Policies as "scar-tissue" is an interesting thought.
With ISO 9000, my company used a common rule of thumb about whether
activities required documentation of not. The greater the degree of risk
in the process, the more likely a document would be needed. Another way
to say this is, if the variables in a process are few, then avoid
documentation and "chalk it up" to training (with appropraite records
thereof). Conversely, if a process contains elements which are complex,
dynamic, often changing because specifications themselves vary greatly,
then perhaps a document is needed. The controlled document helps people
do the job right each time. Behavior?
I want to take exception to what has been a sole connection between
policies and the word "behavior". First of all, ISO 9001 creates two
levels of documents (WHAT we do, and HOW we do it) which are meant to
describe ACTIVITIES, not behaviors.
Secondly, I personally see a difference between behavior and activity.
The cause-and-effect progression from one to the other is clearer in one
direction than in the other, although both might hold true depending on
the focus or context of thinking. Hmmmm.
ISO 9001 is activity oriented. Procedures (Level II, or WHAT we do
documents--there are different words used to describe these WHAT
documents) are the generators of Level III Work Instructions (HOW we do it
documents--also called "procedures" or SOP's or other names). Together
these two levels of documents define activities individuals perform to
guarantee consistency of product. They don't determine of define
behavior. I would say total quality practices target behaviors.
Behaviors? That's a different level of abstraction about which this list
holds forth day in and day out. I have been a bit didactic here because
from experience I see a very large difference in the arena of ISO
implementation between behavior and activity when it comes to "policies",
"procedures" et cetera. I have in my advanced years grown sensitive to
broad brush stroking, which may have occurred in some previous postings on
this subject.
I apologize for being touchy this morning!!
Best regards,
--Barry Mallis bmallis@markem.com ISO Internal Auditor Instructor Total Quality Resource Manager MARKEM Corporation Keene, NH
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>