A real time look at the Quality Professional in today’s ever changing world with the events that define and shape the Quality arena.

That gave Jessica several ideas and reminded her that she had some early sales calls in the morning. She looked at her watch and said "well its time for me to leave this Cheese Station and find some New Cheese"!

Spencer Johnson MD "Who moved my cheese".

New ideas often go without implantation for a variety of reasons. Often new ideas that could save critical hours along with substantial financial dollars go without commencement or completion. New ideas take shapes in a variety of ways. They can be created in the mind of the receptionist, or from the desk of the President.

So with so many potential significant new ideas that can benefit our workplace never taking shape, what in the world have we done to squelch this vital ingredient for success? See if this scenario exists within your workplace:

You are the departmental director, with a 10AM meeting followed by a 11AM meeting followed by a power lunch with a supplier, you find yourself flying down the hallway. Within 15 feet of your office door, an anxious co-worker confronts you with her idea of cost savings. You pause, make brief eye contact then tell her to place the presentation in your in box promising her that you will carefully consider her proposal.

Weeks turn into months and she has passively asked your impression on the project. You explain to her that the project looks promising thanking her time and time again. Then one day your Accounting Manager brings to your attention that your energy costs on one of your existing lines "The line X45" has tripled over the last 6 months. You command a meeting bringing all the "usual suspects" to find out how after all of these years you now have this high cost. After the hair singeing meeting the bodies leave and you stroll back to your office feeling that you have lost control.

On your desk, you look at a report entitled "Energy & Cost Savings analysis on line X45". You can easily conclude by now that this was the idea presented by his co-worker in the hallway so many months before. So what cause the Director to miss that golden window of New Cheese? We all have had that moment or are in that moment at this time. Either by choice or by chance new ideas becomes squelched. So what can we do?

• Always have the environment that new ideas can be cultivated. Making sure that you have a specific portion of your advanced planning to include the immersion of ideas from your environment.
  
• Remember you are a role model. If a co-worker approaches you with a new idea, significant or not, you are being paid the ultimate complement. Don't spoil the moment. Listen.
  
• Consider if the idea presenter was you. How would you feel if the shoes were on you feet?

Now, let me go find my cheese, its getting close to lunch. We can make a difference on our generation. We can leave a legacy. We can win the war in the quality trenches.

Daniel Shibley
Quality Manager
The Bazz Houston Company

Daniel Shibley has been in the Quality field since 1976 and currently is the Quality Manager at the Bazz Houston Company. Questions and comments regarding this article may be e-mailed to: daniel.shibley@bazz-houston.com