"Toyota Accused of Skirting Quality"
Toyota has been in the news recently for an unprecedented (for them) series of recalls.
If you subcribe to LinkedIn (and there are many reasons you should, but that is the subject for another post) there is an excellent thread under the Lean Six Sigma LinkedIn group which discusses possible causes and effects, if you want to gather some deeper insights.
I bring up Toyota to make a point, which is summed up in the title of this post: Quality requires that we all be forever vigilant. This is not entirely metaphysical - (engineer alert) the Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the entropy of an isolated system which is not in equilibrium will tend to increase over time. Layman's transaltion: for anything left to itself, the amount of disorder will increase.... anyone who has children will intuitively understand this principle even if they never had a science class.
What this means for those of us tasked with improving quality is that it takes constant watchfulness and corrective action just to stay even much less improve. Even an organization with the history, success, methodology, and expertise of Toyota can fall if thir commitment to quality is not total and continual.
Improving quality requires that we be ever vigilant. Never settle, and never relax your standards. As soon as you do you will accelerate the along the road to disorder.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Should I get Certified?
I am currently the holder of two professional certifications; Certified Mangaer of Quality and Organizational Excellence (ASQ), and Project Management Profesional (PMI). You might think that having them makes me more likely to suggest that others obtain them. And you'd be right, but for the wrong reason.
For years, as a hiring manager, I was more interested in practical, demonstrated experience than on certs from professional associations. I have been blessed to find, hire, and lead some incredibly talented (and uncertifed) people who could get the job done. Now, as a job seeker in the worst job market in a lifetime, I, and others, are beginning to see things differently.
It is likely that, had I pursued and obtained a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, I would already be re-employed.
I was recently at a job interview wher the hiring manager stated openly that "if you didn't have that PMP we wouldn't even be talking".
In today's job market, open positions are being swarmed with many times the applicants of 18 months ago. A certification offers today's recruiters and hiring managers a few features to make their jobs simpler.
1. Easy screen out in organizations using an automated application process (Taleo, PeopleClick, etc.)
2. A means to verify that you possess a certain standard level of desired knowledge, and seriousness about your profession.
3. It may also be satisfying a requirement imposed on them by an external organization (e.g., a buying organization may require their vendor to supply a PMI certified project manager).
I have known, and have myself at times been, that person who had tremendous capabilities but had not taken the time to get his or her "ticket punched" by a certifying organization. These are different economic times. Do yourself a favor. Take the time. Pay your own way if your compnay won't. Get and stay certified in your discipline. Your next job may depend on it.
For years, as a hiring manager, I was more interested in practical, demonstrated experience than on certs from professional associations. I have been blessed to find, hire, and lead some incredibly talented (and uncertifed) people who could get the job done. Now, as a job seeker in the worst job market in a lifetime, I, and others, are beginning to see things differently.
It is likely that, had I pursued and obtained a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, I would already be re-employed.
I was recently at a job interview wher the hiring manager stated openly that "if you didn't have that PMP we wouldn't even be talking".
In today's job market, open positions are being swarmed with many times the applicants of 18 months ago. A certification offers today's recruiters and hiring managers a few features to make their jobs simpler.
1. Easy screen out in organizations using an automated application process (Taleo, PeopleClick, etc.)
2. A means to verify that you possess a certain standard level of desired knowledge, and seriousness about your profession.
3. It may also be satisfying a requirement imposed on them by an external organization (e.g., a buying organization may require their vendor to supply a PMI certified project manager).
I have known, and have myself at times been, that person who had tremendous capabilities but had not taken the time to get his or her "ticket punched" by a certifying organization. These are different economic times. Do yourself a favor. Take the time. Pay your own way if your compnay won't. Get and stay certified in your discipline. Your next job may depend on it.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Welcome!
A new year and new beginnings.
This space will be used for discussion of the exploration, practice, application, and measurement of quality and project management in organizations. I hope it will provide something of value for those who visit, and more to those who become involved in the discussions.
All the best in the coming year,
This space will be used for discussion of the exploration, practice, application, and measurement of quality and project management in organizations. I hope it will provide something of value for those who visit, and more to those who become involved in the discussions.
All the best in the coming year,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
