ASQ Society Membership

I was very delighted to read the recent View From The Q post by ASQ Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Shontra Powell.  Having had the pleasure to become personally acquainted, I will refer to the author as Shontra.


Before I comment on the well-researched and thought-provoking viewpoints expressed by Shontra, I wanted to first share some of my own analysis.  The ASQ Community Development team, through its Friday Fast Facts email publication, provides a link to Growth and Retention numbers for ASQ Sections in North America.


As there is a PAR Performance Award granted to ASQ Sections (in Good Standing) who demonstrate year over year success with membership growth and retention, I wanted to review the performance of sections in Region 4 (ASQ Canada), and compare that with other geographic regions.


My discovery was that in Canada, and across North America, ASQ is in a period of decline and diminished retention rates.  The current overall North America outcomes have a membership of approximately 60,000 members, with an annual growth rate of -4%, and a retention rate of 68% (based on the averages of totals for Sections). 


A review of the various ASQ sections identified a particular trend: Higher retention rates correlated with higher net growth rates.  This is logical, since sections with fewer members to replace can maintain and surpass their existing levels with fewer new members. 


Assuming that member growth is constant, the attribute which is within our control and which can determine overall membership levels is member retention.

According to this data, ASQ cannot hope to meet its growth targets until member retention is at or surpasses 80%. 


Among the insights within Shontra's post, the following would be constructive and beneficial toward the increased interest and engagement of our existing members, and consequently the basis for their long-term retention:
- Continued personal and professional growth (at member discounts with value and cost recovery)
- Part of connected physical and virtual communities
- Instant enhancements of knowledge through 24/7 portals and continuous information channels
- Breakthrough equity (I referred to this member value as "Loyalty Capital") which measures the worth of information and content.


I agree with Shontra, and the current numbers support that changes should be embraced.  In reality, the graphs will not be linear; demographic shifts and industrial changes will cause abrupt chasms to appear over the next 15-20 years as Baby Boomers leave the workforce.  If these changes are resisted or obstructed, the outcome will be the continued decline of our Society, until it must either be removed or absorbed into a more viable professional organization as one of its components.


If we do retain our membership, we will also retain the legacies and contributions of our Pioneers of Quality.  Member retention is essential to the preservation of our continuity and commitment to Quality. 


To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep

CSQE Source Material - Dated, More Current Sources Required

When there are discussions about the relevance and applicability of an ASQ Certification, it is important to review the source material from which the certification is derived, and which it uses to create exams.

ASQ is in the software quality domain.  I have recently taken on a commitment to craft practice exam questions.  The reference list is below.  Given that we are now in 2016, I will highlight the relative ages of the reference.  Then consider how much software has evolved.

 

The range is 21 years with the newest publication 6 year old, and the oldest 27 years.  I plugged this into MS Excel and got the following

14.6	Mean
13.5	Median
12	Mode

It will be very difficult to convince people that CSQE is relevant for 2016 when the cluster of books was written in the prior generation.  Most software products from the early 2000s are past end-of-life and need to be retired or replaced.  In addition, there have been many trends and advances in software and applications which this material does not address or consider because these practices were not yet functional:


- Mobile applications "apps"
- Software as a service
- Social media and platforms
- Open access freeware
- Sharing services
 
It is not my intent to disparage the excellent resources below.  I have put in bold those particular references which I personally possess and highly recommend.


However I believe that this foundation of material should be augmented with more contemporary resources in Software Quality, particularly in the relevant Software QA issues of 2016 and beyond.

CSQE Reference List 2015

These books cover the parts of the Body of Knowledge. ASQ Certification Board does not endorse any one particular reference source.

8 years – obsolete by 2015 version

Ø ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2008: Quality Management Systems: Requirements. (new revision) T860 (E)

Valid

Ø ASQ Code of Ethics http://www.asq.org/about-asq/who-we-are/ethics.html

22 years

Ø Booch, Grady, Objected-Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications 2nd ed., Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc., 1994. ISBN 0805353402

6 years

Ø Capability Maturity Model® Integration (CMMI), CMMI® for Development, Version 1.3, August 2010.

14 years

Ø Daughtrey, Taz, ed., Fundamental Concepts for the Software Quality Engineer, ASQ Quality Press, 2002. H1115

14 years

Ø Futrell, Robert T., Donald F. Shafer, and Linda I. Shafer, Quality Software Project Management, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002. ISBN 0130912972

23 years

Ø Gilb, Tom, and Dorothy Graham, Software Inspection, London: Addison-Wesley Professional, 1993. ISBN 0201631814

9 years

Ø Gryna, Frank M., Richard C.H. Chua, and Joseph A. Defeo, Juran’s Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality, 5th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. P1237

21 years

Ø Humphrey, Watts, A Discipline for Software Engineering, Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1995. ISBN 0201546108

27 years

Ø Humphrey, Watts, Managing the Software Process, Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1989. ISBN 0201180952

17 years

Ø Juran, Joseph M., Juran’s Quality Handbook, 5th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999. P660

13 years

Ø Kan, Stephen H., Metrics and Models in Software Quality Engineering, 2nd ed., Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2003. ISBN 0201729156

17 years

Ø Kaner, Cem, Jack Falk, and Hung Quoc Nguyen, Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed, Wiley Computer Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0471358460

12 years

Ø Keyes, Jessica, Software Configuration Management, CRC/Auerbach Publications, 2004, 0-8493-1976-5

21 years

Ø Kit, Edward, Software Testing in the Real World: Improving the Process. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1995. ISBN 0201877562

20 years

Ø Lyu, Michael R., Handbook of Software Reliability Engineering, Los Alamitos: IEEE Computer Society Press, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996. ISBN 0070394008 Complete book available online at http://www.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/~lyu/book/reliability/index.html

12 years

Ø Myers, Glenford J., The Art of Software Testing, 2nd ed., New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. ISBN 0471469122.

20 years

Ø Myerson, Marian, Risk Management Processes for Software Engineering Methods, Boston: Artech Computer House Library, 1996. ISBN: 0890066353

9 years

Ø Poppendieck, Mary and Tom, Implementing Lean Software Development, Addison-Wesley: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2007. ISBN 0321437381


12 years
Ø Pressman, Roger S., Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach, 6th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004. ISBN 007301933X

15 years

Ø Rakitin, Steven R., Software Verification and Validation for Practitioners and Managers, 2nd ed., Boston: Artech House, 2001. ISBN 1580532969, PDF download ISBN B000066FYE

10 years

Ø Russell, J.P., ed., ASQ Quality Audit Division, The ASQ Auditing Handbook, 3rd ed., Milwaukee: ASQ Quality Press, 2006. H1263

13 years

Ø Scholtes, Peter R., Brian L, Joiner, and Barbara J. Streibel, The Team Handbook, 3rd ed., Oreil Inc., 2003. P1030

8 years

Ø Schulmeyer, G. Gordon, Handbook of Software Quality Assurance, 4th ed., Boston, MA: Artech House, 2008. ISBN 9781596931862, 1596931868

7 years

Westfall, Linda, The Certified Software Quality Engineer Handbook. ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee, 2009. ISBN: 987-0-87389-730-3

 

ASQ Members - Synchronize ASQ Certifications for fun and profit

This is a particular message which, if I do nothing else in ASQ, I hope will be associated with any legacy I may have.


To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I am a modest man because I have much to be modest about. In my middle age, my aspirations have shifted so that on a good day, I can claim to be punctual, polite, and have good personal hygiene.  Unfortunately in 2016, possession of these three attributes concurrently elevates one to the top percentile of society.


As far as the merits and benefits of ASQ certification are concerned,  I defer to the many articles already published in ASQ Quality Progress, along with the excellent ASQ video available on YouTube.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF7Ira74tJ4


With respect to synchronizing certifications, I wanted to share some insight.

http://asq.org/cert/faq/synchronizing-certifications

I have been synchronizing my certifications for 15 years, and consequently have been able to retain the original certifications I attained back in the mid-late 1990s.  I have always appreciated this member benefit, but it was only recently that I realized that non-members of ASQ who wish to recertify their credentials have to do so individually at a substantially higher rate.


Assuming that the non-member does not abandon their certification or lets it lapse, the long-term commitment of a perpetual certification is $109 USD, payable every 3 years, for the rest of a career.  For someone who achieved their credentials in their 20s and 30s, that could result in funding an additional 10-12 renewal cycles. This adds a long-term cost of $1000-1500 per renewable ASQ certification, unless ASQ member discounts are applied.


This long-term consideration is generally not considered, but let's say that a practitioner with 4 certifications (CQA, CQE, CSSBB, and CMQ/OE) wants their ASQ credentials to be relevant for the next 15 years (5 renewal cycles).  The chart below show that the member would save over $400 USD by renewing these as an ASQ Member, and these savings would be compounded 5 times, giving a nominal long-term member benefit of $2000 USD (even more when the time-value of money is considered).


To those ASQ members with 1 or fewer renewable certifications, the benefits of certificate synchronization do not apply.  Not all career models are served by having multiple certifications, but I personally advocate that a managerial CMQ/OE complements the technical certifications like CQE, CRE, or CSQE.


According to the current pricing model, certificate renewal brings incremental advantages over a 3 year period.  Let's drop the whole 9 and round up prices numbers divisible by 10. 


Every 3 years, the certifications have to be renewed.  The savings of doing renewals within an ASQ membership (and available discounts) are immediately available on the first certification, and if you are renewing 5 or more, the cost recovery from the money saved actually exceeds the cost of ASQ membership.  This means that the investment of ASQ membership is recovered every 3 years through certification renewal savings alone.  It's a good deal, and one of the most valuable and under-publicized benefits of a long-term commitment to ASQ.

Involvement - It Only Works If You Use It

Currently I am involved with a few organizations, but there are two which I would like to highlight: American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the YMCA. 


My YMCA is a family membership, which our family uses for swimming and exercise programs.


The ASQ membership is a professional society, which I have used for the last 20 years to support and enhance my career and professional development.


Imagine making the monthly or annual payments, only to not partake in the many benefits.  I can't lose weight or improve my fitness and stamina unless I actually go to the YMCA, use the equipment or facilities, or take part in the lessons and workout sessions.  There are additional benefits, when compared to similar organizations.  The fitness coaching is excellent, and offered at a less expensive rate.  However I often find the workout facilities to be empty (except at peak times), providing opportunities to almost have a private gym experience.


With respect to ASQ, there are abundant benefits, but only if these are actually used.  By following a normal and expected pattern of professional involvement, a member should be able to recover their investment in member value or discounts every three years, if not sooner.


- Member discounts on events and programs provide a short-term incentive.
- The member rate for certifications justifies the membership cost
- Members have the ability to synchronize multiple certifications for renewal, which saves $70 per certification every three years.  This is a significant benefit for those with 3 or more renewable certifications
- Attendance at conferences offsets the membership costs, particularly if the conference fee is subsidized or waived for speakers, reviewers, or moderators
- Subscriptions to quality journals and publication purchases provide additional member discounts
- There are opportunities to encounter influential and accomplished practitioners in informal setting, enabling mentoring and guidance.  This is superior to the "pay-to-play" professional coaching model which may or may not result in successful outcomes.
- Strategic purchasing and portfolio management (i.e. upgrade to Senior Member, renew at least 1 month in advance) will generate additional discounts within ASQ.


Involvement in an organization can be rewarding and support personal and professional goals.  However for it to work, it has to align with your particular situation, and the mentality has to complement the core values and principles. 


In the 20 years since I have become acquainted with ASQ, I have discovered a combination of credentials and activities that unleashes the best value and member satisfaction for me.  While this won't work for everyone, I believe it describes a level to which every ASQ member should aspire before judging whether ASQ is valuable and beneficial.


- Join as a Full Member and at the earliest opportunity, upgrade to a Senior ASQ membership


- Renew early (1 month early) to remain in good standing and be eligible for additional incentives and benefits


- In addition to your home section, join a minimum of 1 ASQ Division.  The more you join, the more communities and opportunities are available to you to pursue professional involvement


- Pursue, achieve, and sustain your status in a minimum of 2 renewable ASQ certifications


- Attend a major ASQ conference (i.e. WCQI, JTCC) at least once every three years to experience the high energy personal connections


- Get involved at the section, division, regional, and society levels as a volunteer, committee member, member-leader, competition judge, or other capacity.


- Support learning as an instructor, reviewer, exam proctor, or intellectual property author for the ASQ materials related to certification and Quality Body of Knowledge


- Subscribe, review, and produce publications and presentations.  This will not only enhance your stature, but may make you eligible for honoraria or royalties.


I did these very steps within the first five years, and consequently it has helped my ASQ long-term engagement.  From this foundation, I have been able to recover my investment in ASQ many times over, ten-fold would be very modest. 


Consider the alternate approach.
- Restricting to an Associate or Student Membership limits the benefits and opportunities
- Late or missed renewals affects continuity, and deprives the member of potential benefits
- Confining membership to 1 section or virtual removes networking opportunities
- Not attending a conference will limit the perception of ASQ to small-scale meetings with lower energy


Minimal involvement will produce minimal results.  You won't burn calories or build strength if you only visit the gym 6 times a year, and you won't develop professionally unless it becomes a priority and essential part of your schedule.


Involvement in ASQ is great, but only if it works.  My personal challenge is for each an every member to aspire to the following as a minimum:
- ASQ Senior Member (to get the ASQ journal benefit)
- Achievement of two or more renewable ASQ certifications (to get the synchronized recertification benefit)
- Affiliation with two or more ASQ Divisions (to expand opportunities for networking and involvement)


Fear Of Missing Out - You can overcome that fear with involvement, which is within your control.

MONOPOLY - Strategies and Lessons Learned

With the popularity of Donald Trump, for some reason I have been inclined to spend more of my time playing Monopoly.  I play online because it is the quickest, though I also enjoy live board games as well with real people


My general strategy is to acquire the less expensive properties and quickly build up houses.  I have learned that since there are only 32 houses available, my strategy is to try to consume these houses prior to having any of my opponents in a position to purchases houses on their own properties.


Once the houses are consumed, I then focus on acquiring the railroads and utilities.  If opponents are short of cash, they are often more willing to make trades.

Here is an example from a game where I had the 3 ideal color sets, railroads, and utilities, and consumed all of the available houses.

An alternate game shows the same strategy.  Because I had the blue color set first, I ended up having to place a hotel on a less expensive property to ensure that I had sufficient houses available.


I have contemplated this game and thought of some different phases which reflect the different stages of Monopoly competition.   This could be used to more clearly understand our own behaviors to particular situations.


1. Opening Optimism:
This is the initial phase where all players are keen to take their turns and make every purchase possible.  This is analogous to the initial burst of enthusiasm when starting a new venture.


2. Steady Gathering:
Through the next stage, all of the participants are relatively equal and gather their properties and assets in a way that will position their next step.  This methodical approach sets the foundation for future opportunities.  Long-term goals are critical.  In my personal case (with respect to Monopoly), because I target the less expensive properties, my opponents are more willing to make individual trades which appears to their short-term advantage, but enables the achievement of my ultimate objectives.


3. Risky Venturing:
If I am fortunate enough to get a color set, giving me a monopoly, I generally purchase houses that will provide more rental income.  To do this, I have to sacrifice cash, even mortgaging my other properties to enable this initiative.  This is risky because if my expenses or penalties exceed my current cash flow, I will have to sell my houses at a 50% loss.  If the properties return income, that will justify the short-term cash restrictions.


4. Prosperous Growth:
Once the properties are established, they become the foundation for future growth and ultimately the consumption and acquisition of my opponents' properties and assets.  In this phase, I am confident and anticipate every turn as a potential source of income, property acquisition, or advantage.


5. Futility and Defeat:
No strategy is foolproof.  Sometimes the opponents have good fortune and are able to build up their properties earlier.  In this stage, I am hesitant to take my turn, hopeful to avoid paying high rentals, and if I do land in jail, I will remain as the safety of jail is preferable to the risk of financial ruin.


6. Absurdity:
Sometimes the opponents will conspire and make unreasonable trades with each other to enable their success.  Paying 5X the property value will enrich one opponent at the expense of another outside of my control.  This happens in both automated and real-life Monopoly competition.  If someone wants to do this, it is not necessarily rational but then neither is life.


So this in Monopoly, and every player has their own strategy.  I would probably resemble the father of Donald Trump, Fred Trump who made his fortune with lower income housing in a less visible and prestigious part of New York City.  In contrast, Donald Trump was more flamboyant and would be the player who gravitated to Park Place and Boardwalk (or their international equivalents)


Now think about your attitude to work and life.  Do you charge out in the morning, chasing every opportunity?  Do you make risky ventures with the expectation of a great payoff.  Are you simply gathering your modest gains randomly, or are they targeted for a greater future opportunity?  Most importantly, are you hiding from life's challenges, or are you embracing and tackling those entities in your path.


The most important thing I have learned is to have a clear plan and work toward that plan.  Maybe it is not the best plan for everyone, but it works for me.  When I play online, I generally play against 3 opponents.  By random selection, I should only win 25% of the time, but by focusing and prioritizing on building properties in the range between Reading Railroad and Free Parking (squares 6-19 from Go), my success rate is between 65-70%, even when playing with top opponents.


Always be building up and improving.  Sometimes a calculated risk is necessary to get to a desired level.  In real-life terms, this may involve taking time away from work to focus on school, or leaving the predictable income levels of a full-time job to start a new business venture. 


Back to Donald Trump.  My impression is that he spent a lifetime preparing to be an overnight political success.  Consider how unlikely it is that a citizen who has never previously held nor been officially nominated for public office has challenged and surpassed opponents with far more extensive backgrounds in public service and elected office.  Whether or not he got elected, nobody can doubt that if presidential politics were a Monopoly board, Mr. Trump would be the one with the hotels and houses on his properties, anticipating a windfall every time someone landed on his square.

Student Strategy for ASQ - Emphasize Today's Benefits

There are a lot of efforts and initiatives to engage students into ASQ.  This is a very promising demographic, and the energy, vitality, and zeal for innovation exhibited by the students will enrich ASQ and make it a better organization.

In pursuing this group, we have to consider their needs, their capability to participate, and the benefits that will help them today for their professional advantages tomorrow.

How do the ASQ Advantages apply to students?

1. Training and certification:
Many of the training options and certifications are available for those at the starting point of the profession.  Having a credential like the CQIA (Certified Quality Improvement Associate) may appear elementary to the Black Belts and Quality Managers among us, but it can certainly distinguish a new professional from the pack.  The cost is modest, and the connection to other ASQ Certified professionals is valuable and enduring.

2. Interaction with active networks:
While others have to wait for the job ads to appear, and submit their resumes as part of a "cattle call" hiring process, students who are connected to an active ASQ network are tapped in and made aware of potential opportunities in the earliest stages.  Not only is there an early awareness of potential jobs or contract opportunities, quite often the hiring manager is also an ASQ member, permitting a solid interaction to occur.

3. Participation in projects to showcase skills:
Students will face the common dilemma: they can't get hired without work experience, and they can't get work experience until they are hired.  ASQ provides project opportunities, in a non-profit manner, to permit students to showcase their skills and work ethic.  If this helps ASQ and the immediate cluster of companies or organizations close to ASQ, then a reciprocal benefit could occur whereby the students can leverage that positive impression into a full-time role or contracting opportunity.

4. Comity and mobility:
In our global society, opportunities may arise outside of your immediate geographic location.  ASQ provides a connection across cities, states, provinces, and countries.  A Six Sigma Green Belt earned through ASQ's rigorous and stringent examination process will carry equal weight and validity wherever ASQ operates or has a visible presence.  This is an advantage for the student, who can get credentials through ASQ in rural Canada or India, and apply these certifications to demonstrate their qualifications for a role based in Texas or the United Kingdom.

5. Exposure to real-life examples of quality:
New graduates are often derided as having "theory".  ASQ recognizes the importance of academic achievement, and complements that with various forums from which a member can become acquainted with the successful application of quality practices, and the positive impacts on business outcomes and customer satisfaction.

This is not an exhaustive list, but simply the tip of the "ASQ Iceberg", as there are more benefits not mentioned above.  Of course, these benefits are dependent on the willingness of the ASQ Member Unit to engage and support student members.  As more people learn and understand the benefits, they can embrace and sustain not only student membership, but overall member retention.

I have a vested interest in the infusion of diverse cultures and age demographics.  Our ASQ composition should reflect the actual Quality workforce in heritage and attitude.  I want to experience and encounter the global potential and possibilities of our professional community, and that has to start with the way we attract and engage our members with the most vitality - the student communities.

Culture of Quality - Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action

In response to the excellent blog post in the View from the Q on Corporate Culture I am suggesting that the leaders in this situation apply the AIDA method, and strive to gain and promote Awareness, Interest, Decisions, and Actions within the organization.

The scenario appears to reflect deficiencies in all four areas, particularly the blockages between different levels and layers of the organization.

Awareness is critical.  Once different groups and stakeholders recognize the interdependencies of their actions, prerequisites and entry criteria can be properly established.  A consistent methodology can be deployed which complements and addresses all of the necessary functions.  If there are extraordinary circumstances (i.e. shortage of operating capital), then innovative solutions can be developed and applied to mitigate or eliminate the situations.

Interest is important.  For any constructive and sustained change to occur, it has to be presented in a way that captures and creates a genuine interest across all parties, who will see and experience the benefit of those changes.  While people should not have to be "sold" on diligence or compliance, the manner of achieving that diligence should be examined.  For example, an abusive and toxic culture may generate immediate improvements in the short term, but will contribute to absenteeism, attrition, and a loss of continuity and reputation in the long-term.  A better approach is effective employee engagement and empowerment.

Decisions are critical for correct improvements.  The case study makes reference to the fact that the line employees cannot get to senior management, who won't respond to emails nor be available for calls.  My personal opinion would be to inject the decision-makers into the "Gemba" or location of the actual work so that they can gain first-hand exposure to the situation, and make rapid decisions to authorize improvements or investments in improved quality and operations.

Actions define the next steps, and ultimately guide the development of the corporate culture.  For example, if an employee is terminated for refusing to ship a deficient product, that will send the message that delivery schedules override quality standards, and deficiencies should be concealed.  If on the other hand, the company commends the employee and takes the necessary actions to resolve the quality problems, that will send encouraging motivation for others to advocate quality and integrity.

There are no immediate solutions.  Improvements are incremental and must be reinforced with each shipment or issue managed and resolved.  Transparency and visibility are critical to accurate and precise solutions.  Expectations must be managed, and one option is for the company to pull back from business opportunities until they can be properly served and fulfilled.  It is better for an organization to build a stellar reputation by doing a few solutions or deliverables at a high standard, than by stretching too thin to be all things to all customers.

Culture: Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action.  Without these elements, the culture will not change for the better.

Corporate Culture - Sunny Days vs. 11th Hour Critical Path

I was very impressed and delighted with the recent View from the Q post regarding Corporate Culture.

The analysis was relevant and I don't disagree with the diagnosis or conclusions.  The citation of Deming is always compelling, as his work is the foundation of a large portion of our profession.

In fact, I would like to approach this from two perspectives:
- emotional integrity
- sustainment of principles in difficult circumstances

If a leader of an organization is analogous to the parent of a family, then the mentality of that leader (maybe they were the founder or are currently the proprietors or primary investors) would match that of the parent.  When it comes to families, relationships and dynamics can be emotional and complicated.

If a well-intentioned individual volunteered their unsolicited parenting advice, this would be met with guarded reluctance by the parent.  Even in distressed circumstances, the emotions of the parent would be very defensive and at times irrational.  In the same way that a parent's identity is reflected in their children, the identity of the organization reflects personally on the senior executives.  Comments about deficient quality would be received as a personal attack.

When such information is shared or disclosed, communications should be sensitive and respectful, and objective as defined by actual events relative to expectations.  Quality practitioners need to be empathetic and apply their emotional intelligence to their solutions and outcomes.

The second perspective is to consider the company culture when difficult circumstances arise.  It is easy to advocate and promote enlightened practices during times of prosperity, when financial targets are being met and exceeded.

It is an entirely different matter when the company is experiencing losses, late deliveries, controversies, and antagonistic stakeholders.  The temptations are high to exert a command and control mentality where bad outcomes are suppressed and problems are deflected.  In this environment, the culture shifts to toxic and hostile work environments where quality is seen as an obstacle to rapid delivery.  These business models may have dramatic short-term improvements but history has shown that these results are impossible to sustain, largely because integrity is lacking.

Culture is defined by principles and dominated by the virtues and vices held by the senior leadership.  A company that praises and rewards employees for working during their personal time sends the message that a work-life balance is not a desired attribute.  The managers who abuse their staff to deliver on time are seen as leaders who can "kick asses" and make things happen.

Conversely when companies remain true to their principles and virtues even at great cost, this will resonate over time.  Two examples from the 1970s are still frequently mentioned.
- The automakers were aware of safety hazards of their respective models (GM - Corvair, Ford - Pinto), and deliberately chose to disregard this information, put the vehicles to market, and caused death and injury as a result of their hazardous products with known design flaws.
- Johnson and Johnson, in response to a packaging tampering issue, recalled their existing inventory and unilaterally, without regulatory requirement, took on the additional expense and commitment to design safer packaging that would protect against or reveal improper handling and tampering.

Culture may be defined in times of tranquility (sunny days), but how the company responds at the 11th hour, in the face of potentially conflicting priorities, will determine precedent for future decisions.  A culture that rewards proper behavior will entrench it, but when this is steamrolled in favor of urgent and questionable actions, the the culture will never recover.

Proposal for 2016 - Regional Interest Groups for Region 4 (ASQ Canada)

I have been reviewing the ASQ material and have discovered that the ASQ Regions have the capability to form interest groups.

I have also recognized that, after having reviewed multiple business plans for ASQ sections, there is a need for additional collaboration across geographic locations for specific themes.  I am contemplating the creation of the following Regional Interest Group committees in 2016:

1.       Mentorship:  This would be used to capture and track work done by ASQ members who mentor other professionals.  The committee would encourage this practice, promote a particular regimen or protocol, and provide a forum for updates and success stories.

2.       Innovation and Best Practices:  This would create a forum to support sections with their PAR Innovation applications, and propagate the great ideas that resulted from the Best Practices and Increase Impact committee work in 2015 .  This could also tie into the Innovation Division and the ASQ Innovation Library.  This also can be a forum to promote the efforts to bring sections up to required minimum levels of good standing.

3.       Collaborations and Partnerships:  This would be a forum to engage the liaisons of the TCC groups (ASQ Divisions, Technical Committees), particularly those individuals who are the Region 4 representatives.  Also if we want to do anything like a Region-wide conference or a third-party collaboration, these ideas can be shared in this forum.

4.       Communication:  It is in our best interest to stop operating our respective sections as 16 silos and synch up our respective schedules and communications.  This applies to print, web, and social media.  I also want to rein in the rogue communication (examples to follow in a separate email) and ensure that any message from ASQ comes from a sanctioned and legitimate member leader, and abides by the appropriate ASQ protocols and standards.

My approach will be to communicate these Regional Interest Groups and elicit participants.  I will take initial accountability for convening and scheduling calls (I expect one call per quarter to start), and depending on the level of interest, will assign a committee chair to a qualified and motivated individual. As Regional Director, I will manage the roster of participants, and endorse their participation as requested for ASQ Recertification and ASQ Fellow applications.

These are meant to support and enhance the Section Leadership Teams, and enhance the overall section and member experience.  The purpose of these committees is to formalize and track the valuable exchange of ideas and practices that already exists, but is not currently captured or credited for individual contributions at the regional level.  Recommendations made by these committees can be submitted to the Section Leadership Teams for their advisement, consideration, and approval.

As I mentioned, this is a proposal, and I am open to making adjustments and modifications.  My intent is to communicate this to the membership in December, invite participation, and form the committees in early 2016.  I welcome your comments and suggestions, and look forward to your collaboration and support. 

Ad-hoc participation on a committee can be credited toward Recertification Units (RU) (0.9 per year) 

Participation in an Interest Group Committee at the Regional Level is recognized with 5 points for ASQ Activities.  

 

What Would Eisenhower Think Of 2015?

Although I am Canadian, I have familiarized myself with some of the more interesting aspects of American history and its most prominent figures.  I particularly enjoyed reading the biography of the illustrious President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1960, the Republican candidate for U.S. President was Richard M. Nixon, a young but distinguished legislator in the U.S. Congress and Senate, who had served two full terms as the Vice-President of the United States under President Eisenhower.  When asked for an endorsement and to attest to any examples of Nixon's independent ideas that were adopted into law or policy, Eisenhower had a famous response that resonates with contempt and dismissal.

"If you give me a week, I might think of one.  I don't remember"

Eisenhower, who himself had been a protege of such eminent generals as Pershing, MacArthur, and Marshall, would have been fully aware of the power that a mentor has to vouch and confirm the attributes of his Republican successor.  This non-endorsement was very damaging and may have contributed to the 1960 defeat as President, and subsequent 1962 defeat as Governor of California.

55 years later, that same Republican party is in the process of selecting its current presidential candidate.  However as political campaigning is now a multi-billion dollar industry of event planning, communications, and lobbying, the attributes of the prospective candidates are much different.  Because of the constant television and internet coverage, the entertainment value of the prospective candidates is assessed as a priority.

Consider the current front runners; a celebrity businessman, a prominent past Fortune 500 CEO, a distinguished neurosurgeon, and a collection of past and present governors and senators.  The presidency is the senior executive officer of the public sector, operating as the head of not only the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, but also the military Commander In Chief.

As the candidate is the standard bearer for the Republican Party, it is the responsibility of the party to properly qualify its candidates.  Using simple diagnostic questions, the party should be able to quickly refine its pool of candidates to those with a reasonable background.

Describe and elaborate upon your most successful accomplishments:

• As an executive officer in the public sector (i.e. governor, cabinet secretary, military leader)
• As a legislator in a national body (senate, congress)
• As a policymaker or regulator
• Building consensus among those with differing positions to accomplish a new law, regulation, or government initiative
• As a leader or influencer with respect to justice and/or law enforcement
• In specific areas of federal government oversight (i.e. health and human services, foreign policy, trade and commerce, environment, energy, agriculture, etc.)
• Of a personal or professional nature in the private or academic sector

By this list, the attributes of candidates like Trump, Fiorina, and Carson would only be considered after those with direct public sector experience had been fully exhausted.  An experienced figure like Eisenhower would immediately identify and call out the relative weaknesses of candidates in both parties, in terms far more harsh than he used for Nixon.

What does this have to do with Quality?  In order to have the best leader, there should be a vetting process to attract and select the best practitioners, while eliminating those who are not qualified nor capable of serving in high public office.

Aside from the aforementioned President Nixon, the political parties in the US are hesitant to recycle prior presidential candidates who were unsuccessful in their initial attempts.  Qualified and proven leaders like Al Gore, John Kerry, Joe Biden, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, who have executive experience, are not running for the 2016 presidency, despite their qualifications and positive national profile.  Elder statesmen like Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Walter Mondale, and Dick Cheney no longer have youth and vitality on their side, but are technically still qualified to serve as President.

If politics is now entertainment, then the natural progression is to select the candidates who appear most frequently on the gossip tabloids for their unsavory lifestyles and rumors.  One wonders how Eisenhower, a decent and principled patriot, would evaluate this cadre of presidential candidates.  Ultimately he would look past their demographic makeup and base his assessment on their actual performance.  It is no coincidence that quality gurus like Deming and Juran arose from the Eisenhower era, as their emphasis on facts and data reflected the "show me" mentality of midwestern USA.

Inspiration and the ability to incite passion and devotion are certainly admirable campaign credentials, but governance is based on experience and past performance.  I have read a few books by Bob Woodward and through his writings, have personally formed my own opinion of the most impressive public servant over the last 15 years, who would undoubtedly rise to the challenges of being Commander In Chief more effectively than any civilian or politician.  Unfortunately this individual is not a political candidate, and should he decide to enter, he would undoubtedly restore the ethic and prestige of the office not seen since the Eisenhower era.

What Exactly is ASQ Canada?

Nov. 11, 2015 is a time of celebration, reflection, and honoring our nations and cultures.  Whether you observe Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, Veterans Day, or Diwali, this is a day where a moment should be taken from your daily routines for contemplation and renewal.
As I contemplate the traditions and possibilities within my own country, Canada, I thought that it would be appropriate to take a moment to clarify exactly what is meant by ASQ Canada.  During my short time as a Regional Director of Region 4, I have observed some confusing and conflicting impressions and communications.

The source of information about ASQ is naturally the ASQ website at www.asq.org.  I have identified some very important references which I will share.


1. ASQ Timeline

The ASQ Timeline provides an interesting diverse history of ASQ, following its progress into the global professional organization into which it has currently evolved.  In 2004, there was an official recognition of the ASQ Region 4 to be classified as ASQ Canada.

ASQ’s board of directors voted to change the name of Region 4, which represented all 15 Canadian Sections, to ASQ Canada.

This is reinforced by the official description of ASQ Canada in a subsequent page.


2. Canada - Global Community

This is a dedicated page that summarizes ASQ as a professional organization for Canadians in Quality, and provides a link to the ASQ Sections in Canada and their chairs.

Canada

ASQ is the professional association of choice for quality professionals in Canada.

ASQ Canada is a community of 16 Canadian Sections from across the country. It includes nearly 5,000 members who bring quality to their work and their lives. ASQ Canada advances quality in all sectors through local workshops, inspirational presentations, plant tours, and monthly networking events.

Find the Right Work Force
Post your job opportunity and reach quality professionals in Canada.

Just to clarify, although the sections are located in Canadian cities and provinces, membership is available to citizens and residents of USA or international countries.  Mobility of membership and proximity to customers and business operations may create an advantage to joining a Canadian section.


3. ASQ Community Development

I am delighted to work with the ASQ Community Development team.  This exceptional team of ASQ staff members is based in the Canadian-adjacent state of Wisconsin, in the warm and welcoming city of Milwaukee. There are dedicated employees who support the teams of volunteers and member leaders in Canada with administrative, communications, and professional assistance.  For this reason, ASQ does not have a distinct office in Canada itself, nor should one be required when we are a toll-free call (1-800-248-1946) from receiving exceptional Customer Care from ASQ.

While ASQ Sections may have mailing addresses and business operations in Canadian cities, there are no full-time staff members permanently located in Canada.  All society-related communications and publicity is managed from the ASQ head office in Milwaukee, WI, USA.


4. Organization of ASQ Canada

As mentioned above, ASQ Canada refers to the geographic segmentation of ASQ into manageable units.  The link redirects the user to the ASQ Organization Manual which communicates the leadership from the top levels of ASQ to its constituent member units.

- Executive Council
- Board of Directors
- Section Affairs Council (Which includes Region 4 a.k.a ASQ Canada)
- Regional Director/ Deputy Regional Directors (as appointed by RD)
- Section Chairs
- Section Leadership team

With respect to Divisions, there is a Technical Communities Council which governs the various ASQ Divisions, Interest Groups, and Technical Committees. There are also committees, interest groups, and certification teams shown in the ASQ Leadership Manual.

It's very simple and straightforward.  The Section Chair of an ASQ Section is the ASQ Canada leader for that geography, and should be treated as such.  As the current Regional Director, I serve as a liaison between the ASQ Sections and the Section Affairs Council (think of it as a parliamentary body), and in turn work with the Sections to ensure that required levels of vitality, activity, and compliance are met.

The ASQ has other Technical Communities with regional or international councilors.  These individuals are certainly welcome to work with the section at the local level, or the RD or DRD across Canada.  However with respect to ASQ Canada as a regional entity, there are no officers or official roles beyond the elected Regional Director or the appointed Deputy Regional Directors.  To claim otherwise is in violation of ASQ Bylaws (2.3.6) by which Members shall not claim to represent the Society in any unauthorized manner.


5. ASQ Canada summarized from membership upwards

- ASQ has different types of members, ranging from Organizational to Student, Associate, Full, Senior, Fellow, and Honorary members.
- ASQ Members in Canada generally belong to one of the ASQ Sections, primarily assigned by geographic proximity.  This can be amended at the request of the ASQ member.
- ASQ Sections in Canada comprise Region 4, which in 2004 was approved by the ASQ Board of Directors to refer to itself as ASQ Canada
- ASQ Canada is part of the portfolio of ASQ regions, and is represented by a Regional Director (as a voting member of ASQ Section Affairs Council) and Deputy Regional Directors (non-voting members of ASQ Section Affairs Council)
- ASQ Section Affairs (SAC) reports up to the ASQ Board of Directors, which is led by the ASQ Executive Council.

These are the legitimate positions within ASQ Canada, as documented within the current ASQ references and policies.  If there are any questions or clarifications required, please contact ASQ Customer Care at 1-800-248-1946.

Be A Quality Ambassador - Do's and Don'ts

Another World Quality Month is upon us and as members of ASQ and the Quality Profession, we have an opportunity to project the importance of quality.  For example, ASQ members will be again provided with the opportunity to extend the Voice of Quality with a complimentary 6 month membership to be provided to a friend, colleague, family member, or worthy recipient.

In this context, we all have an opportunity to function as Ambassadors of Quality.  Using a sports analogy, this is similar to the effective and successful engagement of sports teams to make their fans feel that they are part of the team's success.  In this context

WE ARE ALL QUALITY AMBASSADORS!!!

This is a tremendous privilege, but also bears responsibility.  In an effort to effectively harness the enthusiasm and channel all efforts to realize the best outcomes, without disrupting or undermining the progress made to date, I am proposing a simple guideline of DO's and DON'Ts for this type of initiative.  As a consequence of World Quality Month, we all want our ASQ to be stronger, more robust, more diverse, and more sustainable in order to enable those who follow us to have the same opportunities that we have.

DO: Do advocate quality and ASQ when interacting within your employers, customers, acquaintances, and communities.  Conduct and project yourself in a way that represents your profession and affiliation in a positive and inspiring manner.

DON'T:  Don't purport to speak on behalf of an official ASQ Body (i.e. ASQ Board of Directors) or Member Unit (i.e. Section, Division) without first securing permission from the current presiding officers of that group.   Doing so will create confusion and be detrimental when that legitimate ASQ body or group communicates their own message.  For clarification, please refer to the official ASQ Leadership roster at this location.

DO: Do demonstrate the honor and stature that comes from being a respected professional.  Display with pride your hard-earned and well-deserved legitimate credentials, ASQ certifications, and recognitions.

DON'T: Don't create misleading impressions by unilaterally enhancing your credentials with extended descriptions (i.e. referring to yourself as a Master Black Belt when you only have a Six Sigma Green Belt) fabricated titles or appointments.  Instead, be authentic and aspire to gain your stature through legitimate means and actions.

DO: Do engage and interact with other professional societies and organizations.  I especially encourage  interaction with your alumni association from your university or college.

DON'T: Don't mislead or falsify your level of authority within ASQ to attempt to further your own personal interests or acquire gifts or free admission to events.  This might create the expectation of reciprocation by ASQ.  If there are any commercial interactions, the best approach is to clarify the relationship or arrangements with a official Memorandum of Understanding between ASQ and the external organization.

DO: Do express personal opinions and positions which advocate for the good of quality and society at large.  We all support quality and social responsibility, and the world will be a better place for having more voices support altruistic endeavors.

DON'T:  Don't invoke the brand equity and reputation of ASQ to purport endorsement of a particular political figure or movement.  In one case, I had to intervene when a random individual took it upon himself to express the "wholehearted support" by ASQ of a Conservative political figure during a federal election year.

DO: Do follow ASQ's bylaws, policies, and guidelines for publicity and social media.  If you are not familiar with these, I suggest you consult ASQ directly at 1-800-248-1946 to speak to a knowledgeable ASQ resource first-hand.

DON'T: Don't mock up or fraudulently make unauthorized revisions to ASQ templates (i.e. by inserting your personal home address as the official press contact - yes that really happened!).  Again it is misleading and confusing when the public at large is provided with multiple points of contact (both legitimate and illegitimate).

DO: Do interact respectfully and politely with ASQ Staff and Member-leaders.  ASQ is here to assist and support the quality profession, and wants all members to effectively success individually and promote quality globally.

DON'T: Don't interpret your role as an ASQ member and patron of ASQ's products and services as a license to berate and abuse employees and member-leaders.  No ASQ Staff member should have to endure antagonistic and emotional ramblings or overt threats made by a disgruntled character who in their confused state takes on a most indefensible opinion or position, particularly if it is easily refuted with verifiable facts and actual events.

The opportunity to create and sustain the Magic of Quality throughout our organizations and communities is a privilege which demands from all of us the correct and appropriate approach.  I hope by communicating this, I will have provided some necessary guidance to get the most from this opportunity, with the fewest problems.