Successful Quality Professionals Make Good Pie

I make a pretty good pumpkin pie.

The first time, about 30 years ago, I gingerly followed an untested a recipe. The filling seemed too runny, but I trusted the method and it actually became a solid, as advertised. My confidence in the system grew as a result.

Over time, I started making slight adjustments based on my preferences and ingredient availability. For example, I found that blending the ingredients smooth, though not recommended, suits my taste better. Adding ginger and holding cloves was another improvement.

Accommodating specific needs while still making a dish that pleased me required further adjustments. I now make dairy-free and gluten-free variations.

I knew I was on to something when someone very dear to me, who professed to dislike pumping pie, devoured mine, eventually saying ‘Your pumpkin pie is my favorite.’

Following a recipe allowed me to benefit from the knowledge of accomplished chefs whom I never met. My own experience alone would not have led to success.

Similarly, it is often the case that those of us who are tasked with implementing our organization’s quality management system (QMS) are not fully equipped for the job.

A talented, experienced quality professional familiar with the work of legendary quality gurus is fully equipped to put together an effective QMS on her own.

The rest of us learned along the way, with spotty, fragmentary training and experience. Maybe we learned Crosby, but not Deming. Maybe we worked in a very structured setting, where we lacked a holistic view of the system. How to create a QMS from scratch?

We need a recipe!

In such situations, ISO 9001 can be the very recipe we need.

In it, we see direct or indirect influences from Quality’s ‘great chefs’: Deming’s PDCA cycle, Juran’s understanding of quality management, echoes of Crosby’s absolutes of quality in the use of the term ‘conformity of products and services.’

To be sure, ISO 9001 fells like a word salad to most first-time readers. Good training by an instructor with real-world experience is indispensable. Still, actionable direction may seem fuzzy at first.

This is the time to trust and persist. At first, simply try to fulfill the standard’s requirements, more or less blindly. Gradually, the all-important ‘why’ of things comes into view.

The pie filling hardens, and product conformity becomes more commonplace. Before long, the compliments start pouring in.

Your confidence grows with your understanding, and you start adjusting the system to better suit your needs. Eventually, the QMS becomes your own.

By the way, if you are curious about my pumpkin pie recipe, just ask: htowers@towersofquality.com.