RE: Kaizen and workforce involvement related issues

["Vic Forte" <vic@vichara.f9.co.uk>]

vbakshi@banas.guj.nic.in writes

> We are 350 crore not for profit  dairy cooperative. We
> started TQM management in our organization two years back
> . We appointed consultant to guide us. He suggested that to
> begin with management should provide a gift for every
>  kaizen done.

I would suggest that you take stock of your current situation and make
an attempt to learn from it. What was your original theory? What were
the premises and assumptions underlying your attempt to go about
improvement in this way? There is not such thing as a mistake, so long
as you learn. To arrive at a block or impasse is a good way to take
stock and learn from the past.

Do you have a good theory? Do you, for instance have a good theory
about human motivation? Is giving a reward for a successful
improvement an effective way to gain sustained long term continual
improvement? If not, then what is the alternative? If you reject your
earlier assumptions, what is an alternative way of managing? This
question is not easy to answer. What it means is that you have to
start with yourself and the other leaders in your organisation, and
learn a totally new approach.

Perhaps this moment is an opportunity for you to take stock of your
theory and your assumptions. A study of the System of Profound
Knowledge by W. Edwards Deming will provide you with a good theory. It
is, however not as easy to implement as methods based upon carrots or
incentives. But then what good is an easy to implement method that
does not actually work?

I have much sympathy with your struggle to manage in a new way. Please
do not hesitate to contact me if you want to discuss further.

Namaskar, and Best Wishes,
Vic Forte, vic@vichara.f9.co.uk
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