Re: Criticism

[dhartman@phdinc.com]

Grant Blair stated, "An good alternative is to call them OFI's (Opportunity for
Improvement).
This is an accepted term when auditing to QS-9000, and I have also found it
effective when auditing to ISO-9000."


Grant, I appreciate your suggestion.  We do identify "Improvement
Opportunities", but we reserve that identification for those actions that would
be better defined as "preventive" in nature, rather than "corrective".

The real point that I was attempting to make in my story though, was that many
people are going to take offense to being told that there may be a better method
than the one they are currently implementing - no matter how much we sugar-coat
the pronouncement.

We as a post-modern people have grown so wrapped-up in ourselves and our rights
(what's in it for me), that we don't concern ourselves with those around us and
their needs (whether real or perceived).  And by cocooning ourselves in this
fashion we not only run the risk of offending others, but we go through life
with our sensitivities heightened to the point that any comment given by someone
on "the outside" is perceived as an insult to our Self and our abilities.  We as
"outsiders" are then faced with having to deal with one another with proverbial
"kid gloves", many times carefully pondering and formulating what we say
(applying the sugar-coating), so that our words may be heard and not received as
offensive.

The ultimate harm that comes from our cocooning is that our minds are closed to
learning, especially from individuals that we feel are beneath us, or could not
have anything of value to offer.  I deal with those that have been diagnost as
Mildly Mentally Handicapped (MMR) on a regular basis.  Not as a part of my
vocation, but just because I have opened my life to them; and I have found that
if I allow my mind to be receptive, I am capable of learning many valuable
things from even the simplist of minds (regardless of whether the words are
offered in a coarse or sugar-coated fashion).

The wheel is a simple design, and an important tool, but we continue to design
it anew - just because we are unwilling to learn from others.  The issue should
not be whether I call it "criticism", "recommendation", "suggestion", et all;
but am I allowing myself to be open, and willing to listen and learn from it

David Hartman
dhartman@phdinc.com