Retreating to Management Alone
Over the past few years my colleague Marvin Washington has invited me to engage with a number of strong organizations in the Canadian province of Alberta. Through the University of Alberta, these organizations have embarked upon multi-level programs of leadership development and demonstration projects. Among them are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Alberta Energy Regulator, and the Alberta Health Services. Each is undergoing transformative change. After working with these leaders over some time, a common theme has emerged, one not uncharacteristic of leaders around the world. Most...
Read MoreLeading Cultural Transformation
Read Stephen’s most recent article, Leading Cultural Transformation, published in the January 2015 issue of The Journal for Quality & Participation.
Read MoreWhat Quality is Not – An Assertion
It is interesting to open our eyes to the ever-growing marketing assaults by service organizations. I travel a great deal with my work. As a result, I am very aware of the assertions made by service providers at every stage of my engagement. And what I’ve concluded is that securing consumer loyalty by providing great service appears to have been sidelined and replaced by the assertions of great service. This has the double negative effect of heightening expectations while leaving the assertions unproven. A few recent examples. Airlines — While captive in the air, the barrage of pushy...
Read MoreEmergence – A Transformational Approach
The 100th and 101st Malcolm Baldrige Quality Awards (USA) were awarded by the US Department of Commerce at a ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, in April of 2014. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, sponsors the award and the American Society administers the process. I had the privilege of attending the ceremony that was coupled with The Quest for Excellence Conference, which looks into the practices of the award winners. What caught my attention were the two 2013 award winners. The Pewaukee School District and Sutter Davis...
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