ABSTRACT

Most organizations these days claim to be committed to quality, to continuous improvement and to excellence. Unfortunately, far too many appear to believe that saying they are committed is the same as being committed. The reality is that not enough organizations really do ensure that goods and services consistently meet quality standards, that problems are dealt with promptly and standards raised, and that the organization excels in what it does (because that is what ‘excellence’ means). One major reason for this is that the organization does not have adequate systems and procedures, that people are not well enough trained and, crucially, first line and middle managers are not able to lead people effectively through the improvement process.