 years ago and, in the normal progression of events, his father took over the presidency, passing it on to Sam a little over 19 years ago. "Keep your nose clean," his father had told him, "and don`t rock the boat. We`ve been successful for a long time, so just do more of the same and you`ll be fine."

But, that was then. This is now. New words had entered the corporate vocabulary - words like mission, vision, empowerment, and (he shuddered as he thought of it) quality.

Sam read the magazines. He talked with his colleagues. He knew that without quality in a global marketplace, he would have a hard time being competitive.

So, he did what he had to do. He hired a group of consultants to implement a Total Quality Management program in The Samol Company. And, he was behind the consultants one-hundred-percent.

Naturally, he was committed to quality. Hadn`t sales been slipping for the past five years (it was only a little each year though)? Hadn`t he just laid off 53 employees, some of whom had been with Samol for over two decades (but they were just deadwood anyway)?

Hadn`t he recently restructured to give more authority to his vice presidents (they had been complain-ing about his authoritative management style for years, maybe this will shut them up)? Yes, Sam wanted quality for all the right reasons.

And, he`d supported the consultants. Once each week for three months, he`d scheduled a meeting with them so he could be updated on what was happening. He listened, asked a few questions, but, for the most part, let them do it. After all, he was paying them a lot of money to bring Samol into the world of TQM. He wanted results, and these people came highly recommended.

Why was it, then, the consultants left six months ago, and today he`s hearing the same things he heard before the program started? Sam knew it - quality doesn`t work! It`s a fad, a flash in the pan, a buzzword. Since he now had the proper forms, signs, and structure to show everyone he was commit-ted to quality, he`d do what his instincts told him to do and "get back to basics." He`d use the words of TQM, but he`d do what he knew had to be done to bring The Samol Company back to where he wanted it to be.

What went wrong? It`s an easy diagnosis. To Sam, quality held the same weight as a time management program or supervisory training. It was something that could be inserted into the company without involvement. He ignored the follow-ing principles of quality that would have enabled him to create the proper environment in which quality could flourish. Some of these principles have been expounded by the gurus of quality, others result from simple observations of people.

PRINCIPLE 1:QUALITY IS NOT AN ADD-ON. IT IS THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.
When quality is thought of as being separate from the company`s day-to-day functioning, it loses its significance and its focus. In Sam`s case, it was seen as something we "have to do."

The energies and talents of The Samol Company weren`t redirected to change the way the product or service was viewed. Rather, the quality initiative was an add-on to existing operations with a "tell me when you`re done" attitude.

In that type of environment, the quality process is doomed to failure because even the chief executive didn`t truly buy in to what was taking place. That attitude will filter to all levels of the company, subconsciously letting employees know that no serious commitment is being made.

PRINCIPLE 2: QUALITY MUST BE MANAGED WITHIN THE EXISTING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
A tendency in most companies that are implementing quality is to create a separate structure to evaluate and control the program. This committee or team can, by its very existence, separate the quality program from the "standard" way of doing business.

The individuals on the committee may view quality as an additional responsibility which takes them away from what they`re really being paid to do. Sam hired consultants to do this. On the surface, its not a bad idea because they had the experience of bringing other companies up to speed with quality and expertise that he probably didn`t have in-house.

But, it`s what happens when the consultants leave that determines the bottom line. If their exit marks the end of a structure that supports quality, then TQM dies the same slow death as the other programs that Sam undoubtedly attempted in the past with the same lack of follow-up.

When in doubt, refer to Principle #1. If the perception exists that the functions and beliefs of quality are somehow divorced from what is done daily, the program will never become part of company operating procedures.

PRINCIPLE 3: COMMITMENT PRECEDES PERFORMANCE. COMMUNICATION PRECEDES COMMITMENT.
To instill quality in the operations, all staff members must feel part of the process. This provides the commitment that is necessary for quality to truly take hold of daily events. The first step is communications, letting everyone in on what`s happening and allowing them to have a voice in the anticipated outcome.

Sam himself wasn`t even involved in the program. He simply let the consultants do it. He never tried to communicate with his employees to help build the commitment that leads to performance.

Weekly meetings without daily contact and continuing attention to the process only tell the rest of the organization that communications is reaching a roadblock at the executive level, and is probably reflected in other management personnel.

Often, programs are controlled and implemented by individuals who don`t foster the two-way communications required for success. Without this dialogue, commitments are lukewarm and superficial at best. With effective channels for the exchange of ideas, the entire company pulls together to develop goals and solve problems.

PRINCIPLE 4: WHAT`S WRITTEN ISN`T IMPORTANT. WHAT`S DONE IS.
Some companies are so impressed by the accouterments of quality that they lose track of what they`re trying to accomplish. In Sam`s case, he observed that he had the signs and the forms that would show everyone he had quality, but he knew something was missing - the commitment of his employees.

Mission statements and awards hanging on the wall are nice. They help to create an identity in which quality can work. But, if these outward indicators begin to take the place of internal change, then they do more harm than good. By getting bogged down with the external signals of quality, companies can unintentionally ignore the core issues.

PRINCIPLE 5: COMPANIES IN CRISIS ARE MORE WILLING TO CHANGE.
It is a sad commentary on the way many American companies do business to note that quality was only emphasized after business began to drop off and the staff began to have problems. However, this does provide an excellent opportunity to change because crises often lead to solutions which may not have been previously considered.

That`s what brought Sam to TQM. He didn`t feel totally pressured, but he was aware business was on the downturn and some first aid was needed. What he didn`t realize was he might be beyond the point of Band-Aids and in need of a major operation. He changed, but the change was shortsighted and short-lived.

Prior to reaching the crisis stage, companies need to see the impact of quality programs on their products and service, and, by osmosis, their bottom lines. This crisis might be a signal that the patient is on the verge of being terminal unless the proper treatment is initiated. Let`s only hope Sam sits back and figures out what`s going on. But, then again, this is The Samol Company!