Total Quality of Management

19

CHAPTER

Mirage

HYPOCRISY

A

TQM consultant once helped a company draw up their vision, mission and

value statements. He conducted two off-site sessions, from morning to late

evening, over a period of 5 days. In the first session, he assisted them to think

strategically and ensured that the session was quite participative despite the initial

interruptions by the MD to bulldoze his viewpoints. After prolonged discussions

on the divergent viewpoints, the group finally reached a consensus on the company’s

vision, purpose, and values. . . In the second session, held after two months, the

mission statement was drafted after due consideration of the critical strategic

parameters of each area and function. The group agreed upon the strategic initiatives

needed for the management of change. It was agreed that the union and all

employees down the line would be involved to share the vision, values and strategic

missions to ensure their willing participation for smooth implementation.

On invitation from the MD, the consultant visited again after a gap of two

years. He expected changes, if not radical at least there ought to be some visible

improvements. He did find the vision/mission/value statements hung on the wall,

but literally covered with cobwebs, on asking, he was told that it was difficult to

clean the frames regularly as the ceiling was high. Looking around he was utterly

disappointed, the drooping shoulders told him everything. On being quizzed about

the progress in implementing their resolve to become a world-class organization

in its category of business, he got different and contradictory explanations from

managers and other employees but all indicating to the virtual abandonment of

TQM implementation. It became clear that the TQM implementation was in reality

a whim that occurred to the MD’s mind, which ended with the annual jamboree

two years back. Engrossed in their daily routine to meet quarterly targets, senior

managers did not have much choice. The message was clear the senior managers

had no courage to raise the question of TQM implementation with the MD, a proud

man with an inflated ego having no patience to listen to his senior managers.

Upon meeting with the consultant, the MD emphasized that the company vision

still was to become a world-class organization right now his focus was to achieve