Quality in Action 93 Lessons in Leadership, Participation, and Measurement

With their bestselling Commit to Quality, Pat Townsend and Joan Gebhardt revolutionized the concept of quality management. In that groundbreaking work they went beyond the traditional quality circle, originally developed in the manufacturing sector, to offer a blueprint for improving service, profitability, and employee satisfaction at all levels and in every type of industry. And they demonstrated that quality is an ongoing process in which employees at every level, if given a chance, will enthusiastically participate. Now, in their latest book, Quality in Action, the authors take an even more innovative approach to the quality process. While the first book defined the science of quality, this one concentrates on the art. Written in a lively and engaging style that freely mixes case studies with humorous parables and nuts-and-bolts guidance, the authors cut through all the complex jargon and boilerplate formulas that executives all too often take refuge behind. Reading their enlightening anecdotes and clever parables will awaken your senses and emotions-as well as your intellect-to the "atmosphere that surrounds the events, the attitudes that accompany the actions." And like other great storytellers, Townsend and Gebhardt conclude each of their fables with a concise moral or axiom that sums up the basic principle of the story and helps you to put that principle into action. The book's 93 illuminating and amusing "lessons" are divided into three mini-books corresponding to the key ingredients of a successful quality process: leadership, employee participation, and the measurement of progress. While other books concentrate on only one or another of these elements Quality in Action explains how-and why-all three should be integrated into an overall strategy. Throughout, the authors' overriding message is that the most disastrous thing that can befall a quality effort is an overconcentration on only one aspect of the process. Another message that comes through resoundingly clear in Quality in Action is that the quality process doesn't begin and end in the executive suite. It happens at every level, and when it works, the commitment to quality can make every employee's job more satisfying, while also offering customers greater value for their money. The myths, fables, and realities that you will encounter in Quality in Action offer profound lessons for virtually everyone at each level of your organization.Townsend, Patrick L. is the author of 'Quality in Action 93 Lessons in Leadership, Participation, and Measurement' with ISBN 9780471552062 and ISBN 0471552062.