Articles by Jim L. Smith

When researching material for my thesis many years ago, I discovered there was no “silver bullet” for the organizational model for a continuous improvement effort. There is no single model that works for everyone; it varies from organization to organization.

Even in today’s constantly evolving world, there remains a truism. Those who are more successful produce better results than many of their peers. They do it better and faster than their counterparts. This is not intuitive for everyone. It has to be developed or redefined. 

Continuous improvement activities might be more commonplace today, but how did it evolve? Though not prevalent in all industries, the concepts are widespread throughout many organizations. 

In a recent quality management class, group discussion centered on frustration in the workplace resulting from lack of appropriate employee recognition. Several people recounted how disappointing it was to go “above and beyond” only to find there was little appreciation for what was accomplished.

Business leaders have long realized that creativity leads to innovation, which is a key ingredient to achieving success. They recognize that innovation is the most important single skill that an organization can possess if it is to remain competitive. 

Whether we realize it or not everyone’s job, including the quality professional, comes down to one thing; helping our companies, at least those in business to be profitable, make money!