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Document 1 of 1

Overcoming resistance to TQM

Braver, Neal. Research Technology Management 38.5 (Sep/Oct 1995): 40.

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Abstract
Managers tasked with implementing total quality management (TQM) in their organizations whether through gradual, continual improvement or by radical reengineering - frequently encounter strong resistance to the cultural change among those whose support they need most: the scientists. By establishing an implementation strategy that focuses on the scientists' needs, carefully selecting processes, involving the right people, and developing sufficient internal resources, management can greatly increase its chances of success. A study examines the nature of the resistance and makes specific recommendations to enable management to develop an effective strategy. It also provides specific guidelines for identifying process improvement opportunities that will meet the needs of the scientists and generate the cost savings desired from a process management effort.

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Full Text
A manager in a medical research facility was charged with implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) in his organization. He carefully developed an implementation plan that included all the prescribed steps: a "vision" of quality for the organization, a training schedule, and topics for the problem-solving teams. He chose tostart with the incremental, continuous improvement approach. He presented the plan tosenior management, which enthusiastically endorsed it. So far so good. However, he soon discovered that developing a TQM implementation plan was very different from putting the plan into operation. Suddenly, he faced a wall of resistancefrom the very people worse support he needed most: scientists. "It was like herding cats," he complained. "They wouldn't cooperate." Scientists often left orientation meetings and training workshops early. Some did not show up at all, arguing that they were busy with higher priority projects. Coercive sales tactics only increased the resistance. A well-intentioned implementation had turned into little more than a training exercise for the administrators. The fact is, support from the scientists can make or break a TQM implementation in an R&D organization. Scientists are the organization's major resource and they fill many key management positions. However, those implementing TQM can prepare for resistancefrom scientists through a carefully devised implementation strategy--one that ensures that the organization achieves TQM's benefits of cost efficiency and improved customer focus. TQM vs. the Research Environment Resistance toTQM can be stronger in a research organization for several reasons. Experience and training have taught the scientist tonever stop questioning new and old

ideas. This "holy curiosity"--as Albert Einstein called it--and the fact that research is a unique environment, leads tomany compelling arguments. Scientists argue (with some validity) that TQM inherently conflicts with their primary responsibility: discovering new knowledge with which todevelop or improve products. TQM has its roots in manufacturing, where volume and predictability are the major concerns in regard tosatisfying the customer. TQM's focus on both maintaining zero defects in repetitive processes and meeting customer needs is appropriate. In contrast, the process of discovering new knowledge is inherently uncertain, an environment where TQM cannot apply. Furthermore, long lead times and multiple organizational layers make it difficult for scientists tosee themselves as part of a customer-supplier chain. Tothe scientists, TQM is one more distraction from what they do best and love todo. A closer look finds these arguments are more myth than reality, however. TQM is, in fact, compatible with a research environment, although not in a way that is obvious. According to studies that I performed in my work with Organizational Dynamics, Inc., in which 300 scientists examined how they used their time, the scientists spent 20-30 percent of their time-as much as 1-1/2 days per week--on inefficiencies inherent in the activities necessary to support research. These inefficiencies eat into the scientist's productive time doing research. Each step involves recurrent activities--whether ordering laboratory supplies, writing proposals or planning meetings--so that each time it is repeated, the inefficiency compounds itself. Herein lies the value of TQM tothe scientist. By eliminating recurrent process inefficiencies, TQM produces visible results and addresses the problems that continuously distract the scientists from the main thrust of their work. The challenge tothose implementing TQM is tohelp the scientists discover these benefits. As mentioned, coercion only increases resistance. Instead, the TQM manager must develop an implementation strategy that focuses on the scientists' day-to-day concerns and frustrations so that they can discover for themselves how TQM can help resolve them. The strategy needs toidentify these opportunities and structure a way toaddress them. This involves more than working in teams on process issues. Management also has toensure that the teams work on issues that are worth the investment of resources required toimplement TQM. Keep in mind that the strategy is more short-term tomid-term in focus. However, as will be discussed later, careful planning and follow-through can have a profound impact on the operation of the organization in the long term. The following are some key steps toconsider when developing your implementation strategy: 1. Focus the Effort on Scientists' Needs In a well-planned implementation, you want people working on things that are part of their work and are important tothem. "If you don't give them something that closely relates totheir work," explained one manager, "they lose interest." Todo this, you need tobreak the administrative processes down totheir incremental pieces and focus your TQM effort on the crucial activities within the process.

*Identify the key management processes. List all nonscientific processes that involve the scientists. These are typically management processes that are needed toensure the efficient operation of a research facility. The processes can be administrative, financial or ones that ensure the proper flow of information through the organization. Examples include writing weekly or monthly reports, budgeting, procuring equipment, planning for meetings, and preparing management presentations. Select no more than three key processes. There are a number of selection techniques available, but a good rule of thumb is toidentify processes that are the most important tothe successful operation of the facility. *Determine whether the process requires incremental improvement or complete redesign. The key issues here are: How vital is the process tothe success of the organization and how urgent is the need toimprove the process? Think of this as a continuum, with continuous improvement at one end and reengineering at the other. If the process is no longer working, technologically obsolete or damaging your ability toconduct business, then replacing the entire process through a reengineering effort is required. However, if the process is meeting the needs of your organization and, ultimately, the end customer, then you should continue with a more gradual continuous improvement approach. *Break down the processes into their incremental pieces. Most processes are too complex to improve as a whole. First identify the individual activities that make up these processes and attack problems in these activities one at a time. A flowchart representation of all the activities in a process will enable you select the best activities on which tofocus the TQM effort. Chart the processes as they currently exist. Avoid getting so detailed that you bog down in the minutiae, yet don't get so detailed as tooversimplify. Toensure accuracy, solicit input from people involved in the process who understand the areas you don't. The objective is tounderstand each incremental step so you can identify the activities that provide the best opportunities for improvement. *Identify the crucial activities. After you have flowcharted the processes, select the critical activities for improvement. The following criteria can be useful in accomplishing this. 1. Identify the activities that use the most resources in terms of time, money or manpower. The question here is, where can you focus the effort toget the great payback? Focusing on low-payback activities wastes the resources you invest in TQM. Focusing on the activities that use the most resources magnifies the impact of the TQM effort; it gets the attention of the organization and shows that management is seriously committed tofollow through on TQM. 2. Identify the activities that create the most inconvenience for the scientist. The reasoning here is simple. If you want buy in, show them how it will fix the problems that are causing them the most pain. Too often, organizations focus on issues that are important tothe business without considering whether they are of concern toscientists; then, management wonders why there is no participation. Keep in mind that when we refer to"activities," we are referring todiscrete processes within the larger processes. The responsibility of the process improvement team is toinvestigate the small process and how it impacts the larger process. Improving the activity without looking at

the improvement's impact; on the whole process could cause as many problems as it solves. One healthcare products research organization met the above criteria with its planning process. First, the TQM organization surveyed the scientists toidentify the activities that most distracted them from research. The survey involved everyone in the organization, and gathered data that ensured that the organization was working on issues important tothe scientists. At the same time, the senior management team identified the top five key processes that it felt were vital tothe success of the organization and were using up the most resources. The two resulting lists were then compared and the processes that matched were those that clearly met the criteria of using the most resources and being important tothe scientists. Teams of scientists who expressed interest in, and could most impact, a process were then organized. The proposal preparation process was one that was selected. It was clear that an inordinate amount of time was being spent preparing the proposals and that the resulting studies were not designed as efficiently as they could be. A team of managers and technicians was formed. One concern was that the process resulted in too many tests being done in developing products, with the scientists involved in the study waiting impatiently for the labs tocomplete the tests. After flowcharting the proposal preparation process (further breaking the task down toits incremental pieces) an important, albeit simple, problem became obvious. The technicians, who best understood how todesign and carry out the lab studies, were not involved in the process until the proposal was completed and signed off on. As a result, tests were done that the technician knew were irrelevant, but they did them because they were told to. As one technician stated: "We never said anything because we were rarely asked." The solution was clear. "We bean including the technicians in the early stages of planning the studies,", explained an associate director included on the team. "It cut down our lab time by a third. In the end, the dollars added up tosubstantial savings in terms of materials and manpower." Remember toavoid activities that are a threat tothe scientist. Their "sacred cow" is science, so stay away from tasks like data analysis or the actual performance of clinical studies. 2. Select the Right Team Members The right people are those who are most affected by the key activities and who can most affect them. Proper selection and management of process improvement teams early in the TQM implementation effort is the key tosuccess. Successful teams with strong results improve the effort's credibility. The healthcare products organization mentioned earlier selected team members based on their concern for the activity and on their ability to change it. Unsuccessful teams with poorly selected members can be fatal. The exploration division of a major oil company set up a team toensure that people received the training that best suited their development needs. People who had been most vocal about their dissatisfaction with current training processes were assigned tothe team, but the participant from the training division did not have enough authority within the training function toimplement change. It quickly became clear tothe team members that they would not have the authority tomake the

necessary changes tothe process. The team fizzled after two meetings because it could not improve the training process, wasting two full-time-equivalent weeks in their effort. 3. Leverage Your Support In a resistant environment, you must build a critical mass of supporters who can drive the TQM effort. The best place tobeing todevelop this critical mass is toidentify the individuals in the organization who already understand and support TQM. Involve them whenever possible. Identify your supporters and determine how toinvolve them. Areas of involvement could include providing input into the initial TQM implementation planning process and soliciting support of other scientists. What are the issues they see as most important that need tobe addressed in the implementation plan? What are the major barriers and how can these barriers be broken down? Involve them in the selection of the key processes discussed earlier. Solicit their input tothe flowchart: Are there details in their work areas that are missing? In one organization, the director gave those scientists most supportive of TQM responsibility for its implementation. His logic was simple: "They understand TM and our employees. People will listen tothem." Remember that you cannot please all the people all the time. Implementing TQM is never easy and always challenging. When you begin toimplement your strategy, some people will be for it, some will be neutral and some will be against it. As the changefakes hold, some people will be for it, some will be neutral and some will be against it. It is the increase in the number "for it" that indicates the success of your strategy. 4. Develop Credible Internal Resources Developing a cadre of facilitators is also an effective way todevelop the critical mass. This means educating and cultivating a group of individuals who conduct the training, lead the teams through the problem-solving process and serve as facilitators in regular meetings-internal consultants tothe organization. The first two responsibilities are well known, the latter is not. However, using facilitators tolead day-to-day meetings can produce some remarkable results. Not only do scientists become familiar with the tools of TQM--tools such as fishbone diagrams, Pareto charts and nominal group technique--but they begin tosee the benefits of these tools. One organization estimated that it cut its meeting time in half by using a facilitator and the tools. "Our only dissatisfaction," explained one formerly skeptical scientist, "was that we weren't able toget lost in side conversations and intellectual small talk." 5. Make Sure the Training Is Relevant All too often, research groups use training programs designed for non-research environments. This is particularly true of manufacturing companies where R&D is only one of many functions. Nothing is more difficult than trying totrain scientists with materials geared for manufacturing or marketing organizations. In these cases, the materials typically come across s irrelevant. This problem is further compounded by the fact that research organizations have historically been the last tojump on the TQM bandwagon. If you are going topurchase off-the-shelf training materials, make sure they have proven applicable toresearch organizations and that they can fit with any broader corporate TQM

efforts. Look for material developed by companies with actual experience with research organizations. If you are going touse in-house materials, review all workbooks, videos and cases toensure they are relevant. Incorporate articles and cases tat specifically address research issues. No matter what the origin of your materials, make sure your trainers frequently ask the workshop members one key question and explore it as specifically as possible: "How does this relate toour research environment and what we do for work?" The question helps ensure that the concepts are real tothe scientists by encouraging them toexplore the connection themselves. In one workshop, scientists explored the similarity between the PDCA cycle (the TQM problem-solving process that focuses on data-based decision making) and the scientific process. "The cycle is similar towhat we do when we do science," explained one scientist. "The problem is, we never thought of applying it tohow we do work." 6. Develop Milestones and Feedback Methods Measurement and management go hand-in-hand. Measurement provides the feedback that drives sound management decisions. TQM is as much a management decision as any, and it is imperative that you develop measurements that tell you the best way tomane your effort. For the first year, keep your measures focused on the implementation plan. Emphasize milestones and employee feedback, and stay away from more complex measures such as return on investment or increase in sales. Examples of milestones include: number of people trained, percent of people on process improvement teams and number of teams reaching resolution. Ongoing feedback from teams, workshop participants or focus groups is useful in managing the implementation. These help tomonitor concerns, such as employee satisfaction, and toprovide suggestions for improving the implementation and management satisfaction. 7. Be Flexible During implementation, the organization's needs are constantly changing as management and employees deepen their understanding of how TQM affects their work. One challenge in managing a TQM roll-out is tomeet these changing needs while gently prodding the organization in this new direction. Ignoring these changing needs opens new pockets of resistance. Review your implementation plan frequently. Are any activities no longer appropriate? Do any steps need tobe added? The medical research facility mentioned earlier organized a quality council made up of senior managers whose role was tomonitor the direction and impact of the implementation. Their strategy was spelled out in an implementation plan that detailed each step in the implementation and its expected date of completion. Monthly quality council meetings consisted of reviewing the implementation plan, discussing completed steps, reviewing the dates of uncompleted steps, and adjusting the plan based on data received from the organization and the director of quality. Over time, this became integrated into the way the research facility was run. 8. Keep It Simple

The concept of incremental, continuous improvement applies tothe process of implementing TQM just as it applies toyour management processes. So much has been written, and so much expertise is available, that the temptation todo everything at once and set goals that are too ambitious is almost irresistible. However, excessive activity without careful thought can lead tomistakes. This can be disastrous toa TQM effort by damaging its credibility among your scientists. One typical mistake relates toan earlier point. Organizations frequently try toimprove huge processes all at once rather than going after smaller processes or small parts of the larger process. The latter approach is the most practical: It creates successes and provides knowledge useful for expanding your effort. Frequently, organizations will identify communication as the major process problem, only tofind that everything an organization does can fall under communication. They find they have toidentify and work on concrete, simpler processes that impact communication--processes such as memo preparation or preparing for management presentations--toaddress this larger process more efficiently. Take measured steps and watch your measures and feedback carefully. The rule is three steps forward, one step back. Don't be afraid of making a midstream adjustment. A TQM implementation needs tobe thought of in terms of years rather than months or weeks. 9. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate An implementation strategy is incomplete without a carefully developed communication plan. Without good data, skeptical scientists will typically make negative assumptions. The key is tocommunicate the status of the TQM effort as frequently and clearly as possible. Again, think of the scientists as the customer. Communicating statistical data about the number of people trained or how many teams are in place may be useless if they are irrelevant toyour scientists' concerns. Their communication needs do not have tobe met by elaborate surveys. One group of mangers tasked with communicating the status of a TQM effort gathered the necessary data informally through telephone calls tothe employees, lunch conversations and discussions in the hallways. Avoid hoopla. Keep presentations and written communications simple, using existing vehicles (such as monthly managers' meetings, annual meetings or company newsletters) or carefully chosen new vehicles (TQM newsletters). If you conduct formal surveys relating to the TQM implementation, communicate the results. If you make any midcourse changes, communicate your reasons. Philosophy--Not Mechanics In the short term, a TQM implementation should be tightly structured and applied to administrative tasks that are important tothe scientist and are non-threatening. However, the long-term results are much broader. Over time TQM should evolve from a way work is done tothe way work is done. This means applying it toresearch activities as well as administrative activities. Project cycle time is reduced as wasted efforts or waiting is minimized. Teamwork is improved as scientists learn its benefits, resulting in better integration of diverse scientific disciplines.

"TQM is a philosophy, you need toknow where touse it outside its rigid prescriptions," explains a pharmaceuticals project manager who successfully applied TQM principles toa development project. For example, her entire team met early in the project and used a flowchart todisplay the tests necessary todevelop a new compound and test it for efficacy and safety. "We were able tosee all the bottlenecks and begin preparing for them a year in advance instead of three months prior when it is already an emergency. Since toxicologists could make recommendations early, tests became streamlined. Everyone now knows all the pieces and understands everyone else's job. We can talk a common language. This means better communication and improved buy-in." TQM can have a direct, positive impact on the way work is done in a research organization. It reaps benefits in terms of efficient use of resources, how administration is done, and ultimately, how science is done. The real challenge, however, is the up-front legwork that has tobe done togenerate buy-in from the scientists for the TQM effort. By understanding the scientists' needs, developing an implementation strategy that focuses on these needs, and carefully monitoring the implementation toensure it meets their needs, resistancecan be minimized and TQM's benefits in cost savings, customer focus and greater efficiency reaped. Bibliography Arnstein, Frederick and Margaret E. Dickerman. "Sixteen Lessons toMake Process Management Easier," The Journal for Quality and Participation, December 1992. Christen, Jerry. "Leading a Total Quality Effort," Tapping the Network Journal, Fall, 1990. Labovitz, George. "Beyond the Total Quality Mystique," Healthcare Executive, March/April, 1991. Labovitz, George, Charlie Chang and Victor Rosansky. Making Quality Work, Harper Collins, 1993. Linkow, Peter. "Is Your Culture Ready for Total Quality," Quality Progress, November 1989. McEachron, Norman B. and Harold S. Javitz. Quality in Research and Development, SRI International, 1987. Prichett, Price and Ron Pound. The Employee Handbook for Organizational Change, Prichett Publishing Company, 1990. Soquet, Julie. "Quick Off the Mark," The TQM Magazine, February 1991. Varian, Tom. "Communicating Total Quality Inside the Organization," Quality Progress, June 1991. Neal Braver is a senior consultant for Organizational dynamics, Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts. he consults toall levels of management, developing organizational assessments, recommending management strategies and implementing these strategies. His clients have included Fortune 100 corporations, government and military agencies and health care organizations. He has the B.A. and M.B.A form Boston University where he was an instructor in organizational behavior. he is also a certified public accountant.

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Indexing (details)
Subject R&D; Scientists; Acceptance; Total quality; Corporate planning; Guidelines US 5320: Quality control, 5400: Research&development, 9190: US, 2310: Planning, 9150: Guidelines Overcoming resistance to TQM Braver, Neal A C Research Technology Management 38 5 40 5 1995 Sep/Oct 1995 1995 Arlington Industrial Research Institute, Inc Arlington United States Business And Economics--Management 08956308 RTMAEC Scholarly Journals English PERIODICAL Total quality, Scientists, R&D, Guidelines, Corporate planning, Acceptance 01091756 213813325 https://login.ctu.idm/oclc.org/?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/ 213813325?accountid=26967 Copyright Industrial Research Institute, Incorporated Sep/Oct 1995 2010-06-08 ABI/INFORM Complete

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