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Quality Practices

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If you suspect your company is not performing to its potential, or if it seems that making progress is difficult, then it is time to re-focus your company and think about a better way to do business.

Call or e-mail us today to get your organization on the path to greater efficiency.

J. Parrish & Associates Consulting
120 Lanyard Lane
Moneta, VA 24121 USA
Phone & Fax: (540) 721-7379
Mobile: (540) 871-4475 jparrish@jparrishandassociates.com

Quality Practices: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is it that it seems so hard to get a new idea or procedure implemented in my company? A: Typically, people are very comfortable doing things like they have always done. Doing something different often makes them feel uncomfortable and threatened. It's interesting; many times people would prefer to continue doing thing the same way, even when they know that it isn't the best way.
Q: What can be done to get new ideas or procedures implemented? A: There is no one right answer to this question. However, there are a couple of things that are essential for new ideas or procedures to be successfully implemented. The first is that the employees must buy in to the new idea. The second is the employees must have a sense of ownership for the implementation of the idea or procedure. It is our challenge to discover how to get this buy in and ownership.
Q: I want my company to be recognized as a "preferred employer." What do I need to do to make this happen? A: Preferred employers all have some common traits. They have in place robust training programs, they are equal to or above their industry standard in pay and benefits, and they have specific recruiting goals for the employees they bring into their company. Q: Aren't the things you are talking about to be a preferred employer expensive? A: The expense is more than offset by the reduced turnover and improved job satisfaction. These items are particularly important if you have a service or retail business where your employees come into direct contact with your customers on a daily basis. Q: What does Quality Practices really mean? A: Quality Practices is the constant search for doing things better. It discovers and focuses on the "Root Cause" of problems so that when a problem is eliminated, the cause of the problem is also eliminated. This is important because if the cause is not eliminated the problem will just come back again. We accomplish this by involving everyone in the company who has a stake in the process and empowering them to identify the problems and the solutions. Q: What's the most difficult part of implementing a Quality Practices management philosophy in an organization? A: In many cases it is getting buy-in by executives and managers. Quality Practices requires managers to involve their employees more in problem solving and process improvements. It also requires that employees work together "like they are all on the same team," and that members from other functional organizations are also part of the team. Managers often see this as a loss of power and control. In many circumstances a manager achieves their position because they were seen as "an expert" within a particular area, and when they feel that their management authority is being challenged, they resist.
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