Confident Managers and Total Quality Management (TQM)

Tanmay Vora

Updated on May 10, 2009

I was reading a mini-book “Total Quality Management in a Week” by John Macdonald over the weekend. It is a great reference for people like me who are responsible for processes and ensuring quality through process engineering. Managers who lead teams play a very crucial role in the overall quality management system of an organization. Confident Managers who are knowledgeable on process models and know how to lead great teams can go a long way in assuring quality of the end products.

Two managers who are following the same processes may bring out different results. One may be more successful than the other. Reason? The following excerpt from the book explains that:

We have seen that the role of the manager is to help the people achieve the task. The very best managers will also recognise that they need help from their people.

The most essential element in management development is to instill the belief that they are now managing; a belief that will provide an inner confidence of self-esteem so that they are prepared to be vulnerable. To understand that disgreement, openly expressed, from peers or subordinates is not necessarily a sign of disrespect.

To implement TQM, managers have to be confident. They have to realise that “soft” or caring management does not mean weak management. Taking time over a decision is not a sign of weakness but the exercise of common sense. Seeking the views of subordinates before making decisions is the sign of a strong manager. A manager who seeks others’ views, even strong disagreement, and then makes and explains the decision, will win respect and intense loyalty from the team. That confidence has created the team and given every member, at whatever level, their own self-esteem, their own pride. In this team everyone counts. Achieving that level of teamwork is leadership, not mere management.

Managers have to use processes as a tool to drive efficiency. Focusing on process compliance may bring about predictability but does not guarantee efficiency. An efficient team is the cornerstone of any quality management effort.

Thats what I have learnt from my experience. What do you think?

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7 Comments

Aunteeee October 8, 2009

‘A manager who seeks others’ views, even strong disagreement, and then makes and explains the decision, will win respect and intense loyalty from the team.’

I can’t agree more with this statement. I had the privilege of working with two expatriate Managing Directors last 5 years. The first one was from India, he held long meetings but I looked forward to attending them because he encouraged us to challenge one another’s assumptions. He could ensure absolute buy-in from his team members for every decision he made. The second one was an America cowboy who used words like “just do it!”. He avoided having meetings and shunned details. Once he was challenged in a meeting by the Director of Sales until he had to call for a break to compose himself and guess what he said when the meeting resumed? Yes, “just do it!”.

And no prize for guessing which MD earned my respect till today.
.-= Aunteeee´s last blog ..Quality by Design =-.

Tanmay Vora October 8, 2009

Aunteee – Thanks for stopping by and adding valuable perspective to this discussion. Ultimate job of any manager/leader is to generate trust.

My upcoming book #QUALITYtweet has a dedicated chapter on how management and leadership can heavily influence quality of outcomes.
.-= Tanmay Vora´s last blog ..While I was away… =-.