Learning Organizations & TQM LO5545

Barry Mallis (bmallis@smtp.markem.com)
12 Feb 1996 08:08:48 -0500

Reply to: RE>Learning Organizations & TQM LO5459

Jan Lelie writes that "we try to make up for the defects in the theory,
culture, etc. We try harder harder and harder".

In order to give TQ theory a slightly deeper perspective, I'd like to
remind readers that TQ practices related to continuous improvement and
reactive problem solving demand that we take a weakness orientation. That
is, don't "try harder" (I apologize, Jan, for taking these words out of
context a bit) and harder to improve the process by making more and
faster, but rather focus on what it is that prevents one from achieving
the stated goal.

This weakness orientation (theory) makes people squirm in many cultures
which are beginning to deploy TQ practices. I see it at my own company.
Now, here's a leap of "faith", a stretch of analogs:

I would say that our penchant in the United States to hide anything
surrounding human death is a counsin of the same sensibility which makes
us want to think positive all the time and not confront process problem
weaknesses.

Deming wrote and spoke about the process needs. Many speak today of our
incredible fall from awareness of the right of passage from this
ostensibly physical existence, across a threshold, to another.

Best regards,

--
Barry Mallis
bmallis@markem.com
 

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>