Out of the Crisis.Org

[Louis Altazan]

Dr. W. Edwards Deming's Fourteen points

Point Twelve: Removing barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship, is the key to perhaps the greatest improvement with the minimum amount of effort. Management’s focus is shifted from supervising people, to removing the things that stand in the way of performance. Ironically the more obstacles that are removed, the less supervision is needed. This frees management for the important work it now has no time to do.

Point Thirteen: Encourage education and self-improvement for everyone.

Point thirteen is very different from point six [institute training], though they are sometimes confused. Training, from point six, largely pertains to instruction in job related skills. Education and self-improvement are far more vast in scope. One is not better than another rather, they are complimentary.

Training a technician to use a lab scope may be quite helpful. Educating a technician to apply logic in his decisions may vastly complement the training. Dale Carnegie and similar training in human relations may improve conditions in the workplace. It may also help improve life outside of work. I feel the cost is negligible relative to the benefits.

I refer to creating a culture of education as learnership. Similar to leadership, people are taught how to solve problem, ask questions and reflect on what is learned. These are not subjects commonly taught in Western society.

In some cases I think there may be fear of knowledge, as in point eight [work to remove fear]. Some shop owners may fear better educated people may leave or want more pay. Such fear is irrational. Good people denied education and advancement are more likely to leave. A system without opportunity rewards mediocrity.

Fear [point eight] of sharing financial data on the status of their company with employees is another irrational fear. Education in accounting and knowledge of the company’s profits seems to me to be a great way to demonstrate competence of management.

I would not wish to work for management that was not able to produce a profit. As an employee, I would like to have tools [knowledge] to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s management. I would also wish to know the aim of the company and how my job fit into that aim. Knowing this I would want the knowledge to evaluate my own performance, relative to the aim.

A company that does not offer educational opportunity is a company that is vulnerable to those that do, in my opinion. I believe it is in the nature of good people to wish to learn. An educated work force I believe, is a versatile work force.

I believe the word "encourage," as used in point thirteen is also key to the point. Encourage, to me means demonstrating by example, which relates to point seven [institute leadership]. I feel a leader may encourage his people toward self-improvement by practicing self-improvement. A leader may participate with his people in, or even conduct education as they are able. The leader will apply what they have learned and encourage their staff to do the same.

Most employees will cite that they wish for more than just money from their jobs. I believe it is in the nature of good people to wish to learn, improve and contribute to society. By making education available, I think the business not only helps in this regard, but greatly helps itself as well.

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Louis Altazan
Owner/Manager AGCO Automotive Corporation
Baton Rouge, LA