Two weeks ago an employee of 13 years resigned. Like there is a better place to work or for that matter a better person to work for. Just kidding. This unfortunate turn of events has found me back in front of the shop’s design station creating whatever graphics files are needed by our customers. Bet you thought this would at long last be a post that does not mention Dr. Deming. Fat chance. This exodus has left us with two young and enthusiastic kids that have stepped up mightily to fill the gap. So after two days of cleaning and reorganizing the graphics department I got to work….thinking. We may hire a new graphic designer, and if we do, I would like for he/she to be in the same age area as the two we have. One other thing would be very wise. That is to start again, from the beginning, with Deming. I would start with a video for the entire company to watch, followed by Q&A. A weekly session of an hour would keep it all fresh.
Folks, I have told you before, but it bears repeating. Business success is just NOT what most of you think it is about, it is not achieved the way most American managers think it is achieved. Constantly monitoring the ads and activities of our competitors, worrying if the next quote will be cut by them, or much worse, being paralyzed with fear that they are taking all our customers. All a waste of precious time.
Read Deming’s 14 Points on this site. Note Point 1, Constancy of Purpose, or Point 8, Drive out Fear. See the way Harley Davidson, Winchester Firearms, Campbell’s Soup, and Ritz Carlton do business, and achieve success. this is the Deming difference.