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Unit 4: Leadership for TQM

Senior managers must be visible and actively engaged in the quality effort by serving on teams, Notes
coaching teams, and teaching seminars. They should lead by demonstrating, communicating,
and reinforcing the quality statement. As a rule of thumb, they should spend about one-third of
their time on quality.
A very important role of senior managers is listening to internal and external customers and
suppliers through visits, focus groups, and surveys. This information is translated into core
values and process improvement projects.

Another very important role is communication. The objective is to create awareness of the
importance of TQM and provide TQM results in an ongoing manner. The TQM message must be
“sold” to personnel, for if they don’t but it, TQM will never happen. In addition to internal
efforts, there must be external activities with customers and suppliers, the media, advertising in
trade magazines, and interaction with the quality community.
By following the preceding suggestions, senior managers should be able to drive fear out of the
organization, break down barriers, remove system roadblocks, anticipate and minimize resistance
to change, and, in general, change the culture. Only with the involvement of senior management
can TQM be a success.

Caselet How One Company Successfully Implemented
Continuous Improvement?

s an illustration of quality management in action, one construction company
procedure was enacted by establishing a daily foreman’s meeting that usually
Alasts one hour. Although an hour may have appeared to be a long time, the
company and its people believe it to be worthwhile. Every person in the company has an
opportunity to relate the status of his or her task in the work cycle.
Included among the benefits from conducting this daily foreman’s meeting are the
elimination of conflicts between crews and crafts at jobsites, work crews not occupying
the same space at the same time, and the entire working staff becoming and remaining
knowledgeable about all phases and problems which exist at the jobsite. Additional benefits
include improved coordination with other trades, increased problem solving, and
improved morale and efforts as a result of the ability to directly air concerns.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
5. …………………… supported the development of a leadership system whereby quality
control leaders were developed at all levels in all functions of the organization.
6. Senior management must practice the philosophy of …………………….
7. One of the duties of the …………………… is to establish or revise the recognition and
reward system.

4.4 Attitudes and Involvement of Top Management

Attitudes can be simply referred to as evaluative statements, which may be either favorable,
regarding people, objects or events. Attitudes reflect how one feels about something. For instance,
if you say “I like my work,” then you are merely expressing your attitude about your work.

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