“Is quality something that an

organization just has, or is it

< Ice Breaker Activity Name>

created?”
A Quality is:

An organizational value system that results in an

environment that is conducive to the establishment and
continual improvement of Quality.
A Culture of Quality

Organizations that choose to embed a culture of quality

must first understand that to change a culture, employees
must:

Have a standard definition of quality that fits their

industry and the products or services provided.

Be included in all training that teaches how quality

impacts the lives of those they serve—and themselves, and

 Be an active participant in making that change happen.

Organizations that develop and maintain a quality
culture will differ significantly from those with a
traditional culture in the following areas:
 Operating Philosophy Objectives
 Management Approach
 Attitude towards Customers
 Problem-Solving Approach
 Supplier Relationship
 Performance-Improvement Approach
1. Determine what quality means for your organization.

2. Analyze your mission statement and core values.

3. Train your employees.

4. Task employees with the responsibility of showing

behavior that aligns with the quality program.
When moving toward a culture that “breathes” quality, the
first critical step is to determine what “quality” means for your
organization.

 Can you intertwine what quality means with your mission

statement or with your core values? Or does your definition of
quality seem to contradict the reason your organization exists?
Learning What a Quality Culture looks like

Part of laying the groundwork for a quality culture is

understanding what one looks like.

Any Executive team that hope to change the culture of

its organization should:

• Know the laws of organizational change

• Understand the characteristics of organizations that

have strong quality cultures.
Analyze your mission statement and core values.

The next step is to look at the mission statement and core

values. What an organization cares about most should be there. The
questions to ask when reviewing both are:

• “Is this really what we believe?

• Do our employees know our mission statement and core values?

• Do they believe our organization exemplifies both?

•Is this what we show the people who receive our services?”
Train your Employees.

The third step is to provide adequate training for all employees.

If you fail to give it to them and they hear it somewhere else, by the
time they think they understand it, it will be the complete opposite
of what you said!

Provide an inviting atmosphere that will help employees understand

the importance of quality, the implementation of quality tools and
the importance of sustainability for quality processes.
 Purpose

Empowerment

Relationship

Flexibility
Effective Team

Optimal
Performance

Recognition and
Rewards

Morale
The final step in creating a quality culture is to task your employees
with the responsibility of showing behavior that falls in alignment with
the quality program.

You want your employees to show quality behavior by:

o Understanding that change towards quality is fundamental to survival
o Identifying errors and reporting them to the Quality Department
(when they cannot be immediately fixed)
o Working in cross-functional teams to identify solutions that impact
various areas
o Working to understand and fully implement solutions to make sure
processes are controlled
o Exhibiting an attitude that shows the mission and values of the
organization.
If you are going to implement TQM for example, create
an awareness program and make it mandatory for all
employees. The program should provide an overview of
the methodology and allow time for employees to ask
questions to help them get a better grasp on the
forthcoming change. At first, it may not be received well
by all, but with enough training and evidenced outcomes,
your employees will eventually adapt.
• To attempt the implementation of total quality without creating a
quality culture is to invite failure.

• Several primary reasons cultural change must either precede or at

least parallel the implementation of total quality are:
– Change can not occur in a hostile environment
• Total Quality approach might be radically
different from what the management is
accustomed to.
– Moving to Total Quality takes time
• In a conversion to Total Quality, positive results are rarely
achieved in the short run.
– It can be difficult to overcome the past
• Employees might remember earlier fads and gimmicks and
characterize total quality as being just the latest one.
BUILDING QUALITY CULTURE

Establishing a Quality Culture is lot like constructing a building.

According to Peter Scholtes,

Management should begin by developing an understanding of

“laws” of organizational change. They are:

 Understand the History behind the Current Culture

 Don’t Tamper with Systems – Improve Them
 Be prepared to Listen and Observe
 Involve Everyone Affected by Change in Making It
 Change is Resisted in any Organization.

 Continuous Improvement means Continuous Change.

Why Change is Difficult?

Juran describes organizational change as

“Clash between Cultures”
 The responsibility to facilitate change necessarily falls to its
advocates.
 Begin with a new advocacy Paradigm
 The first step is to adopt a facilitating paradigm.
 Understand Concerns of Potential Resisters.
 Understand the concerns of resisters like fear, loss of
control, uncertainty and more work.
 Implement Change Promoting Strategies.
 Involve Potential Resisters, Avoid Surprises, Move slowly at
first, Start Small and be flexible, create a positive
environment, Incorporate the change, Respond Quickly and
Positively, Work with Established leaders, Treat people with
dignity & Respect, Be Constructive.
Establishing a quality culture involves specific planning
and activities for business or department.
Phases of Emotional Transition:
Steps in Conversion to Quality

 Identify the Changes needed

 Put the Planned Changes in Writing
 Develop a Plan for Making the Changes
 Understand the Emotional Transition Process
 Identify Key People and Make Them Advocates
 Take a Hearts and Minds Approach
 Apply Courtship Strategies