April - May seemed loaded with happiness blog posts across the globe - something to do with the northern hemispshere Spring perhaps ? Throwing off SADS - Seasonal Affect Disorder Syndrome - from cold winters ?

ASQ's Paul Borawski recently posed the question to ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers - are Quality Professionals Happy on the Job ? It all arose because of a study showing that Software Quality Assurance Engineers were the happiest professionals. I've been enjoying the comments of my fellow ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality Bloggers as they explore Happiness in their Worlds.

As a Quality Manager in Manufacturing & Labs I could certainly face times when it was frustrating and a real uphill battle - but there were times of breakthroughs - like achieving EU CE Mark Certification for my company's products. A lot of hard work but delight to have achieved it.

However as David, my "significant other" is in governance in an IT Project Management world, and the conversation kicked off from the IT world,  I decided to quiz him about what made him happy about his job. Specifically he is the Manager of the IT Program Management Office in an Australian Government Research institution - his role ? To mentor IT Project Managers to bring projects in on time, on budget and achieve the customers' requirements. Needless to say - lots of governance related discussions in our home over a glass of wine or two.

What matters to David as a Manager in IT Quality & Governance are :

• Recognition
• Respect
• Reasonable level of Resources so that projects can be managed & controlled
• Interesting Projects - creating a sense of challenge & achievement
• Innovation - opportunities to use or be exposed to new technologies
• An Organizational Management Structure & Culture that has the maturity to not set unrealistic deadlines in an arbitrary manner - interesting of course in a politically charged paradigm at times
• Having good Project Management methodologies with established tool kits rather than being hamstrung by old disfunctional technologies
• Opportunities to work with Aligned Team Members - but also with those who have a life beyond IT - (travelling is always a favourite topic and one workmate even inspired him to have our family start raising chickens as an eco-thing!)

Happily in his current role, a lot of those boxes are ticked - and happiness at work helps for happiness at home - and vice versa.

In the meantime I'd like to share some links I've received in 2012 on Happiness & Optimism :

• 10 Things Science says will make you Happy
• 6 Ways to become more Optimistics
• 50 Ways to Nurture Your Happiness
• Optimistic Enthusiasm as a Form of Realism & more from Seth Godin
• 10 Psychological Keys to Job Satisfaction - one of my favourites !
• 10 Ways to find Joy at Work
• The Science of Happiness - fundamentally " Stop and smell the roses," and premised on the idea that experience itself, or "pursuit," is the true fountain of happiness"
• The Happy Secret to Better Work - " find a way to become positive in the present"
• 10 Habits You Must Quit to be Happy 
• Why Learning Leads to Happiness - it's not just the money "As we get older, it is more important to find things to do that light up our lives," James says. Our minds are central to this effort, and thrive when we are finding new things for them to do"

As for me - a final note -  happiness comes from "living" my favourite quote - as shared in my Facebook account

"...care more than others think is wise; 

 …risk more than others think is safe; 

…dream more than others think is practical;

 …expect more than others think is possible."

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Today while helping in the cooking of Indian Butter Chicken Curry fundraiser, I had an interesting lesson in promoting Quality & Social Capital in my Teen's High School Kitchen in Wollongong, a regional city 50 miles south of Sydney. So as an ASQ Global Influential Voice for Quality, I'd like to share my unexpected lesson in Quality during my day of Volunteering.

I had agreed to help out with the fundraising drive, of Butter Chicken, Beef Korma, Basmati Rice & Dahl, for our local Illawarra Disability Trust. I've long been a fan of Indian Food & own several books on Indian & Asian Food (Charmaine Solomon, Madhur Jaffrey, etc). Recently I'd seen "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly & Beautiful " movie (due for release in the USA in May 2012 ?), which reminded me of travelling in India in the mid 1980's & my love of Indian food.

And so I found myself helping with production of approximately 200 packs of Butter Chicken Curry, but not realising that I, as a Metallurgist & Quality Manager, was about to receive a down to earth & practical lesson in promoting Quality by two very experienced Indian women cooks, one hailing from India itself, and the other, an Indian, originally from Kenya.

Coordinated by these two Indian women, another school Mum (aka Mom) & her friend, I noticed a number of quality aspects in the Curry fundraising activity :

• a time-tested & true recipe was being followed - having been used successfully on previous curry drives for several decades
• various marketing approaches were used - word of mouth, order forms at school & emails - with several reminders issued
• customer focus - several time slots were offered for collecting the curries
• outsourcing management - trusted suppliers were used to source the curry powder, chicken & other ingredients
• resources management - ingredient quantities were checked & re-checked with the two experts conferring throughout the activity to calibrate that all was in control
• OTJ on the job learning was employed with help & guidance gently provided throughout - and we had soon figured out each others' accents to avoid any confusion
• technology, online cloud ordering system & an excel spreadsheet, along with old fashioned hard copy order forms, were used to manage the 100's of orders
• differing quality of kitchen tools impacted operational efficiencies - having the right slotted spoon, or not etc
• OHS - Safety was crucial when the huge stockpot of Butter Chicken was transported from Cooktop to Benches
• Spec checks - final weights of the finished Butter Chicken packs were checked to make sure they were in "spec"
• Labelling & Identification of all curry packs to ensure there was no mix-up between the Butter Chicken & Beef Korma - although visually they were quite different in colour.
• Food Safety - all ingredients were supplied fresh, stainless steel benches in the school kitchen, no cross contamination of utensils for raw chicken & Coriander (aka Cilantro), not to mention all finished Curry packs were transferred to the fridge as soon as possible to reduce bacterial problems
• Pride in the product appearance with guidance on final presentation - ie cleaning drips on the edges of the curry packs & Coriander (aka Cilantro) leaf garnishes to meet the high standards of our Indian mentors
• Great cooperation from those working in the School Kitchen providing normal school day canteen/cafeteria services - ie no friction when we "occupied some of their usual territory" 
• Volunteer management - a nice touch with the school's Marketing Director & Senior School Captains popping in & thanking the volunteers for their efforts to support the Illawarra Disability Trust fundraiser
• Lots of Stories of how the individual curry packs would be shared across families & friends - viz one of mine was "gifted" to the partner of a workmate recovering in hospital from neural surgery - she spends almost every waking hour supporting him at the rehab hospital  & so had very few home cooked meals in the last three months

The outcome - an unexpected and practical lesson in promoting both Quality & Social Capital created by tired, but happy, volunteers supplying highly regarded & safe products to hundreds of eager customers - which raised money for a much needed local charity program. 

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Intriguing comments from @ASQ Paul Borawski - on an ASQ study revealing teenagers turning from STEM - Science Technology Engineering & Math (or "Maths" as we say in downunder Australia).

In particular that many students fear Maths. Is it teaching style or student preferences or a bit of both ?

So what can be the causes behind all this ? Teaching styles, Technology related disasters giving STEM bad press, Globalization - Offshoring - Downsizing - Limited Career opportunities previously innovative arenas, eg Manufacturing ? Perceived high costs of study versus likely insufficiently attractive salary levels ? I guess that the list could be endless ? 

My own teen is keen to pursue a career in Engineering - but like Aimee Siegler in her blog posting I have felt the frustration. At a school in her earlier years there was no real push into learning Maths times tables, so students didn't try to learn them.

A subsequent change of schools, where there were different expectations, meant that she had learned them all within 2 weeks. We squeezed every practice minute we could  -  even practice in the car daily, driving to and from school etc. Just consider the time saved in future maths exams if you can do times tables mentally ? Immediately your test scores must increase. 

A few years later and my Teen's then High School Maths teacher, (a brilliant mathematician) was infamous for her "death by powerpoint" classroom lessons. Unfortunately the teacher failed to show many key steps from one powerpoint slide to the next, to enable students to grasp the logic. A change of teacher who returned to the blackboard (aka chalkboard in the USA ?) teaching technology - showing the logic, in smaller stages, enormously facilitated students' understanding.

In Australia we do have many programs & activities for kids promoting STEM. Here's some that I or my daughter have participated in :

• QUESTACON, a hands-on science facility for kids in our national capital Canberra
• The UOW Science Centre at my local University - smaller scale than QUESTACON
• UOW's Community Engagement Program which includes the UOW Science Fair sponsored by BHP Billiton's Illawarra Coal & other competitions for High School Students
• UOW's Women in Engineering Summer Summit - "So You Think You Can Engineer" to attract Girls into Engineering Summer School - sponsored by Industry & Government corporations - I was a speaker at the first school back in 1993
• Institution of Engineers of Australia's Autumn Engineering School (nb - in Oz we call "Fall"  "Autumn") Engineering Vacation School sponsored by Abigroup
• Uni of Newcastle's National Science and Engineering Challenge for High School Students - also sponsored by Abigroup
• Careers Fairs & Workplace visits which include STEM focus areas
• NSW Minerals Council "Careers in Mining" Dinners for interested students and parents - (my Teen insisted this morning that I attend the next one with her on Feb 29 2012 !) 
• on the "downside" I recall the threat to cull the School of Physics at the local uni when I was on the governing Council - we voted to retain it, but managed with an Engineering Phyics flavour. Although "The Big Bang Theory" is reportedly one factor in growing physics enrolments ?
• High School Student Work Experience programs
• Cadetship and Graduate programs aka Internships

Of course we can't forget that it's also important for students to be trained in other focus areas such as teams, management, leadership, international studies in our increasingly globalized world, and unlike Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory", to adopt an inclusive style, ie not "my brain is bigger than your brain". Otherwise we'll be consigning them to only backroom roles. 

There actually seems to be a plethora of information out there for students to explore possible STEM careers. Currently my teen is logging all these STEM Career activities into her diary, to make sure she doesn't miss any key activities in her busy final year at high school.

So, what I've learned is that it is important to get information out to the kids via a range of Channels - from the Careers Advisory Teachers, Websites including Facebook, Professional Association's newsletters, to "Role Models" participating in Careers Day Fairs which feature real Techo's and their stories, not just the Human Resources folks. 

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Finally checking out Google+ and resources rapidly building out there ... lotsa reading to do 

- so far my favourite has gotta be "creating a feed for your Public Google+ Shares to send to Google Reader & creating RSS feeds for folks' Google+ Profiles"

• See Your Facebook Stream inside Google+
• Tweet from inside Google+
• Find People on Google Plus - FindonPlus
• Pamorama's 25 Google+ Resources
• Women of Google+
• Googleplustalk Forum
• Share Googlereader items on Google+
• DesignModo's Tips on Google+
• Webtablab Tips
• Silicon.com's Google+ Cheatsheet
• 10 Google+ Tips for Beginners
• 40 Tips for Google+ Power Users
• 7 Google+ Essentials
• 101 Google+ Tips
• Tech Republic on What's Missing from Google+ & What's Brilliant
• Beth Kanter on the Trough of Disillusionment with Google + shares "Scoop it"
• Ben Elgin - 10 Things I hate about Google+
• What is Google+ (Google Plus) and do I need it? HT +Steve Rubel
• Chris Brogan on Google + Circles and Influence
• Samuel Driessen - Best Extension for Chrome to share links to Google+
• Google is the Social Media Backbone - O'Reilly Radar 
• John Tropea - Google Plus is a Sharing Design  Model vs Twitter & Facebook - Broadcast Design Models
• John Tropea - Circle Star for Favouriting on Google+
• Adding the Google+1 Button to Blogs etc
• Answers to Google+ Social Network
• Quick Guide to Google+
• Best Resources for Google+
• Ultimate Google+ Tips
• How to Use Google+ Hangouts
• Google Blog on Google+
• Mashable's Google+ Complete Guide - Pete Cashmore (July 30 2011) - Getting More out of Circles
• Unofficial GooglePlus Blog
• Bnet on Customers & Google+ plus more
• @KerrieAnne's Google+ on GoogleReader
• @KerrieAnneC's Google+ on Delicious

Bold Text in Google Plus
: If you want to write bold text then you would start your text with star '*'and end with'*' for example Bold Text will appear Bold Text.

Italic Text in Google Plus: If you want to write Italic text then you would start your text with underscore '_' and end with '_' for exampleItalic Text will appear as Italic.

Strikethrough Text in Google Plus: If you want to write Strikethrough text then you would start your text with minus sign '-' and end with '-' for example Strikethrough Text will appear as Strikethrough Text.

Bold with Italic Text in Google Plus: In this case you would be start your text with star together with underscore '*' and end with '' for example *Bold with Italic Text will appear as Bold with Italic Text.

Thanks to http://www.bloggertipsseotricks.com/2011/07/bold-italic-strikethrough-google-plus.html

Bold/Italic/Strikethrogh Text in Google Plus | Google+ Text Formatting

Write Bold, Italic, Strikethrough Text in Google Plus wall and Google Plus Comments. Google+ Text Formatting.

  John Tropea -  Jul 28, 2011  -  Public

Wajam now helps you to search among the posts from your Google Plus contacts. This news just came in and I think it's phenomenally timely. To enable this functionality, you need to install the Wajam browser add-on. The quickest way to get to know more about Wajam and how to install is by checking out their FAQ page: http://sn.im/wajam-faq 

Wajam Lets You Search Your Google+ Social Stream « Wajam Blog

 Paula Thornton  -  Jul 21, 2011  -  Public -  

You'd think Google would have automated this a bit more. It turns out that there's a hidden option in your profile to 'release' the display of an 'email me' button below your picture (it will not expose your actual address). 

It's turned 'off' by default. Everyone has to turn theirs on.

---

Cory Banks  -  Jul 17, 2011  -  Public -  

         

Mike Elgan originally shared this post:

Here's what I love about Google+ in general and the Google+ Diet in particular: 

Instead of saying, "I'm going to write a blog post now," or "I'm going to send an e-mail" or "I think I'll tweet something" you simply say what you have to say, then decide who you're going to say it to. 

If you address it to "Public," it's a blog post. 

If you address it to "Your Circles" it's a tweet. 

If you address it to your "My Customers" Circle it's a business newsletter. 

If you address it to a single person, it can be a letter to your mother. 

I'd say this is pretty revolutionary.

Cory Banks  -  Jul 3, 2011  -  Public - 

So I am really interested in how Google+ is going to work with other social tools in the Google suite. Particularly Bookmarks, Reader, Latitude, Places, Books, Sites and in particular Groups. I can see how it would work nicely but that is not always how things have turned out previously with Google enhancements. What other Google tools do you think would be enhanced/replaced by Google+?

---

 

 

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Globalisation has been a force of disruptive change over the last 10 years or so. Just look at smart phones & iPhones. And there's never been more pressure on the automotive industry - global disruptive changes - a quick read of my local Sydney newspaper revealing an astonishing infographic  last Saturday (more here). heading for 60 million cars manufactured worldwide each year.

The previous year it was nudging over 50 million. And China, long the home of the Pigeon bicycle, now makes 25% of the global car total, ie  more than Japan & Korea combined. I recall holidaying in China in 2005 with the family, then there were only 2 million cars in Beijing but I noticed a lot of foreign car companies had set up factories there - playing for the future. And the USA in the global car manufacturing scene? Dropping below India with just under 5% of world total. 

And then the pace of technology introduction into cars seems to be accelerating - a couple of years ago when my significant other bought his last car, the thought of USB, Bluetooth & mp3 in your standard car was not on the horizon. Recently when I bought a budget subcompact - they all there. 

But with technology comes complexity & the risks of more headaches - just ask Toyota. I must admit to being astonished that they only set up their global quality initiative after the controversy over the suddent acceleration problems. Solutions perhaps from Norman Bodek's - few months I ago I posted on his Zenjidoka  concept of engaging front line service people in feeding back to design & manufacturing engineers about customer complaints. 

So ASQ's Paul Borawski's interview on Ford with Bennie Fowler  is interesting,  as are the recent ASQ RSS news feed on Mark Field and more from Bennie Fowler on the GQRS, Global Quality Research System, on improving customer satisfaction by addressing things gone wrong.

Interestingly in the recent Enterprise 2.0 Conference held in Boston in June 2011, Sameer Patel spoke of the change in putting the Big R into Customer Relationship Management & Market Dynamics. As Toyota found, with all the exploding social media technologies, like Facebook & Twitter it is no longer possible to isolate or ignore bad news. Just as Clay Shirky spoke of in his "Here Comes Everybody" - it's ridiculously easy to form groups - so we rapidly reach Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point. 

However these technologies can provide the key to frontline research and can be utilised to rapidly address problems - however there's a deluge of data needing the ability to manage Unified Communications across the social media channels.  The computer geeks like David Carr have an answer to that too - they call it Big Data & Analytics - again a theme at the Boston E2.0 conference. 

So like Crisis being Danger & Opportunity - perhaps there exists the same in the car manufacturing industry - Opportunities to use Social Media, Big Data & Unified Communications in listening to & acting upon emerging issues before they become the crisis.

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So how do we help people to deal with such risks when the maths to derive their likelihood is so abstract & complex ? What does it mean for those in Quality Management - the guardians of standard procedures  & records management ? What of Knowledge Management - capturing & sharing lessons learned & making them findable/comprehensible/embeddable ? Storytelling - however recognising that albeit currently popular in many KM circles,  Storytelling methodology on its own, is never going to be a sufficient panacea ? Especially when you read a review on complexity in our world eg Braden R Allenby & Daniel Sarawitz on "We've made a World We Cannot Control" - New Scientist - 14 May 2011 p 28

And developing people, communities & organizations to proactively & reactively face complexity with resilience rather than denial ?

Simplifying where it is possible ?

Is this perhaps the future direction for quality management a future ISO 9001:2015  - to be more upfront about more aggressively & openly addressing Risk ?

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• Updating ISO 19011 on Auditing
• Engaging your employees & team in quality
• Understanding the Why's of Human Errors - impacts on Procedures / IT Hardware
• Change
• Supply Chain Management processes

ASQ 7:00am via HootSuite

Missing #WCQI11? What was your favorite#WCQI11 experience? What did you learn that you will take back?

ASQ6:46am via HootSuite

RT @thebigqbyjuran: At the BIG Q BLOG, video recap of keynote speakers from this year's @ASQ #WCQI11 http://www.juran.com/blog/?p=255

ASQ2:45am via HootSuite

Great blog--glad you enjoyed #WCQI11! RT @dlbrecken: #WCQI11 Love the conference. Check out my blog at http://t.co/AC2v9RP

psuahr1:43am via TweetCaster

You'll never accomplish it as a team unless you engage your team. #WCQI11 Don't give up on your dreams but take your employees with you.

psuahr1:41am via TweetCaster

Managers - how pitiful we must feel about ourselves if we have to step on the people who work for us to feel good about ourselves.#WCQI11

QualityBob1:33am via Twitter for iPhone

#WCQI11 Bryant echoes what I've said for years... Apply Lean first then Six Sigma. Lean gets rid of junk; 6s improves what's left

psuahr1:33am via TweetCaster

Apply lean first then six sigma to achieve significant gains #WCQI11

ASQ_FW14161:25am via Mobile Web

Bryant: Don't give up - you have to crawl before you walk or run #WCQI11 #ASQ

psuahr1:25am via TweetCaster

Don't give up before you cross the finish line.#WCQI11

ASQ_John1:24am via TweetCaster

RT @psuahr: More teams! Lots of noise... Raise the voice of Quality! #WCQI11http://lockerz.com/s/102682251

ASQ_John1:23am via TweetCaster

RT @psuahr: If it doesn't mean anything to you they're going to see right through it. #WCQI11

psuahr1:23am via TweetCaster

Send the employee an e-mail and copy their management to praise them - build their self esteem - engage them. #WCQI11

ASQ_FW14161:13am via Mobile Web

Bryant: Overcoming resistance to change - work with the ones who will work with you.#WCQI11 #ASQ

psuahr1:11am via Mobile Web

RT @ASQ_FW1416: Bryant: build passion...set std, partner w clients, listen...want engaged clients #WCQI11 #ASQ

psuahr1:11am via TweetCaster

The first step towards change is the hardest.#WCQI11

psuahr1:08am via TweetCaster

How do you build passion - set the standard for others to follow #WCQI11

psuahr1:07am via TweetCaster

Find the things that are going well and replicate them. #WCQI11

ASQ_FW14161:06am via Mobile Web

Bryant: "You only hear one complaint out of 10"#WCQI11 #ASQ

psuahr1:04am via TweetCaster

Improving employee/client engagement will yield $B #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo1:04am via Twitter for iPad

Give employees tools & equipment they need good work happens. #WCQI11

psuahr1:03am via TweetCaster

If you put your employees first, the employees will take care of the clients. #WCQI11

psuahr1:02am via TweetCaster

If we truly engage your employees, you're going to see it in the output. #WCQI11

QualityBob1:02am via Twitter for iPhone

Ron Bryant #WCQI11 - Hard times do not dictate the outcome - you do.#employee_engagement

ASQBuffalo1:02am via Twitter for iPad

Empoyee engagement increases output...duh#WCQI11

ASQBuffalo12:59am via TweetCaster

RT @psuahr: More teams! Lots of noise... Raise the voice of Quality! #WCQI11http://lockerz.com/s/102682251

psuahr12:58am via TweetCaster

Applying engagement to your quality programs#WCQI11 http://lockerz.com/s/102684078

ASQ_FW141612:44am via Mobile Web

@complexified Top 3 takeaways-Single Point Lessons, Dealing with Resistance, Standard Work 4 Leaders #WCQI11 #ASQ

ASQ12:35am via HootSuite

New video--highlights from #WCQI11 keynote speakers--Barbara Corcoran, J.J. Irani, Bennie Fowler and Brian Joiner: http://ow.ly/4Xkpk

ASQ12:24am via HootSuite

@ASQ Influential Voice @dblevy0925 is covering #WCQI11 on his blog, David on Quality. Great read! http://ow.ly/4XlUm

psuahr12:12am via TweetCaster

Must have robust requirements when safety is critical. #WCQI11

qadvocate12:11am via Mobile Web

Unknown - will #ASQ revise CQA to address expected new auditor competence section in ISO19011? #WCQI11

qadvocate12:09am via Mobile Web

Johnson: ISO19011 is intended as a general guideline to audit mgmt systems, not for certification (ISO 17021 applies) #WCQI11#ASQ

psuahr12:03am via TweetCaster

Http://www.iaqg.sae.org/scmh supply chain management handbook - it's free! #WCQI11

psuahrMay 18, 11:57pm via TweetCaster

Don't leave it up to the auditor to define your processes. #WCQI11

qadvocateMay 18, 11:57pm via Mobile Web

Johnson: Clause 5 will have significant changes due to expansion to cover other mgmt systems. #WCQI11 #ASQ

qadvocateMay 18, 11:39pm via Mobile Web

In final session at #WCQI11 - W19 on ISO19011 audit standard update #ASQ

qadvocateMay 18, 11:35pm via Mobile Web

@complexified most meaningful idea rcvd at#WCQI11 -Read's SCARF model for dealing w resistance. I'll apply in interactions w sr mgmt#ASQ

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 11:31pm via HootSuite

RT @ASQ: Cool! Great idea. @SteelyQueen I am curating conf tweets into my Sharepoint blog to share with my org in Australia #WCQI11thks guys

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 11:31pm via Twitter for iPad

@ASQ when I get to it the posts will be at http://t.co/23T1vPb #WCQI11

ASQMay 18, 11:22pm via HootSuite

@ASQBuffalo Thanks for live tweeting#WCQI11! Looking forward to your blog post.

ASQMay 18, 11:21pm via HootSuite

Use the knowledge of human error causal factors to avoid failures at the handoff stage#WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:50pm via Twitter for iPad

Faulty procedures are created by human error#WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:47pm via Twitter for iPad

Errors in hardware almost always human error in the management of the hardware designers of processes #WCQI11

dblevy0925May 18, 10:46pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Ben Marguglio delivers presentation on Human Error Causal Factors with passion and gusto #asq #wcqi11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:45pm via Twitter for iPad

When do don't conceive of the need that is cognitive based human error #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:31pm via Twitter for iPad

Ben marguglio is amazing in #WCQI11 @ASQhuman error causal factors session!

5SsupplyMay 18, 10:24pm via Twitter for iPhone

Humana uses lunch & learn, social media and distance learning/technology to get employees engaged in #lean #ASQ #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:20pm via Twitter for iPad

Value Baedeker error based on behavior when the individual does not accept the requirement expecation or need #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:18pm via Twitter for iPad

Cognition- base error absent the ability to process the knowledge (memorize, understand, apply, analyze, synthesize, or evaluate) #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:17pm via Twitter for iPad

Knowledge based error is error base on behavior absent the reciept of the knowledge of the requirement,expectation or need #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:15pm via Twitter for iPad

Human error causal factor taxonomies. Rule-based. Knowledge-based. Skill-based#WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:12pm via Twitter for iPad

Human error is NOT malicious compliance, malicious behavior, good decision with bad outcomes #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:11pm via Twitter for iPad

Human error is behavior that is expected to create a result and does not #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:11pm via Twitter for iPad

Understand errors that occur in the human creation of plans #WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:09pm via Twitter for iPad

What is human error? 7 universally applicable human error causal factors coming soon.#WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:07pm via Twitter for iPad

Coaching is to reinforce good practices#WCQI11

ASQBuffaloMay 18, 10:06pm via Twitter for iPad

Can't eliminate human hazards we must develop barriers to mitigate + ameliorate it.#WCQI11

 

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dlbrecken12:28pm via Twitter for iPhone

qadvocate6:32am via Mobile Web

Notari: T38 Showing example where supplier rated self lower than customer did #ASQ#WCQI11

qadvocate6:24am via Mobile Web

Notari: T38 Have supplier self-assess performance and identify gaps in perception#ASQ #WCQI11

qadvocate6:20am via Mobile Web

Notari: T38 Need to understand the supplier's business to eFfectively determine criteria & measure performance #ASQ #WCQI11

qadvocate6:17am via Mobile Web

Notari: T38 - are key suppliers true partners? Is there consensus with them on supplier measurement #ASQ #WCQI11

qadvocate6:06am via Mobile Web

Fairness<>equality -it's feeling of balance RT @complexified SCARF model for threats;#WCQI11 status certainty autonomy relatedness fairness

ASQ6:00am via HootSuite

Need a break from #WCQI11 happenings? Enjoy this read on role of leadership in education quality--ASQ blogger Dr. Burney:http://ow.ly/4WMiq

dblevy09255:15am via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Pay attention to the red stuff. Celebrate the green stuff and hold the gains. #asq #wcqi11

dblevy09255:14am via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Do it by hand, pencil and paper, markers and highlighters. No computers to start. C Hayes#asq #wcqi11

5Ssupply5:13am via Twitter for iPhone

Visual controls are the driving force for Leader Standard Work. Chris Hayes session T23#ASQ #WCQI11

dblevy09255:12am via Twitter for iPhone

RT @5Ssupply: Set the standard and then make it visual. Chris Hayes session T23 at#ASQ #WCQI11

dblevy09255:10am via HTC Peep

RT @psuahr: RT @5Ssupply Chris Hayes Utah MEP session T23 - Visual Control Boards. How to sustain? It's not about the#lean tools. #WCQI11

psuahr5:08am via HTC Peep

Need to engage the right people to figure out what the real problem is. #WCQI11

psuahr5:07am via HTC Peep

Why do peopla resist so much when we implement change. #WCQI11

ASQ_Nicole5:05am via HootSuite

Interesting insight from someone at the conference: RT @ASQ: New blog post from#WCQI11 http://tinyurl.com/6fwjzeu #ASQ

qadvocate4:25am via Twitter for iPhone

RT @5Ssupply: You have to move on if something bad happens. Don't dwell on it. Barbara Corcoran keynote #ASQ #WCQI11

ASQ4:21am via HootSuite

Video--#WCQI11 keynote highlights! See Bennie Fowler of @Ford and Brian Joiner of @SustainDane: http://ow.ly/4WHSO

ASQBuffalo3:43am via Twitter for iPad

Recognition is more powerful than money. Pay ppl enough to where $$ is nota issue#WCQI11

dblevy09253:43am via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Don't underestimate the power of recognition.#asq #wcqi11

ASQBuffalo3:42am via Twitter for iPad

Scarcity creates value...focus on quality & limited availability ignites psychological frenzy of purchasing #WCQI11 Corcoran

ASQ_FW14163:42am via Mobile Web

Corcoran: All the good ideas are on the outside (not at a desk) #ASQ #WCQI11

dblevy09253:53am via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Only 2 kinds of people - expanders and containers - Corcoran #asq #wcqi11

 

ASQ_FW14163:56am via Mobile Web

Corcoran: need both types to build a successful business #ASQ #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo3:53am via Twitter for iPad

Barbara Corcoran reminds us that you are the benchmark, NOT the competition. #WCQI11

ASQ_FW14163:49am via Mobile Web

Corcoran: Fun is good for business #ASQ#WCQI11

ASQBuffalo3:47am via Twitter for iPad

Allow people to do great work. Op want to do their best recognize & create systems 4 success - Corcoran #WCQI11

5Ssupply3:31am via Twitter for iPhone

Barbara Corcoran keynote - lessons learned - perception creates reality #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo3:18am via Twitter for iPad

Inspire to do better job & continuous improvement -Barbara Corcoran #WCQI11

ASQ2:40am via HootSuite

@ASQ Influential Voices blogger @dblevy0925shares his #WCQI11 survival tips (wear comfortable shoes!): http://ow.ly/4WBua

ASQBuffalo1:08am via Twitter for iPad

#lean management system STD work 4 leaders. Visual controls. Accountability. Discipline. #WCQI11

ExcellenceCan1:08am via ÜberSocial

Enjoying the #WCQI11. Seeing how the role of Quality Manager will transition to one of Innovation Manager.

ASQBuffalo12:58am via Twitter for iPad

Problems do not equal solutions...solutions & changed behavior equal solutions #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo12:57am via Twitter for iPad

Accountability what the hell does that mean to quality? #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo12:56am via Twitter for iPad

Focus on processes the processes will yield results. #WCQI11

ASQ12:49am via HootSuite

More from Irani: 2 questions for @TataCompanies employees: What does business excellence mean to you? What are you doing about it?" #WCQI11

complexified12:49am via Twitterrific

@ASQ thanks for the RT. We need everybody up, moving, connecting, learning together.#WCQI11

ASQ12:32am via HootSuite

@steelyqueen Thanks for reading and following along! #WCQI11

ASQ_chrismoyMay 17, 11:47pm via web

New blog post from #WCQI11: World Conference on Quality & Improvement#WCQI11 #ASQ - http://tinyurl.com/6fwjzeuRT@ASQ

ASQ_FayMay 17, 11:46pm via HootSuite

RT @ASQ: New blog post from #WCQI11: RT @jstepnio: Good Times...World Conference on Quality & Improvement #WCQI11 #ASQ -http://tinyurl.com/6fwjzeu

ASQBuffaloMay 17, 11:32pm via Twitter for iPad

When we have a plan &ppl follow plan + ppl knew what to do #teamwork happens#WCQI11

ASQMay 17, 11:31pm via HootSuite

ASQ Influential Voices blogger @cesardiazguevar reflects on the meaning of the Global Voice of Quality at #WCQI11:http://ow.ly/4WpeC

SteelyQueenMay 17, 11:18pm via HootSuite

thanks to all tweeting at @asq #wcqi11conference-enjoying your comments - fr an @asq Global Influential Voice here in Down Under Australia

ASQ11:04pm via HootSuite

RT @asqbuffalo: Jj irani of tata sharing quality & best practices @ASQ #wcqi11http://twitpic.com/4yu8dt

ASQBuffalo10:52pm via Twitter for iPad

Jj irani- leadership practices r instituted as leaders change the processes + values remain #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo10:50pm via Twitter for iPad

How does leadership when leader changes?#WCQI11

5Ssupply10:31pm via Twitter for iPhone

The start of the business excellence journey at Tata the 'golden Q'. What does it signify and what does it mean to you? #WCQI11

 

5Ssupply10:25pm via Twitter for iPhone

JJ Irani Tuesday morning keynote at #ASQ #WCQI11 Tata uses Baldrige model for business excellence

ASQ_Seiche10:24pm via Twitterrific

JJ Irani, Tata Sons, keynote. #wcqi11 http://img.ly/4aMN

ASQBuffalo10:24pm via Twitter for iPad

Tata create customer driven organization, change & measurement #WCQI11

 

5Ssupply10:19pm via Twitter for iPhone

Dr JJ Irani "Change or perish" #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo10:18pm via Twitter for iPad

Irani, sharing insights on nano #WCQI11

ASQBuffalo10:06pm via Twitter for iPad

Irani sharing management principles from ghangis khan to modern time #WCQI11

5Ssupply10:06pm via Twitter for iPhone

Dr JJ Irani keynote from Tata Group India makers of the Jaguar and Nano #WCQI11

LeanSigmaCoach10:05pm via HootSuite

Tuesday at #WCQI11 in Pittsburgh. Keynote J.J. Irani of Tata Sons ready to begin. Looking fwd to another great day w/ quality professionals!

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Filtering : What I  from the Thoughts shared from attendees at the ASQ 2011 #WCQI11 Conference Day 1 with references to :

• Peter Senge Learning Organizations
• Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
• Personal Learning & Personal Knowledge Management
• Teams Delivering Quality & Success - Everyone is Responsible
• Risk Management
• Lean - FMEA
• Positive Deviance - the Sternins - delivering health benefits in 3rd World Communities - can it deliver on Quality too ? Does SNA help Positive Deviance ?
• Black Swans & Unknown unknowns in Hurricane Katrina & its aftermath
• Cultures of Safety - Unified or Not - BP in the Gulf ?
• Customers Stakeholders Community Engagement in Quality & Standards Making

ASQ11:00am via HootSuite

Reaction to @ASQ's 2011 Futures Study from Influential Voices blogger @jstepnio:http://ijenn.me/

complexified10:54am via Twitterrific

The labyrinth: we journey alone, togetherhttp://img.ly/4a6Q #WCQI11

ASQ10:42am via HootSuite

New blog post from #WCQI11: RT @jstepnio: Good Times...World Conference on Quality & Improvement #WCQI11 #ASQ -http://tinyurl.com/6fwjzeu

ASQ10:30am via HootSuite

Take a look at the #WCQI11 recap site for photos, videos and updates: http://ow.ly/4VF6x

complexified7:34am via Twitterrific

After 5 session The Labyrinth: journey for personal transformation at #WCQI11 #changehttp://img.ly/49QC

complexified5:07am via Twitterrific

Brian Joiner keynote on sustainability & process improvement #WCQI11http://img.ly/49Fl

ASQ4:24am via HootSuite

RT @ASQ_Fay: Ford's Bennie Fowler -#WCQI11 - every employee is responsible for delivering success. One Team. One Plan. One Goal.

psuahr3:55am via HTC Peep

Don't forget to repeat - continuous improvement means it is an ongoing process#WCQI11

psuahr3:54am via HTC Peep

Use FMEA to prioritize you improvements and then take action. #WCQI11

psuahr3:53am via HTC Peep

For your SR FMEA only use severity and occurence - we don't want to have to detect a failure. #WCQI11

psuahr3:52am via HTC Peep

Need to start with the riskiest function, the find the appopriate process. #WCQI11

psuahr3:51am via HTC Peep

Use MIL STD 1629A - requires a narrative on the mission criticality - need to know why you're doing it. #WCQI11

psuahr3:50am via HTC Peep

Objective - create a narrative, vision and mission. #WCQI11

psuahr3:49am via HTC Peep

In SOFAIR, SIPOC becomes SIIPOS - the stakeholder is the customer. #WCQI11

1 retweets

psuahr3:47am via HTC Peep

SOFAIR: Stakeholder, Objective, Function/Focus/Failure, Analysis, Improve, Repeat #WCQI11

psuahr3:46am via HTC Peep

When you improve your social responsibility you mitigating your risks - preventing risk.#WCQI11

psuahr3:44am via HTC Peep

The local community is also a stakeholder - need to take care of the community. #WCQI11

ASQ3:11am via HootSuite

Not attending #WCQI11 this year? Enjoy this read by @ASQ Influential Voices blogger @jstepnio in the meantime: http://ow.ly/4VJFk

ASQ2:16am via Twitpic

From Adm.Thad Allen's #WCQI11 keynote address: "It's not about resources--it's about processes." http://twitpic.com/4yi7ip

ASQBuffalo6:23am via Twitter for iPad

Leadership the key to quality culture w Keith Hamilton of bridgestone #WCQI11

dblevy09255:27am via HTC Peep

RT @psuahr: RT @qadvocate Joiner: Externalities impact outside world but not product or customer directly and tend to be negative #ASQ #WCQI11

qadvocate5:37am via Mobile Web

Joiner: Quality triple bottom line - ISO9000, ISO14000, ISO26000 #ASQ #WCQI11 #sustainability

ASQ_YQPNetwork2:55am via Twitter for iPhone

Quality means doing it right when no one is looking#quote #henryford #WCQI11

ASQ_John2:12am via Twitter for iPad

RT @ASQBuffalo: Small quality teams can create change#WCQI11

ASQ1:09am via HootSuite

"ASQ must reject temptation of homogeneity. Instead we must build new communities, again & again." Incoming @ASQ Chair Jim Rooney at #WCQI11

 

qadvocateMay 16, 11:57pm via Twitter for iPhone

RT @5Ssupply: We need more Adm Thad Allens in the world, but let's hope not for disasters - for process, quality and improvement. #WCQI11

complexified12:48am via Twitterrific

positive Deviance: Nothing about me, without me; attention to emerging ideas; no judgment- respectful tone. #WCQI11

complexified12:44am via Twitterrific

Positive Deviance: the Sternins suggested look for the "unusual suspects" - not outliers, but sources of superior practice/results

complexified12:30am via Twitterrific

Social network analysis in Positive Deviance: patterns of behavior. #complexity #WCQI11overlapping, interconnected groups-most sustainable

complexified12:25am via Twitterrific

"Discovery In Action dialogues" Core practice of Positive Deviance. #WCQI11

complexified12:22am via Twitterrific

Literal standing-room crowd for Positive Deviance session at #WCQI11 What will YOU do with this new knowledge? Be a Positive Deviant in #ASQ

complexified12:20am via Twitterrific

Positive Deviance: some find their own ways to achieve superior results. Gurus, not negative "outliers" #WCQI11

complexified12:17am via Twitterrific

@complexified after a long, great day of meetings at #WCQI11 Thinking BIGhttp://img.ly/49hi

isostandards12:30am via HootSuite

Standards work better when #consumers help develop them http://ow.ly/4Vh6a

2 retweets

complexified12:25am via Twitterrific

"Discovery In Action dialogues" Core practice of Positive Deviance. #WCQI11

complexified12:22am via Twitterrific

Literal standing-room crowd for Positive Deviance session at #WCQI11 What will YOU do with this new knowledge? Be a Positive Deviant in #ASQ

complexified12:20am via Twitterrific

Positive Deviance: some find their own ways to achieve superior results. Gurus, not negative "outliers" #WCQI11

complexified12:17am via Twitterrific

@complexified after a long, great day of meetings at #WCQI11 Thinking BIGhttp://img.ly/49hi

complexified12:10am via Twitterrific

Positive Deviance: mind-whip for those stuck in culture of control, & quashing variation. New Mind: #complexity approaches. #WCQI11#change

complexifiedMay 16, 11:40pm via Twitterrific

Black swans & wicked problems (Adm Allen keynote): see Cynefin framework. In my session Tuesday: known, knowable & unknown problems. #WCQI11

1 retweets

ASQMay 16, 11:17pm via HootSuite

@ASQ Influential Voices blogger @dblevy0925is writing about his #WCQI experience:http://ow.ly/4Vrbj Thoughts on ITAG and CLI sessions.

complexifiedMay 16, 11:12pm via Twitterrific

RT @QualityBob Good to hear of a last-minute session add at #WCQI11 discussing supply chain lessons learned from the recent Japan events

complexifiedMay 16, 11:11pm via Twitterrific

Let all voices be heard! RT @5Ssupply Peter Andres welcoming speech "Let's discuss, discover and develop the new role of quality"#WCQI11

complexifiedMay 16, 11:09pm via Twitterrific

RT @ASQ_FW1416 Allen discussing black swans and wicked problems #WCQI11

psuahrMay 16, 10:58pm via HTC Peep

BP did not have a unified culture of safety before the accident. #WCQI11

ASQ_YQPNetworkMay 16, 10:25pm via Twitter for iPhone

We were not dealing with the hurricane, we failed to recognize paradigm change after flooding in new Orleans. - Allen #WCQI11

psuahrMay 16, 10:25pm via HTC Peep

Peter Senge The Fifth Discipline - need to understand the mental model not just the conventional wisdom #WCQI11

1 retweets

ASQ_YQPNetworkMay 16, 10:24pm via Twitter for iPhone

Allen telling his first hand experience of Katrina. Our country had gotten problem wrong, answered the wrong question.... #WCQI11

ASQ_SeicheMay 16, 9:57pm via Twitterrific

Pete andres welcome. Thad Allen to thttp://img.ly/495Jake the stage soon.#wcqi11

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Lifelong Learning & 70:20:10 rule of learning = Informal on the Job:Coaching:Formal Classroom Llessons  ? Making a Difference Globally ?

I am a great fan of Harold Jarche & John Tropea with their strong focus on informal learning including the 70-20-10 rule of learning. Likewise I am a strong proponent of Quality in our daily lives, and so was intrigued by ASQ's head Paul Borawski's recent post "Quality Tools and Education : Making a Difference on a Global Scale." Of course, learning & knowledge management are key components of continual improvement in Resource Management in Quality - as reflected in even the previous edition of ISO 9004. In our world Education is not just what you do at school, college or university - we have to keep re-learning in such a rapidly changing world. And we need confidence in the quality of the resources we use, as we continually learn & re-learn.

Nearly 10 years ago I encountered the Learning Cities & Communities movement - centred around Lifelong Learning - a key to resilience of communities in change and adversity. The initiative was largely appropriated by the Community College movement aka Adult Education Associations in Australia. Yet I always believed that it couldn't be monopolised by this sector alone - not everyone is in a position to attend formal face to face classroom lessons.

In Sydney, Australia we had an insightful article by Louise Williams in this weekend's edition of our local Sydney Morning Herald "The Slow Collapse of the Ivory Tower". Ms Williams wrote of how learning is changing from face to face classrooms in an internet world and how this threatens the traditional university or college monopoly on higher learning. She also spoke of how increasing numbers of students are not attending lectures, choosing to source their required information in alternative ways. Curious as I had observed lecturers at my local uni lamenting the same when I attended a prize giving event last November.

And yet it's not new - when I served for 12 years on the Governing Council of the University of Wollongong (located south of Sydney), I found that UOW was already moving into on-line blended E-learning years ago. However there are advantages of face to face learning - the serendipity & synergy of bouncing ideas off each other. 

Likewise there are emerging challenges to the traditional "peer reviewed paper" in an academic journal on which academics' ranking is based - enabling them to compete for research funding & attract students. I recall attending a conference across the other side of Australia about 5 years ago, where attendees were denied timely access to copies of the conference papers because the organisers wanted to publish them to increase the rankings of academics who had presented at the conference. It was "all driven by the rankings cycle" as I subsequently found out - and I finally received the conference papers 9 months after the conference! The freshness and impact of the presenters' work in my mind was lost - I'd wanted to share new insights with my professional colleagues - but all I had were my scribbled handwritten notes.

No wonder that with this time delay paradigm, the proliferation and the increasing cost of academic journals, that the peer reviewed paper model is now being seriously challenged by the immediacy of online collaboration. And yet we need to ensure that there is confidence in the quality of online E-learning & web posts. It is also important that "Digital Native" students can discriminate between accurate & erroneous information in a web based & increasingly social media dominated world.

Not to mention the tipping point as we see the rapidly disappearing print book market and the exploding E-book market - with its flow-on impact on Public & Academic Librarians. Librarians are recognising that they must participate in the debate around these changes rather than take the high moral ground and shun it. At a Library Conference in Brisbane Australia last year, one presenter spoke of the advantages of E-Readers for students in the Pacific Islands where high humidity can destroy the traditional printed book based library collections.

Unfortunately some Baby Boomer Managers are still dismissive of Web 2.0 and Social Media tools in Technology & Quality worlds. Yet ISO, the OECD & WTO, for instance, have embraced social media approaches (eg Youtube, Facebook & Twitter)  in trying to reach a wider global audience. Admittedly, it can seem haphazard sometimes especially with social media tools like Paper.li Dailies (eg mine -KerrieAnne paper.li). However as a Baby Boomer techo manager, I've had to reinvent myself several times over the last 5 years - 1st as a Quality Manager and then during the GFC with a zero training budget, to become an International Trade backroom boffin -  specialising in how standards & conformity apply in Technical (Non Tariff) Barriers to Trade (TBT's). I've used tools like Sharepoint's Wiki to capture my evolving WTO TBT knowledge, sharing it both locally and globally across my organization - to avoid re-inventing the wheel.

So it is great to see how organizations like ASQ are embracing online E-learning & social media tools to address the 70:20:10 approaches to learning. ASQ is bringing a quality approach to these new technologies - setting a standard on how they can be applied for younger and older "students" alike - regardless of whether they are formally enrolled in courses or learning informally. As an Australian based member of ASQ, and one of its International Global Influential Voices for Quality, I am sharing & learning from my fellow Global Influential Voices - a fantastic initiative.

 (Please note I do receive a variety of quality resources as an honorarium in exchange for my commitment to the ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality. However the thoughts & opinions that I express here in my blog are my own!).

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I found a post by Norman Bodek on Zenjidoka in the context of Organizational Resilience from the Kaizen Continous Improvement Forum on LinkedIn & also in the Quality Magazine very interesting - see extracts below.

Coincidentally another post on Resilence by David Snowden :

 "resilience requires not just a prepared mind, but also a prepared organisation. That means building network connectivity and cross silo deployment capability before it is needed not during the event. Creating mass employee engagement requires familiarization with the process before it is needed in a crisis... when you are in disaster recovery what you need is the pragmatic narratives of people who have lived through similar (or even different) situations before, not some distilled best practice."

It also seems to have resonated with Harold Jarche :

"The problem is we build on the assumption that we should not fail, not the assumption that we are bound to fail, but with early detection and fast recovery/exploitation we can turn the situation to our advantage. That means organisational structures that are agile before the crisis, not bureaucratic. It means network connections built and sustained in advance, the ability to delegate power when needed without complex process."

More shared from Harold Jarche :

"The Power of Conversations by @charlesjennings We rarely, if ever, work and learn alone. We reach our goals and contribute to our organisations’ objectives in a social context. In the maelstrom of our digital communications age the need to think ‘socially’ is more important than ever."

So it interesting to see how some bloggers like Jane Hart are viewing collaboration compared with traditional hierarchical models : citing "Enterprise collaboration requires critical new skills, from Deb Lavoy, CMS Wire, 8 March 2011 - 'The way we currently think of working was formed by a command and control, industrial age of process, manufacturing and efficiencies of scale. Collaboration is a different model. It depends on people, not process'.”

And from Rosabeth Moss Kanter who has some great insights on leaders, resilience & their teams/networks ...

"Resilience is not simply an individual characteristic or a psychological phenomenon. It is helped or hindered by the surrounding system. Teams that are immersed in a culture of accountability, collaboration, and initiative are more likely to believe that they can weather any storm. Self-confidence, combined with confidence in one another and in the organization, motivates winners to make the extra push that can provide the margin of victory.

The lesson for leaders is clear: Build the cornerstones of confidence—accountability, collaboration, and initiative—when times are good and achievement comes easily. Maintain a culture of confidence as insurance against the inevitable downturns. And while no one should deliberately seek failure, remember that performance under pressure—the ability to stay calm, learn, adapt, and keep on going—separates winners from losers."

In a practical application, last week, I & members of my team undertook DEC training - Department Emergency Controller training - where we learnt of emergency event preparation and an understanding of the linchpin role of the DEC as conductor and interface with Site Emergency Response Teams. We had a real 'event" at our workplace several days before our scheduled training, so the lessons in the course were very real to us.

It was a serendipity of timing of the post by David Snowden, the ideas shared by Harold Jarche, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Jane Hart& Deb Lavoy, as well as Norman Bodek's Zenjidoka post with the extracts below, seeming to resonate with a focus on interdependency, rather than individudals being independent.

 "Jidoka is one of the core principles of the Toyota Production System, one that empowers production line workers to take immediate action the moment a defect is detected. The worker who discovers the defect pulls a red cord and the entire assembly line stops. Co-workers and the supervisor rush over to that worker forming an ad hoc problem solving team. The team, led by the worker who pulled the cord, quickly works to resolve the problem to prevent any defects from reaching the next operation. Using Jidoka and other tools Toyota became the quality leader in the automotive industry, admired and respected by customers, competitors and the media. Unfortunately Toyota's reputation for quality has become tarnished due to the well-publicized sudden unintended acceleration problem and the associated recall since October of 2009 of over 10 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles...Toyota needed something more than Jidoka.

Zenjidoka is a new word meaning "Total Jidoka." Instead of confining Jidoka to the factory floor, Zenjidoka extends Jidoka to every employee who has any contact with the customer. When an employee hears directly or indirectly about a customer problem, that employee is empowered to use their knowledge, skills and judgment to immediately take action, even if that action means going against company policy or procedure. With Zenjidoka employees thousands of miles away from corporate headquarters have the trust of management to make timely and necessary decisions to solve customer problems. This unprecedented level of management respect has two powerful effects:

1. The immediate attention to a customer's problem by the first person contacted becomes a competitive advantage, building long-term customer loyalty, and creating a word-of-mouth grapevine that's more effective at winning new customers than any marketing, advertising or incentive campaign.

2. This unprecedented level of management respect for the skills and judgment of the customer-facing workforce builds employee self-confidence, loyalty, and most importantly self-reliance."

This analysis by Norman Bodek is extremely interesting and is an indication that it is possible to get bogged down with procedures & policies. And it is why it reminds me of David Snowden's Cynefin model, especially in the context of complexity & chaos - ie where it is virtually impossible to document a procedure or process for every imaginable possibility. We also need to train people to be able to step up and function where there is complexity & chaos : where the rules may have been blown away - viz the Queensland Floods or the Earthquakes in Haiti, New Zealand & Japan.

Norman Bodek then goes on to suggest that 

"Self-reliance might seem like an old-fashioned concept in this age of Google, where help is a click away. It might bring to mind a pioneer or explorer who is hundreds, if not thousands of miles away from any help and must confidently rely on their knowledge, skill and self-confidence to overcome a life-threatening situation. In the context of Zenjidoka the danger is not to the individual, but to the company... 

I can't count the number of times over the course of my lifetime that I've experienced a problem with a company's product or service, reported that problem, and heard one or more of the following:

• We've had no reports of that from other customers.You must be mistaken.
•  You'll have to call.....
•  Are you sure you didn't.....? 
•  You'll have to speak to a supervisor. 
•  I'm not authorized to help you with that.
•  I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do.

How can we address this absence of self-reliance, and make customer service a competitive advantage?..

Imagine an automobile owner who goes to the service desk at the dealership and reports a problem, describing the symptoms in detail to the customer service representative. If the service desk employee sees the same or similar symptoms in the dealer's or the manufacturer's database, the representative knows what to tell the customer and what to do to get the problem solved. But if the symptoms were not in the database, the customer service representative would take responsibility for the customer's problem. The representative would be the key point person for this set of symptoms, and would be able to call on other technical, safety and quality resources within the company to verify and solve the customer's problem. The representative would not immediately defend the company but would be on the customer's side and enter the symptoms and raise a red flag in the database. This process becomes the Zenjidoka equivalent of pulling the red cord, the service worker relying on a combination of procedure and self-reliance to find the best approach to solve the customer's problem."

I like Bodek's story about the dealership - recently a work colleague complained of his vehicle making a noise after a recent service which the service centre tried to play down. Sometime later while driving to work my colleague's vehicle went bang! Without acknowledging liability the service centre have fixed the vehicle at no charge to my colleague. How different the outcome could have been with the Zenjidoka approach suggested by Bodek ?

Bodek argues that

"Zenjidoka is not an approval system. 

The customer service worker is drawing on other resources to help solve the problem. The idea is to bring in others with different perspectives, different skill sets, to help find new ways to solve problems. No one, even the most experienced manager or executive, has all the answers.

In this way Zenjidoka removes the fear from asking the questions, and the "ego" that drives some managers and executives with the need to be "right".

The self-reliance of Zenjidoka is the knowledge, skill and self-confidence to make the right decision to help the customer with their problem. But Zenjidoka is also "selfless-reliance," the reliance on others to help solve that problem."

In some ways it seemed to me that this is also part of the essence of knowledge sharing - communities of practice - expertise locators and organizational networks analysis.

But in utilising Zenjidoka there seems to be also a strong element of not only team or organizational preparation & discipline, but also at the individual level  - as Bodek then asks:

"How do we get people to be self-reliant? Earlier in this article I mentioned Takashi Harada, the genius who has been helping Japanese Corporations answer this question. Mr. Harada was a track and field coach in perhaps the worst middle school in Osaka, Japan. He felt that most of the students were despondent, not having much hope for their future and not believing they could achieve athletic success. He was troubled by the lack of enthusiasm and absence of motivation of his students and decided to impose some discipline, insisting that the students come to class on time, practice as he directed, and do their homework every night. The students complained that too much were being asked of them. 

The parents agreed and scheduled a meeting with the school principal and Mr. Harada. The parents confronted Mr. Harada during the meeting; he told them that to be successful in life, their children must learn discipline. He went on to tell them that if they gave him three years, the parents would see the school's athletic program go from the worst to the best in the city. He concluded, "If I don't succeed then fire me, but at least give your children a chance to succeed."

Mr. Harada had noticed that there were schools with coaches that were able to succeed year after year and with that awareness he felt it was the coach, not the students that determined the school's success. He felt that with the right method, he could bring out the very best from the students. The principal and parents agreed to give him the three years to see if his method would work.

As promised, three years later, his school went from the worst to the best - that was out of 380 schools, and stayed the best for the next six years. It was an amazing feat for Mr. Harada to see how inspired the students could become and to watch them put in the necessary effort top succeed. And, thirteen of his students won gold medals in their track and field discipline. The gold medal represented the best student at his/her age level in all of Japan. It was like the students had won an Olympic medal.

It was very helpful to read these posts on Resilience as I faced a few challenges professionally & with some family members' health. I am very grateful to Norman Bodek, David Snowdon, Harold Jarche, Jane Hart, Deb Lavoy & Rosabeth Kanter for their insights on Resilience & interdependency.

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In Down Under Australia, January is usually the post New Year summer holiday season - beaches, long lazy lunches - but this year it's been one of crisis as we find so much of our country under water with the latest La Nina event - perhaps one of the worst in years. Great to see so many now volunteering in the clean-ups as the floods & cyclones (aka Hurricanes) continue. I have been fortunate that my family, friends & our properties have escaped. So I'm a little behind in my ASQ Global Influential Voices blogging (please note I do receive a variety of quality resources as an honorarium in exchange for my commitment. However the thoughts & opinions that I express here in my blog are my own!).

We have this amazing ASQ Global CEO Paul Borawski who's blogged on CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility, Quality Goals for 2011 and Food Safety. So inspiring to see our leader "being a leader". Especially when I read my daily RSS feeds of ASQ News. At times it's been horrifying to read some of the updates - food safety issues on so many different continents, electronic voting machine fraud. Although I am Engineering/Knowledge Quality Manager, my first job was as a junior casual at a Tourism food outlet, where I learnt about food quality & safety.

And I am really enjoying reading the thoughts of my fellow ASQ Global Influential Voices for Quality as they blog on key quality related topics - eg from the USA, South America & India. Without the program I might never have encountered all of these fantastic people's ideas !

As for my goals, some I've made a good start on already ... 

• Back to the basics re-focus on quality - yesterday I pulled together a quick Powerpoint for my Team on what ISO 9001 says about expectations on Product Conformity (quite a lot  actually !) I was inspired by Dr Nigel Croft, Chair of ISO TC 176 SC2, at the Sydney meeting in December 2010 - clearly it's not meant to be about "concrete life jackets & concrete lifeboats" but consistently conforming with customers' product conformity requirements
• Maintaining & gaining new national & international certifications (ISO 9001, CE Mark, ISO 17025, Singapore BC 1, Malaysia SIRIM, Indonesia SNI & new Australian ATIC) to enable my company to win new markets - means using new technologies like social media to stay on top of what's happening eg the EU's upcoming Construction Products Regulation due to replace the Directive with associated CE Marking requirements
• Exploring the different "Managements" in a Quality Paradigm - Knowledge, Risk, Records - and sharing these via Sharepoint wiki pages so the knowledge is not just locked up in my brain and my PKM - Personal Knowledge Management system (across Googlereader RSS, ASQ, UK CQI, Elsmar Cove, Quality Magazine, ISO, Hootsuite, Twitter, Diigo, Blogs, C-Drive & Servers, LinkedIn, Hard Copies, Sharepoint, Documentum)
• eg facilitate cross fertilizing between our Knowledge Management Service Librarians & our Quality Management Systems Auditors on Records Management
• Working with our Learning & Development & Product Stewardship teams on issues of common concern, like reinvigorating our Knowledge Management program, on Corporate Social Responsibility ISO 26000 issues & capturing it in Sharepoint wiki pages
•  And, post the "worst of the last 2 years of the Global Financial Crisis" to set up & refresh Quality Development & Awareness programs - to create Lessons Learned from the experiences of BP, Toyota as it would be so easy to succumb if we don't take a strong stand on quality & ethics
• Migrate our site's main controlled document system from an Intranet to a Sharepoint portal connected with an EMC Documentum CMS
• Upgrade our org's Atlassian Confluence - our critical IP system
• Foster use of Web 2.0 tools by my colleagues to achieve cost effective DIY ways of staying current in our professional discipline areas
• Reincarnate our organization's Quality Global Community of Practice
• Help my external personal network members to understand the records management compliance requirements in a rapidly changing world of social media, mobile web & Cloud computing technologies. Fortunately my significant other is a governance manager in ICT Project Management so we do lots of cross-fertilization !
• Participate in ISO TC 176 SC 2 WG23 as a corresponding member under Tania Marcos and in Australia's ISO TC 176 SC2 mirror committee, QR-008 under Darryl Yanniuck - also its sister committee on Auditing QR-006
• To learn from my fellow Standards Australia committee members, Kevin Foley & Alex Ezrakovich
• Help to capture the amazing knowledge of one of Australia's governance icons, a silver citizen & Web 2.0 Apprentice, Stan Ambrose, in writing a technical note on the performance of steels, in pressure equipment under emergencies like serious fires / explosions - so much great knowledge too valuable to lose !
• To reflect on the various ideas & concepts I'm encountering, rather than just filing them for "later on" - my new A Maven's Magnets weekly blog
• And to support my Ms 16 year old Teenager as she enters her last year of High School & seeks to gain entry to an Australian University

so much to do ... it's going to be a great ride !

Postscripts from my Google Reader RSS & Twitter feeds  :

“The happy people are those who are producing something; the bored people are those who are consuming much and producing nothing.”

William Ralph Inge (1860 – 1954)

English author, Anglican priest, Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, and Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral

"Open your arms to change, but do not let go of your values"~ Dalai Lama

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Baldridge funding to be axed ? What ? Why should someone from DownUnder Australia even care ?

It seemed only hours after the latest award winners were announced, that the Baldridge itself was under threat. Today in Sydney Australia at ISO TC 176 SC2,  I shared with Lorrie Hunt & Denise Robitaille how important my ASQ membership has been for me. Likewise for me the Baldridge has been an inspiration,  like the Olympics of Quality.

To be honest I found Denis Arter’s views very provocative but definitely worth a read  : sort of like ... that winners of awards like Baldridge are too often what we in Australia call “oncers”. They put in a big effort to get the award, only to slowly undergo “quality fade”. But my thoughts were more in tune with Paul Borawski’s and I too am part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. (Note - While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.) 

I have been associated with three organizations who won the Australian Quality Awards, before the awards disappeared. After a while, they were eventually replaced by the Business Excellence Awards run by SAI Global.

1.0 My employer, a manufacturing organization, won the award 20 years ago, after initiating a TQC program. We’ve maintained our ISO 9001 certification since 1991. There’s a photograph of the trophy on the shelf in my office. I often glance at it and ponder on the cultural transformation involved in winning the award. Which was the greater achievement I wondered ? That award ? Or the organizational transformation ? And quite simply put : if the organization hadn’t maintained its certification, it would lose huge market share – many customers simply demand at least ISO 9001.

Now in our organization’s quality management team, we use Web 2.0/Enterprise 2.0  IT tools  to stay current with emerging trends in quality and certifications. That includes ISO & ASQ’s RSS feeds& Twitter  streams, Sharepoint wiki’s  etc. I shared some of these experiences at a Knowledge Management conference, ACTKM10 in Canberra Australia last October. Back In the office, we’ve had robust debates on future directions to keep improving. We cannot afford to stand still – currently we’relooking to a maturity matrix tool as part of our internal quality audit program.

2.0 The Library Manager of the University where I served on the governing Council was totally committed to the quality paradigm. The Library won the Australian Quality Award and later the University Administration department was certified to ISO 9001. No doubt exposure to the Library’s National Quality Award raised the quality paradigm within the university campus.

3.0 Sadly the third organization, a local City Council did not maintain the commitment – it had been regarded as a leader in the field in Australia not only in winning the Australian Quality Award but in other innovative operational ways as well. As an elected Local Government Councillor I was very proud that the City won the Australian Quality Award. Unfortunately the quality vision was lost with the departure of the Lord Mayor to State Government. So winning the award ended up being only a project – it needs to be a process without a sunset.

No, we shouldn’t immediately dismiss the value of quality awards like Baldridge, nor tag all award winners as “oncers”. We have awards in so many fields of endeavour such as sport –so why not quality? Over the last year or so we’ve seen the effect of large organizations dropping the quality ball. Unimaginable human consequences and more, rippling through economies and the environment. We need organizations to aspire to quality performance and recognition helps. We need Quality role models to be the “light on the hill” for others.

Of course awards such as Baldridge may need to evolve, just as we found with the Australian Quality Awards becoming the Business Excellence Awards.

Over the last week I have been very privileged to work with experts from the international quality family. They have travelled from across the globe to Sydney Australia to participate in ISO TC 176 SC2’s activities. We’ve been led by Nigel Croft, assisted by Charles Corrie & Jose Dominguez in imagining possibilities for a future ISO 9001. My team from India, Indonesia, Colombia, UK, Denmark, USA, South Africa, UK & Australia, has been led by a Spaniard. It has been inspiring to meet people like Lorrie Hunt & Denise Robitaille, women of quality who had until now been names on articles in quality magazines to me. Our times see ethics and corporate social responsibility (ISO 26000) emerging, not to mention exploding social media/mobile IT apps in quality. So lots of ideas considered this week - some may actually turn into reality and others may not.  But it is important to reflect & consider if there is to be innovation.

So let’s not let Baldridge go –  maybe change - but not extinction !

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I've been interested in CCS for a while (see my 2007 CCS corrosion blog & accidental global walk against warming posts). Coincidentally, aside from the Climate Change conference kicking off in Cancun, Mexico,  this coming week is also National CCS Week in Australia (see New Gen Coal for more info).

So while scrolling my CSS RSS feeds in Googlereader, I was intrigued to read of the CCS Facebook page and the New Technology Magazine article on the world's first proposed standard for deep underground storage of carbon dioxide.

There are great hopes for CCS to solve the Climate Change debacle - refer World Energy Outlook & CCS analysis. But the corrosion challenges had seemed substantial to me a few years back in 2007.

Concurrently the IEA has developed a CCS model regulatory framework, whilst US EPA has been drafting rules on CCS to protect drinking water (see Duke Uni / NYT / more refs on leak concerns) and on Greenhouse Gas reporting requirements for CCS, arising from President Obama's Interagency Taskforce on CCS. In October 2010, the 1st ever USA Congressional Geo-Engineering CCS Report was released with a key message : "You're better off looking into managing the climate than ignoring it."

The Global Carbon Capture Storage Institute has developed a "CCS Ready policy assists policy makers to clearly define the project standards necessary for CCS deployment as part of a transition to a low carbon economy,” says Global CCS Institute CEO Nick Otter.

Alberta has also released a Bill on key CCS legal issues :

• "clarification over ownership of the pore space into which the sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2) is injected;
• allocation of long-term liability for the intended permanent sequestration of the CO2;
• addressing the risk of the 'disappearing corporation'; and
• the creation of a post-closure stewardship fund. "

The standard drafting technical committee (TC) consists of over 30 experts from Canada and the USA - seeking to create a Canadian-USA standard. Fortunately the committee has "representation from government, industry and environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs). A full list is available online at www.ipac-co2.com.... also deeply involved is the International Performance Assessment Centre for Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide (IPAC-CO2 Research Inc.)

Rick Chalaturnyk, a geotechnical engineering professor and holder of the Foundation CMG Endowed Chair in Reservoir Geomechanics at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, is the chair of the TC. Sarah Forbes, who leads the CCS work at the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C., is the vice-chair of the TC."

They are aiming to have public discussions in 2011 and have the standard published in 2012 to provide guidelines on scientific and commercial industrial CCS (eg power stations, refineries, cement plants) for regulators and industry. Given that ultimately the TC hopes for it to be the basis of an ISO standard, it is important that those interested in CCS across the globe keep an eye on its progress. Current or proposed projects across the globe include :

• Canada (Shell Alberta EIA / Quest)
• EU (Brussels conference / Demonstration Project Fund - Financing Criteria - NER - Darmstadt Uni - CCS Network - EU Working Group on CCS)
• Germany (Siemens Pilot Plant)
• Gulf (Doha Forum / Qatar)
• Italy (Enel - Kepco)
• Japan (JFE - halves capture costs )
• Korea (Korea CCS Assoc / Govt 2020 /Kepco - Enel)
• Netherlands (Rotterdam)
• New Zealand (SolidEnergy Lignite)
• Norway Statoil Mongstad
• Taiwan (Taichung )
• UK (Pipeline)
• USA (DOE)

As for how CCS will work - Air Pollution Facts has an interesting Youtube animation clip & another Youtube interview explaining how it works. There seem to be, broadly, three different types of capture technologies : post-combustion, pre-combustion, and oxyfuel combustion

Mostly onshore CCS projects have been centred around sandstone, however the USA Wallula project is trying out basalt and will be monitored by the Batelle Institute.

There are a number of conferences being held covering CCS - the May 2011 conference in Bariproposes to look at onshore vs offshore CCS. An interesting analysis presented at Brussels November 2010 conference - see Miguel Bunuel.

In order to win environmental and community acceptance it will be essential that CCS can be unequivocally shown to be safe, reliable and that risks are identified and properly addressed. Strategies for community engagement on CCS are being developed by the World Resources Institute (Youtube / Platts). 

It's not an issue being taken lightly by industry & governments alike : "If carbon capture and storage (CCS) fails as a method of providing clean coal, it will probably mean the end of coal-fired electricity generation in Western Europe, International Energy Agency (IEA) Clean Coal Centre manager Robert Davidson ... addressed the Fossil Fuel Foundation of Africa in Johannesburg, says that Western Europe is relying on CCS to transition coal from being a dirty unacceptable fuel to being a clean one that can be allowed to continue to fuel electricity generation."

Interesting in that Shell apparently canned a project in the Netherlands after Barendrecht community opposition. And there are other canned projects, including Ireland. Some are worried about its safety in a general sense, & liken it to nuclear waste stories from their childhood.

Others raise concerns with the pipelines transporting the gas to the sequestration sites - although it is countered that such pipelines have existed for many years in the USA. Of course it all depends on temperatures, pressure & moisture levels in the CO2 gas). German research projects are also strongly opposed by community members.

Costs worry many - although a Canadian amine capture method is supposed to be less resource & money demanding. More on the maths behind CCS.

Some cite : "In 1986 a large leakage of naturally sequestered carbon dioxide rose from Lake Nyos in Cameroon and asphyxiated 1,700 people. While the carbon had been sequestered naturally, some point to the event as evidence for the potentially catastrophic effects of sequestering carbon. "

More info on CCS from

• Carbon Capture Journal
• CCS Ebooks - Download
• CISA Schools CCS article - excellent
• Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute refs - main web page
• New Gen Coal
• Wikipedia CCS - always good to check Wikipedia to get basic concept then refer to other sources !

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I've been updating my Facebook page - moving it beyond just family and school friends as colleagues wanted to friend me. So I've created some lists including an engineering / quality management list - which includes Quality bodies such as ISO & ASQ. I've been following both of them on Twitter but wasn't so sure about Facebook - but more professional bodies seem to be moving beyond their webpages into  LinkedIn and then over to Facebook, Twitter, RSS  & YouTube. Time had come to make some lists.

I'm in manufacturing and I've been a member of online digital global communities for about 15 years now in Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 worlds. And I continue to be delighted at the generosity of my buddies across the world. I've learned so much from them and been happy to share in return across my professional and community involvements. 

 

My professional world stretches from product quality control to ISO 9001 Quality Management to Records Management to Knowledge Management to Forensic Engineering to Safety Management. I've really needed to learn from others in a more informal way, especially in the Global Financial Crisis era which trashed our formal training budgets.

 

So my membership of ASQ, an organization of quality professionals, has been an absolute life saver with its amazing breadth of online resources available to members globally. Recently I gave a presentation at a Knowledge Management conference in Canberra Australia on how social media tools have helped me to efficiently monitor emerging trends in quality management & technical barriers to trade. I need this in order to be on top of international trade trends in order to help my company gain & maintain access to international markets, via achieving 3rd Party certifications such as the EU's CE Mark. 

 

As an Australian member of ASQ I was recently honored to be invited to participate in the ASQ Global Influential Voices program. So I am delighted to be able to give back to those who have helped so many of us in the recent difficult years. And I find it incredible that I can be reading what quality guru's like Denis Arter are saying in almost real time. He's no longer just a book on my Quality Management bookshelf - but a real authentic person.

 

I'm also a member of several Standards Australia committees on Quality Management and also on Pressure Equipment, which is more at the coal face of quality. Get Pressure Equipment wrong and the outcomes can be serious even fatal.

 

 

What does that mean in reality ? Well I am a passionate traveller and over the last 5 years the overlapping spectra of quality/records/knowledge management has become very real to me as I travelled around the world ...

 

Think of the efforts to refurbish the Parthenon in Athens without original construction plans and working drawings ... 

 

or the knowledge loss with the destruction of the library of Alexandria - not much remains as you can see from my pic below ...

 

I've been amazed to read of the incredible global collaboration led by New Zealand born / Australian RMIT Professor Mark Burry, that has finally seen the completion of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona using collaborative & imaging technologies unimagined at the time of Gaudi's death, or even when I visited there in the early 1980's :

 

 

And with so much knowledge loss around the design & construction of our global cultural heritage, I was amazed to discover in Basilica San Marco, Venice, that the original designers & builders had kept a record which has assisted in its refurbishment over the years. What foresight !

 

People often seem too complacent about Quality till they discover problems and all too often too late: like that Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi - "you don't know what you've got till it's gone". 

 

We do live in an increasingly globalized world and in the late 1990's there were fears about the newly emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and globalization. Back then there was the Battle for Seattle - with a fear of crisis and a "Race to the Bottom" on many fronts : environment, quality, safety, living standards etc. 

 

However an economist friend commented to me : There is nothing wrong with globalization if it is done right, with the right rules & controls.

 

Globalization need not be a crisis and indeed it is interesting to consider that the Asian script for Crisis represents both danger & opportunity :

 

 

 

Just like the global collaboration that has seen Barcelona's La Sagrada Familia finally completed & consecrated, I see the ASQ Global Voices of Quality initiative is opportunity to have global conversations, especially for those of us lone voices scattered across the globe,  to promote the quality paradigm : sharing experiences & learnings - focusing on the Opportunities - done right it can counter the many Dangers facing our world & the fears of the Race to the Bottom.

 

 

 

Yes : I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive a variety of quality resources as honorarium from ASQ in exchange for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own. I'm looking forward to learning, sharing and developing a community with my fellow participants, including Paul, our program leader.

 

 

 

 

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I found Nick Byrne's preso very exciting - as did Kate Stewart (see her excellent post). My notes from his preso follow, along with my exposure to the EWB Challenge at the University of Wollongong.

Having long been associated with engineers, I was well aware that all too often Engineers are seen by many as the problem, rather than a source of solutions to problems. 

So shortly before I retired as an elected Local Government Councillor in 2004, and following the 2004 Johannesburg Earth Summit, I had gain my Council's support to consider supporting the 1st Year Engineering Creative Design project ie "Council consider supporting the Creative Design Competition Project for First Year Engineering students at Wollongong University – with an award encouraging ESD principles – i.e. Award for Most Innovative Sustainable Design." (page 48 of Council minutes).

Sadly Wollongong Council did not seem to have followed through on this. Although 1st Year Engineering students in Wollongong University have picked up the innovation & sustainability challenge later on, without the support of their local City Council.

Delightfully, at the 2008 & 2009 Wollongong University's annual 1st Year Engineering Creative Design Project, where I was on the Judging Panels, I found that some students had embraced the annual EWB Challenge centred around Tonle Sap, Cambodia. In 2008 the team who designed & built a bicycle powered washing machine made the UOW finals. In 2009 a UOW Finals Team (including my teenage daughter's friend !) featured in the EWB National Top 20 projects with their Floating Agricultural Station (more on Top 10). So I was really looking forward to hearing how EWB were using KM in their aid work.

Now back to my notes on Nick Byrne's preso : Knowledge Management for CollaborativeInnovation in Development Engineering – Engineers without Borders

Intro to what EWB do  – Engineers without Borders : note - Disaster Response handled by REDR vs Long Term Solutions done by EWB. (For more on REDR see bottom of blog post) 

They are moving towards Knowledge Management based around Hubs incl Renewable Energy - Indigenous Australia Hub

Key approach : SMELS – Strategy Measurement Evaluation Learning Sharing

Learning & Sharing vital : link with & support external organizations

Key approach : Collaborate Innovate Celebrate

IP – Creative Commons

Different professional disciplines have different ethos wrt knowledge sharing – science vs engineers vs lawyers

Exercise : Dan Pink : Why How What approach to what you are trying to achieve

·         Why? - are the underlying motives ? Is there a bigger theme that your organization is contributing to ? EWB seeking to facilitate pro bono culture Australia

·         How ? is your organization contributing to the pursuit within your industry/sector/cause ?

·         What ? outcomes have you seen ?Are there unanticipated spin-off effects for your clients ?

·         Cognitive surplus – how to leverage – ie how much structure or not ? crowdsourcing

·         your goal isn’t to do business with people who want what you have – but to do business people who believe what you believe and what you do simply serves as proof of what you believe

Exercise

·         What prevents collaboration within your org – (responses : protecting your turf, lone wolf syndrome IP issues – Chinese Walls – fear of competition)

·         Discuss what incentives exist to collaborate inter-organizationally – requires a level of maturity of org leadership – cross company networks

Social innovation – potential to influence in government

Note - Comments from conference attendees Professional Associations do knowledge sharing eg at conferences

Nick mentioned that Humanitarian Engineering is starting to appear on the engineering curriculum of some Australian Universities. My perception as a former External Advisory Committee Member to UOW's Engineering Faculty is that this is no mean feat as the engineering curriculum is generally quite solidly packed at any university - so it is hard to get anything else added in.

He described how EWB is  Working with University Students : eg Engineers and Social Justice Program – 2^nd Year at UWA.

Tweets on Nick's preso :

metaphorageOct 18, 2:16pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 @thinkquick being a bit of a cynic about incentives- that's unusual! One of the best (positive) critical thinkers I know

metaphorageOct 18, 2:15pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 @byrnenick stories being shared around exames where knowledge was shared and what barriers or motivator were involved

metaphorageOct 18, 2:06pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 @byrnenick discussing how to share effectively: collaborate, innovate, celebrate.

KerrieAnneOct 18, 2:04pm via Mobile Web

Nick Byrne Engineers without Borders EWB at#actkm10 on leveraging KM to achieve more

NeridaHartOct 18, 2:04pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®

Collaborate innovate celebrate #actkm10

metaphorageOct 18, 1:49pm via Twitter for iPhone

What a surrise @ByrneNick an engineer thinking that beer is a good knowledge sharing tool - not first time lubricated #KM feature #actKM10

metaphorageOct 18, 1:45pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 @byrnenick sharing knowledge with indigenous organisations on renewable energy communities, both strategy & implementation

metaphorageOct 18, 1:42pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 @byrnenick from Engineers without Boarders, volunteers helping disadvantaged people to create change.

last word : metaphorageOct 18, 2:20pm via Twitter for iPhone

#actkm10 all the ladies asking lots of questions of @byrnenick - perhaps young enthusiastic engineer eager to share is an incentive? :)

Abstract:  

Engineers Without Borders understands the strategic importance that efficient knowledge management brings to organisations. However, we are fortunate that, at least internally, the organisational cultural barriers that exist elsewhere are not prevalent. For example, the protectionist attitudes that some consultants place around their knowledge, as they feel it is their competitive advantage in the workplace.

To date, Knowledge Management literature seems to have focused on comparative advantage for organisational gain – but what about utilising knowledge management as a tool for inter-organisational collaboration around important issues such as peak oil and the millennium development goals? In this presentation, we hope to present to you some fundamental questions around data, information, knowledge and wisdom in the context of EWB and the Knowledge Centre. Also, how EWB is participating, through its knowledge management processes, in expanding their sectors knowledge of best practice.

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Samuel Driessen tweeted this quote during Enterprise 2.0 Conference in Frankfurt in late October 2010 :

"We still have no understanding of viral behaviour in organizations" - Lee Bryant

It had me wondering about what went viral in my organization and what didn't.

Was it like Travel Guides like Lonely Planet & the rest of the pack ? They enabled DIY travelling planning and went viral over the 1990's even before the Internet. And yet haven't really gone fully viral in their EReader & IPAD 21st Century incarnations. 

Back to my own organization : obviously Microsoft Office applications : Word, Excel & Powerpoint. A few of us also use other products like Frontpage, Visio, Project & Publisher. And our IT folks seem to be big users of Communicator. Many create Access databases but most of us consume rather than build.

Email ? a no-brainer ! We love our Email as our IT folks try to manage the associated exploding storage.

However, although the RSS feeds in Outlook 2007 are being discovered & shared by our Library Knowledge Management Services team -  they're  way off going viral. Adoption is more snail speed. And my fav Googlereader RSS feeds were definitely not. Seem to confuse too many & demand too much work to yield value. Although I'd be lost without them myself. But then I need immediate access to a far more diverse range of info than many in my org.

Smartphones are popping up in some applications around the place. Mostly Blackberries, but a few folks have Iphones - not too many IPADS sighted in our organization. Although my buddy who runs a nearby aged care facility swears by IPAD's as a communication enabling tool for early stage Dementia patients to prolong their quality of life.

We're more conservative, and so our unsexy EMC Documentum has its fans. Like when I found 100's of unauthorised bootleg copies of standard procedures possetted away by my engineering buddies to make sure they had their own special copy. A bit of work went in there to educate them on why they need to use the official version online from our intranet. However it certainly showed me that people did value something as dry as an SOP. The right content that's needed for risk management /due diligence definitely has value even if the repository is not sleek.

Next we met Sharepoint, and it definitely has its enthusiasts - some wanting to up-stakes & migrate their content out of Documentum and into Sharepoint overnight almost. Even if Sharepoint is not really a document content solution in a records management paradigm.

Confluence's Wiki is mostly liked by its users in our org over other wiki's - although some others like Twiki - and some of us are happy enough with the Sharepoint 2007 Wiki but looking forward to migrating to 2010.

Internal blogs could best be described as barely emergent at this stage.

Adobe Acrobat Writer is handy but most folks consume the content rather create so have no need for it.

SAP had its detractors - widely used but its takeup doesn't have that viral flavour about it. Nevetheless I like the way I can drill down to chase unusual costs. Likewise our OHS Management System. Both helpful but not driving passionate viral behaviour.

We're learning to love Cognos - but mostly as long as someone else gets the reports & sends them to us.

And yet hard copies, paper records, still remain for some applications in our organization. Surprising ?

Perhaps it's a bit like travel guide books vs IPAD's etc as in "Death of a Guidebook" AYH's Backpacker Essentials November 2010 edition (p33-34). Lots of benefits with IPAD's, Ereaders, Notebooks & Smartphones ... . and other gizmo's. So much lighter to carry. So much more info available. Maybe like found in a whole library, like this one in Lucca maybe ?

But sometimes the pro's aren't enough to outweigh the con's - such as lack of access to free WIFI, battery life etc. Paper still rules like on the Venice Vaporetto below ?

We were carrying our trusty Lonely Planet, Frommer & DK Croatian/Italian Guidebooks - but the smartphone certainly helped when we had an abrupt change of travel plans from Venice to Koper, Slovenia. Due to a glitch between a website & email back in Australia, the details were garbled and so we'd missed the bus and had to make it to a boat in Koper that day. 

Overcoming the WIFI & battery life issues,  then weighing up the weight of a few too many Travel Guide books and the pain differential for IPADS's & smartphones probably starts disappearing. I know I'm over guidebooks that way a brick each - so am planning to download files onto my smartphone ahead of our next trip.

Maybe that's the secret of technology going viral in organizations? 

It's simply the pain factor that's the key perhaps ?

Where software eases more pain than it creates. When a task is cut from days and hours to minutes. When the energy to maintain the system doesn't leave you mind-numbed. When the application is intuitive with no jumping all over the screen and from screen to screen. Not too many shortcut keys to know.

So ease my pain & frustration, but don't try to solve it by creating even more....

And lastly an IT organization that balances governance with access to KM E2.0 tools thus enabling collaboration to drive innovation ?

Too much to wish for ?

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Kate Andrews of Knowable - long respected for her work on knowledge capture & retention was someone I was really looking forward to meeting.

Kate referred to “Ask Learn & Share at Shell” - Siew Hoong KM Advisor Shell Global Solutions for Malaysia

Key Question : What knowledge do people need and how do we get it to them ?

Kate’s focus for some years has been on how Retirement poses risk of brain drain - Focus issue : Can’t buy knowledge ie the key knowledge for org performance – but  “Not everything for everyone  not a relay” – not replicating the past – not hiring Lone Wolves

Surprises –Lone Wolf Quadrant - We need to develop new knowledge sets not just hire more LW

·         is a real business risk – a blockage problem – limits to how we leverage knowledge that is only held in individual’s heads – so much org knowledge is held here

·         Some orgs over invest in creating individual knowledge and under invest in organizational knowledge

·         We treat knowledge as a non renewable resource until they leave then we say oops (what about Sageco process) – better to build strong teams & knowledge assets

·         Project Closeout -  KM is crucial

Nonaka Takaguchi – how individual knowledge becomes org knowledge : model : tacit - explicit

Pyschosocial – know & trust generates more sharing or if there is a collective disenchantment then people may work together and share

Quoted Irish Bridge collapse

·         engineering ignorance – outcome – need to rebuild corporate memory – key knowledge not documented & held in head of engineers who had departed - too busy to reflect and document key knowledge

·         Some orgs tend to keep the technical expert on a business as usual rather than capturing new knowledge – some of these people hate dealing with other people

Nerida Hart – some people love being the hero – thank god you’re here syndrome

Wiggles case study – The Yellow Wiggle : from Greg to Sam : Orgs  try to make their Wiggles to sing & dance all day rather than coach, develop – develop new team capabilities

KM Risks in Organizations

·         Green - Low Risk – meet exist & known future needs

·         Amber - Rising Risk – risk increases as experienced staff leave and knowledge not documented

·         Red - High Risk – knowledge not available at required level (not yet acquired in new areas – this surprises orgs or already lost as folks already lost)

Decide what knowledge is critical – what is  its status – red amber green –these are key business decisions

Organizational Knowledge Lifecycle : 

Plan -> Develop -> Embed -> Use -> Assess -> Maintain ->Retire

Kate Stewart astutely summed up Kate Andrews preso as being focused on Knowledge Risk

A related Presentation from Kate Andrews :

Abstract:  

At ACT KM in 2003 Kate Andrews introduced the term knowledge risk to describe the loss of knowledge critical to a firm‟s performance. In our experience, even today many organisations who are deeply concerned about potential knowledge loss DO NOTHING.

The counterpoint, also typically ignored, is the challenge of actively accelerating development and retention of newly important knowledge assets. The session uses an experiential approach to guide discovery of workshop participants‟ critical organisational knowledge (existing and emerging) and through a case study the priorities for each lifecycle stage. The take away is a “five things you can do now” for each stage of the knowledge lifecycle.

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