Wednesday 29 August 2012

Pride and Culture

Just like the Toyota TPS, I have been influenced a lot by what W E Deming wrote, although he was concerned with the issues surrounding the management of industrial production rather than the management of design shops, so there is perhaps some scope for mismatch between our requirements and his philosophy. 

The thing that really resonates with me is the idea that pride in your work, and pride in your organization are both critically important motivational factors, and the idea that the pursuit of quality can be used to both improve productivity and the pleasure that work provides. 

This also chimes with this (world class) investment management advice: Invest in companies and organizations with a "soul" - with a strong, motivating culture that really makes people believe in, and belong to, an organization, over those that are hollow and impersonal. 

On a personal level, I want to take pride both in the organization for which I work, and the designs that I produce; I want to buy in to the culture and to believe in the mission. Moreover, I want to work for a company that has the homeostatic mechanisms in place to support that culture over the long term, and the profitability to sustain it. 

If this seems like a lot to ask, it is only because of the sad state of the world as it is right now. With a bit of organization, effort, and leadership, this sort of result is perfectly achievable, and with a bit of automation (yaaay technology!) it is perfectly reproducible.

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