Chapter 1 — Focusing on Quality
The aim of leadership is to help others to achieve their personal best. This involves setting high but realistic performance goals for yourself and your staffs, finding ways to improve operations and procedures, and striving for total quality in all areas.
Setting standards
Before you or your staffs can achieve quality goals you need to be very clear about your own expectations regarding how things should be done and the standards of performance that must be reached. Once you have defined these expectations you can communicate them clearly to your staffs, emphasizing your own commitment and the fact that achieving excellence is everyone's responsibility.
Raising standards
Maintaining and exceeding standards is an ongoing process involving everyone. Encourage staffs to analyze problem areas and to work together to find solutions. Involve them in looking for ways to improve products, processes, and performance; and, if extra skills are needed, arrange the necessary training. This approach not only generates ideas and innovation, but creates an atmosphere of participation and increased motivation, which in turn results in raised quality standards.
Improving standard of quality
| Target STANDARDS | How to achieve QUALITY? |
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| LEADERSHIP Lead your team towards total quality by constantly improving every process and product. |
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| STRATEGY Seek to uphold and develop the organization's vision, mission, values, and direction. |
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| PEOPLE Ensure that staffs are motivated, well managed, and empowered to improve continuously. |
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| RESOURCES Aim to use financial and other resources efficiently to achieve the organization's objectives. |
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| PROCESSES Ensure that all vital processes, including management, are consistently highly effective. |
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- Always strive to preach quality and practice improvement.
- Ensure that you involve all team members in quality-improving schemes.
