Aha Moment Monday
What’s your “quality quotient”?
What’s your ratio of high-fives to make-up calls?
We all measure this to some extent – how many times we execute flawlessly and how many times things don’t go according to plan – but what is the impact of that quotient?
I know of a first-class manufacturer that processes about 1500 orders a day. For every 100 orders they process, on average, three result in complaints. Now the complaint is measured once it’s filed with the resolution team so that’s not counting issues that customer service handles, but for argument sake, on any given day, 45 orders go wrong. I imagine the resolutions are to redo or reroute the product or offer a discount, and while the errors can be frustrating, time-consuming and expensive, likely they’re not life-threatening. Three percent says there’s some work to do but it’s a manageable number.
Air Canada puts about 1500 flights into the air on any given day. While there may be some delays, inconveniences and the odd bag that gets misrouted – nothing customer service can’t handle – just the thought of 3% of their flights going down is unfathomable not to mention unacceptable.
Now, “quality” is very personal. Each of us defines “quality” in a different way. To some it’s about education and the ability to provide creative solutions. To others it might be about response time, effective communication, order accuracy, team-oriented culture, continuous sales growth, positive customer experiences, awards and accolades, impact on society, customer loyalty or any combination. So when you divide the number of rights by wrongs – and I’ll ask the question again – what is the impact of that quotient? Further, if the impact was life-altering, would that be worthy of changing behaviour?
Aha – Act as if what you do makes a difference … because it does.
“Quality is not an act, it’s a habit.” ~ Aristotle. Aristotle, like many inspiring and noble leaders, remind us that quality does not happen randomly; it results from pure intention and deliberate action. And pure intention and deliberate action is motivated by emotions. You can’t generate quality unless you’re in a quality mindset.
Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, Author of “Positivity” has been studying the effect of positive emotions long before it became trendy. Her work reveals that negative emotions – fear, doubt, worry and anxiety – can close down our ability to function, while positive emotions – pride, confidence, care, love, hope, joy, interest and gratitude – will open us up to possibility.
Want to improve your quality quotient? Create a culture that breeds positive emotions.
“The simple act of caring is heroic” ~ Edward Albert
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