the human element

THE ELEMENT THEHUMAN HUMAN ELEMENT Published by the Human Development and Leadership Division of ASQ

SUMMER 2018 | VOLUME 11, ISSUE 2

Special Interest Articles Letter from the Chair That’s not what I meant…! Webinar Announcements Highlights Letter from the Chair ...............1 IN SEARH OF EXCELLENCE. Between 5-4=3 to 5,4,3,2,1. ...2 That’s not what I meant…! .....3 Webinar Announcements .......5 Promoting a Culture of Accountability ...........................6 In my view… Personal Perspectives to stimulate thinking, change, and even controversy…A Lesson From George Washington ................8

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Letter from the Chair We had a wonderful turnout for WCQI in Seattle, with 10 members of the leadership team. In our business meeting we recognized two members of the team for exceptional service. Stephanie Gaulding received the MVP award for knowing everything, doing everything, and doing it quickly. She is amazing in her ability to accomplish things. One small portion of her work is the creation of our website. She is currently Chair-Elect of the division. The True Grit award went to Lukas Cap. Lukas lives in Ireland and yet makes virtually all our meetings, regardless of the time. He reliably produces a newsletter every quarter, something that is not been done before. We changed from our routine of holding a division breakfast to a happy hour which we held in a suite and the Sheraton Hotel. It was very successful and seems to be a much better setting for networking than our breakfast. I expect to continue with the happy hour.

Meanwhile we are busily developing content. Charlie Barton has a massive primer writing project going. Topic list is as follows: Quality and Future Challenges, Quality Culture Management, ISO 9001:2015 Department Operating Model (DoM), Conflict Management, Leadership in the Global Economy, Mentoring Our Future Leaders, Ego & Role: Preventing Conflicts at work, Coaching for Excellence, Mentoring and Growing Leaders, Tying Quality with Communication for Operational Excellence, Executive Coaching Through Positive Psychology Approaches, Accountability for Leaders, Engagement and Performance Management Really and truly she says she has a volunteer for each topic.

Brooks Carder, PhD Chair, HD&L [email protected]

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP DIVISION

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

IN SEARH OF EXCELLENCE. Between 54=3 to 5,4,3,2,1. By Jesús Gilberto Concepcion G., PhD., PE HD&L Global Engagement Chair and Emeritus Profesor UNPHU

In May this year, I attended the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Seattle. One of the speakers, Mel Robbins captivated the audience with her 5-Second Rule that she discovered. Just by thinking of the 5,4,3,2,1, sequence you can transform your life. After her speech, I had a conversation with her and asked if she is familiar with 5-4=3. She told me the she wasn’t. I responded; it is more than three thousand years old. It is Pythagoras’s theorem, I use it for similar reasons as Mel, and I have published articles on this matter. That is cool she responded. We exchange books and took photos together. What we happened next is why I wrote this article. She told me in the conference that this concept is like a brain catalyst. Through brain image techniques it has been observed, that the amygdala sparks and the brain energy travels to the frontal part of the brain. That is cool, how can I prove it? All my life, I have understood that in order to increase the potential of success, your ideas must have a scientific approach. In 1994 we wrote on C²= 9, and in 1996, 5-4=3. We have been telling children to learn to count backwards and adults to use 5-4=3 as a catalyst for memory recovery. Is there a similarity with the 5 seconds rule? We have an Emotive Insight Electroencephalograph that can measure the behavior of six characteristics; focus, engagement, relaxation, interest, stress and excitement. We ran the experiments in Relaxation mode with eyes open and closed, counting 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and 5-4=3 for 5 minutes each. We have just finished another study that demonstrated the behaviors that are related to our four model intelligence system SED© were APSC refers to Analytical, Practical, Social and Creative Intelligences. In table 1, we present the results of the EEG.

Table 1. Values of the behaviors in percent measured by Emotive Insight intelligences Behavior Relaxation Relaxation 5,4,3,2,1 5-4=3 Eyes Eyes Open Closed A+C Focus 27 36 41 42 A+P Engagement 21 27 53 51 P+S Relaxation 15 20 33 37 S+C Interest 41 47 52 57 A+S Stress 27 31 34 39 P+C Excitement 29 52 60 55

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THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN SEARH OF EXCELLENCE. Between 5-4=3 to 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.continued During the relaxation experiments, there are some differences in the values obtained. A few of them by more than five per cent. With the sequenced numbers, the values are uniform and they look similar to the relaxation experiment with eyes open. These sequences serve as a relaxation state in the brain energy model and tune it as a management catalyst, which is one of the first things that need to be done in order to reach success and excellence. Mel is right to say that the 5-second rule works. However, it seems it may work for other number sequences as long as they follow a mathematical rule. It is a whole brain concept rather than a focalized process. References Concepción, J.G., Mota, M., Ortega, F.M., (2018), SED©, Un modelo cuantitativo para entender los espacios en la neuro arquitectura, XIV International Science Congress of Dominican Republic. Concepcion, J.G., (1996), 5-4=3, Buscando la Trilogia, Listin Diario, Opinion, January 27. Concepcion, J.G., (1994), C²=9, Un modelo dominicano para la calidad, la calidad total y la reingeniería, Listín Diario, Revista Económica, October 2-15 Robbins, M., (2017), The 5 Second Rule, Savio Republic.

That’s not what I meant…! By Charlie Barton, PhD, HD&L Editor and BOK Chair

Most English speakers are familiar with the child’s game called Telephone. The game goes by other names as well. To recap, a line of people gathers. The first person in the line whispers a message into the ear of the second person. This message is passed down the line. The last person in line repeats the message aloud. Usually, the last message is very different from the message sent by the first person. Do you think that if people used active listening and parroting (repeating the message word-for-word), not paraphrasing, the message would have been unchanged and the last person in the line would be able to understand what the first person meant in their message? To communicate clearly, we are often told to practice active listening. Now, don’t get me wrong, active listening IS a key communication skill. You and the other person agree that, “Yes! That is what I want you to do.” You see, it is possible to perfectly parrot back what you heard and still not deliver what they want. How frustrated are you when you come back after having done your very best and get told, “that’s not what I wanted you to do”? It is almost like a riddle game. A game, that you often feel, that you cannot win. Wait! It does get worse. What happened to you and the person who told you to do something is happening all through the organization. Whether the directive begins at the board level, the C-suite level, senior management, middle management, or line supervisors, it is a pretty good bet that the outcome will not match the vision. Sometimes trying to do what you are told feels like a bait and switch. Why does this happen? Here is why: people use their experiences to make sense of what they are asked to do or when they ask someone to do something (Weber, Thomas, & Stephens, 2015). 3


THE HUMAN ELEMENT That’s not what I meant…! continued Perhaps one of the most famous events of “that’s not what I meant” is attributed to Henry II of England. Reputedly, Henry said, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” after an argument with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Like good followers, four knights took Henry at his word and killed Thomas Becket. Likely, they expected to be richly rewarded by their king. Historians tell us that these four knights were exiled, not rewarded. Are you starting to get a glimmer about why it is important that everyone has precisely the same definition for a word or phrase (Johansen, 2012)? We are also busy. We speak in shorthand relying on shared experiences to get our message across. You see the meanings that we give words are tied to our experiences and what we know. While we can often reach over and pick up a dictionary, we don’t. Don’t despair. Here are a few tips to help reduce those instances of either saying or being told, “that’s not what I meant.” • Name the characteristics of a successful outcome. For example: don’t use better, say that you want customer complaints about blemishes to be reduced by 20% from the value of January 31. Now you are both on the same page. • Use paraphrasing to identify word or phrase meanings. For example, what is the meaning of the word quality? Be specific. Are we saying that the QA tech is not breathing down your neck or are warranty returns within an acceptable budget value? • Resist the urge to cut corners when speaking to someone by assuming that “everyone knows what that means” because it’s not true. We all bring different word meanings, experiences, and beliefs to a conversation (Weick, 1995). • Watch for vocabulary shifts or politically correct word choices. • Be aware of the emotions tied to word choices. No amount of tagging a failed product run as “an opportunity for improvement” is going to make you feel happy. If you are asked to innovate, but not allowed to take risks, is it any wonder that you feel pulled in opposing directions? In summary, here’s what I mean: • Active listening is a great tool; it should not be the only tool in your communication box. • Use clear specific shared word meanings to describe desired outcomes. • Assume that there is always the opportunity for misunderstanding. • If it seems to be taking too long to describe what you want to happen or to achieve, consider the cost of doing it all over again when the activity or project is completed and “that’s not what I meant.” References Johansen, T. S. (2012). The narrated organization: Implications of a narrative corporate identity vocabulary for strategic self-storying. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2012.664222 Weber, M. S., Thomas, G. F., & Stephens, K. J. (2015). Organizational disruptions and triggers for divergent sensemaking. International Journal of Business Communication, 52(1), 68–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/2329488414560281 Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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THE HUMAN ELEMENT

Webinar Announcements ASQ HD&L are pleased to be announcing the dates and times for our webinars taking place in June and July. To find out more and sign up for our upcoming webinars go to http://www.asqhdandl.org/education--events.html

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THE HUMAN ELEMENT

Promoting a Culture of Accountability By: Kiran Mann HD&L Webinar Vice Chair

Imagine a company where quality is top-notch, customers have a consistent brand experience, and employees are engaged and feel empowered to do the right thing. Additionally, profitability is high and risk management costs are low. Does this sound too good to be true? It is not. This vision can be your reality if, and only if, you promote a culture of accountability. How can you do that? Here are 6 pieces of advice. 1. Ensure ownership. Micromanagement kills ownership. The more you are “in the weeds” with your employee the less likely they will develop autonomy or a sense of responsibility for their work. Learn to step back and give room for employees to own their decisions and outcomes. 2. Build trust. Similar to above, self-management is important. Create a flexible culture where employees can manage their time. The flexibility will turn into a feeling of empowerment as employees feel that they are in control of the ship.

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THE HUMAN ELEMENT Promoting a Culture of Accountability continued 3. Clearly define the mission and turn strategy into specific objectives. You cannot hold employees accountable if they do not understand what you are holding them accountable for and why it matters. The more they understand the more they can make informed decisions that support strategic initiatives. 4. Embrace feedback. Encourage employees to be open and share their successes and failures. Encouraging feedback engages employees and empowers them to have a voice and be invested in the outcome. Feedback can also help uncover any performance gaps or challenges that could interrupt business. To be effective feedback needs to be consistent and inclusive. If not, you are prone to bias and will lack awareness to challenges that impact productivity. Ignorance is not bliss. 5. Encourage mentor-ship. Employees are not all equal. Mentor-ship is a low-cost investment that can help employees learn best practices and expectations by fostering relationships between high performing team members and those that are new or are facing challenges. Mentor-ship is also a great way to share and retain the information that can be lost as a result of turnover. 6. Model the behavior you want to see. If leaders are not walking the talk but expecting others to, disengagement is created, and employees will not trust you and are less likely to hold themselves accountable. If you want the most out of your employees, lead by example.

Editor’s note: Photo Courtesy: Crestcom International

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THE HUMAN ELEMENT Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission from Journal for Quality and Participation © 2018 ASQ, www.asq.org No further distribution allowed without permission.

In my view… Personal Perspectives to stimulate thinking, change, and even controversy… A Lesson From George Washington Brooks Carder The past experiences of successful historical figures still can apply today—particularly those associated with human nature.

W. Edwards Deming frequently stated that an ultimate College. I worked in an automotive assembly plant in aim of quality was to create joy in the workplace.1 We the Kansas City area. My father had been an executive should remind ourselves of that aim on a regular basis. there, and considering what I had heard from him I fully I recently discovered a document that both surprised expected to see a collection of lazy workers who me and warmed my heart. A German executive with needed strict controls to perform at all. In fact, I whom I had struck up a long conversation at a recent experienced nothing to support that perspective. conference gave it to me. The letter detailed Instead, I saw a group of workers who were very “instructions for captains” from Baron Friedrich von discouraged about the terrible quality of the cars they Steuben, a former Prussian officer who brought were producing. discipline approaches and training to George The gulf between management and hourly workers Washington’s army at the height of the Revolutionary was vast. Although supervisors in white shirts War. He ultimately became Washington’s Chief of frequently rode by in golf carts, none ever spoke to me Staff. The letter, which is quoted below, appears to during my tenure. It took about two weeks on the job have been written at the request of Washington. It for me to dislike management! indicated to me that von Steuben was aware of the The hostility toward management clearly was reflected value of joy in the workplace. “A captain cannot be too in the workers’ performance and ultimately in the careful of the company the state has committed to his quality of the vehicles. It would have been very unlikely charge. He must pay the greatest attention to the for a worker to suggest something that would improve health of his men, their discipline, arms, the process. It would be assumed, almost certainly accouterments, ammunition, clothes, and necessaries. correctly, that management would not listen. Beyond His first object should be, to gain the love of his men that, however, from time to time workers actually would by treating them with every possible kindness and damage the vehicles. One day that I remember vividly, humanity, inquiring into their complaints, and when every fourth or fifth car arrived in my position with the well founded, seeing them redressed. He should know shattered glass of the windshield lying inside the car. every man of his company by name and character. He Later I worked in final repair, where completed vehicles should often visit those who are sick, speak tenderly to were inspected and defects (hopefully) corrected. them, see that the public provision, whether of Many vehicles arrived with dents, which certainly did medicine or diet, is duly administered, and procure not happen without assistance from the workers. The them besides such comforts and conveniences as are fact that the automotive company was able to turn this in his power. The attachment that arises from this kind around under Deming’s tutelage indicates that hostility of attention to the sick and wounded, is almost toward management is not a fundamental inconceivable; it will moreover be the means of characteristic of workers. preserving the lives of many valuable men.”2If this In later years, I learned that this automaker’s letter marks a high point in our philosophy of how to philosophy apparently was derived from the work of treat subordinates, I personally experienced a low Frederick Taylor. His 1911 book, Principles of point in the summer of 1960 between high school and 8 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP DIVISION

THE HUMAN ELEMENT In my view… Personal Perspectives to stimulate thinking, change, and even controversy… A Lesson From George Washington continued Scientific Management,3 was perhaps the most innate intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, dignity. They influential management book of the 20th century. build into him fear, self-defense, extrinsic motivation. During his involvement with manufacturing plants, We must preserve the power of intrinsic motivation, Taylor perceived that the employees were working dignity, cooperation, curiosity, joy in learning.”6 much more slowly than necessary. Rather than The auto manufacturer was ultimately a beneficiary of attempt to find out why, he developed methods of Deming’s philosophy. The company’s director of asserting control over the workers. His crowning quality at the time of Deming’s work told me the thing achievement was to establish piece rate as the most that gave him the most pride, relating to Deming’s efficient compensation structure. This quote represents transformation of the company, was seeing senior a low point in the philosophy of how to treat executives and hourly workers sitting side by side in a subordinates, establishing a fundamental distrust class, clearly demonstrating respect. between labor and management, “… hardly a The company’s chairman said in his book that the one competent workman can be found in a large thing a plant manager could be fired for was a failure to establishment, whether he works by the day or on know his/her employees.7 The chairman would tour piece work, contract work, or under any of the ordinary plants with the managers and carefully evaluate the systems, who does not devote a considerable part of relationships that existed. his time to studying just how slow he can work and still Although I am sure there have been ups and downs, convince his employer that he is going at a good Washington’s philosophy appears to have survived in pace.” the U.S. Army. In his book about the transformation of If workers did not have bad motives, however, why the army after Vietnam, James Kitfield tells a story would they attempt to slow down work? One answer about Lt. Col. Jack Galvin (eventually a four-star should have been obvious to Taylor. The work that he general). Toward the end of the war, Galvin was observed was incredibly dangerous. ordered by his commander to launch an attack on a Although statistics are difficult to gather for that time, I well-fortified enemy position. found a report from the Bureau of Labor Galvin knew that his men would take heavy losses for Statistics indicating that the fatality rate of workers in an objective of little value. Consequently, he refused the iron and steel industry in 1907 was approximately the order, knowing that it was a courtmartial offence. 2.2 per 100 workers per year.4 Under such hazardous His commander did not press for court-martial, but he conditions, workers were most likely to slow down and did insert the following paragraph into Galvin’s fitness use caution in hopes of surviving. report: “Lt. Col. Driving up the pace of work certainly would have Galvin puts consideration for his men before that of the increased the danger. There was no Occupational mission,” which was intended to be a rebuke. Safety and Health Administration, and the unions were According to Kitfield, Galvin was more proud of that weak. There was nothing to protect the worker other fitness report than of the Distinguished Service than his own ingenuity. Cross, the Silver Star, or any other medals and Management’s belief that workers are not motivated to campaign ribbons he brought back from Vietnam. do a good job becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Why The fact that Galvin ended his career with four stars should workers be treated with respect? If workers are indicates that the value of taking care of military troops not treated with respect, why should they go out of is still present.8 their way to help the company? My personal experience is that the Army is on the right In fact, disrespect is so corrosive that it has been found track. In the late 1990s, I had the opportunity to visit as a leading factor in violent crimes, including the Army’s National Training Center at Fort homicides.5 With this automotive maker’s workers, the Irwin, where I observed Col. H.R. McMaster (now a violent crime was taken out on the vehicles. Although I four-star general and national security advisor) in do not condone this practice, it is predictable. action. He clearly respected and was admired by his Disrespect is an inevitable result of Taylor’s men. Although there may have been many changes in philosophy. Deming, of course, was more like the Army between the Revolutionary War and the Washington. He noted, “The present style of reward … present era, it brought joy to me to see the relationship Squeeze out from an individual over his lifetime his 9 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEADERSHIP DIVISION

THE HUMAN ELEMENT In my view… Personal Perspectives to stimulate thinking, change, and even controversy… A Lesson From George Washington continued McMaster had with the troops. There was joy in that workplace. Today’s managers need to decide which of these models they will follow. Not surprisingly, I prefer Washington’s way. I believe that bringing joy for others into the workplace will generate positive results for managers and the entire organization.

Brooks Carder is a leader in applying the disciplines of quality to the improvement of safety performance. His work focuses on the use of scientific assessment to enable the design and implementation of successful improvement programs. Carder’s consulting References work has involved leading manufacturing improvement 1. W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics for teams in Silicon Valley, developing safety improvement Industry, Government, Education, 2nd ed., MIT Press, plans for major manufacturing companies, and creating 2000, p. 123. marketing strategies for pharmaceutical 2. Bergen County Historical Society, “Friedrich Wilhelm manufacturers. He continues to do some consulting Von Steuben,” http://www.bergencountyhistory.org/ work and currently serves as chair of ASQ’s Human Pages/gnsteuben.html. The Journal for Quality 36 & Development and Leadership Division. Participation April 2018 Contact him at [email protected]. 3. Fredrick Taylor, The Principles of Scientific Carder would like to acknowledge the contributions of Management, Harper & Brothers, 1911, Camilla Butcher, who assisted with the development of http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6435/pg6435this article. images.html. 4. FRASER®, “Causes and Prevention of Accidents in the Iron and Steel Industry, 1910-1919: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 298,” https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/scribd/?title_id=3902. 5. James Gilligan, “Shame, Guilt, and Violence,” Social Research, Winter 2003, p. 1,149. 6. W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics for Industry, Government, Education, 2nd ed., MIT Press, 2000, pp. 121. 7. Donald E. Petersen and John Hillkirk, A Better Idea: Redefining the Way Americans Work, Houghton Mifflin, 1991, pp. 44-45. 8. James Kitfield, Prodigal Soldiers: How the Generation of Officers Born of Vietnam Revolutionized the American Style of War, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1995, pp. 106-107.

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