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Value Insights Monthly
"The 'Value' of Excellence"

The 'Value' of Excellence

Excellence and Quality are often talked about, but many organizations are struggling with trying to build these ideas into their daily operations. Hopefully this will provide some insights on the types of issues that we've found are crucial to creating a value for excellence.

Excellence: A Dimension of Value

Unlike many fashionable management systems that have come and gone before, working to improve quality and achieve excellence is not a fad or project. It is a way of thinking, a way of acting and a way of doing business.

Excellence and quality are 'values'

No matter how much time or money is invested in trying to become "excellent", it can't happen until people develop and share a common understanding of what they are trying to do, and how doing it will have value for them. We have learned that the single greatest obstacle to improving quality and achieving excellence and quality mean for them and what they believe they must do to get them.

Organizations that have had the most successful long term experiences have three common characteristics:

People at every level in their organization share an understanding of the mission and purpose
Group goals and individual tasks are shared, understood, agreed upon and accepted by everyone
Mutual respect and responsibility exist for the needs of individuals and the organization

While all of these ideas sound reasonable, in practice they are seldom achieved. Differences in how people think about issues like their employees, customers, products, tasks, services and policies can result in serious confusion and conflict. These differences always influence decisions, expectations and actions.

When these value differences are not understood and acknowledged, even well intentioned decisions will result in conflicts that can undermine cooperation and commitment.

Getting people to choose to work together toward a common purpose can best be achieved through gaining an objective understanding of what "value" differences exist, where they are and what impact they are having on the organizations ability to achieve the results they want.

Using Axiolgy can provide objective measures to identify the:

Decision making capacities of the people in key positions in the organization
Common value patterns that highlight the similarities and differences at each level in the organization
Beliefs, attitudes and perceptions people have about their work and their work environment

More specifically, Axiolgy provides a methodology for measuring the degree of "excellence" in an organization and it can provide feedback to individuals and groups about four critical areas:

Management Capacity: An analysis of individual and team potential for developing realistic plans, result oriented problem solving, gaining commitment, creating cooperation and other related management skills.

Personal Performance Potential: An assessment of the value strengths and blocks of individuals and groups regarding excellence.

Environmental Scan: A in-depth study of the expectations and perceptions (what people believe "is" happening vs. what people believe "ought" to be happening), and the degree to compatibility, shared values and practices that exist.

Value for Quality Service: An evaluation of the potential for giving internal and customer service at the desired standard of excellence and a comparison of perception vs. reality of customer service.

Research on hundreds of thousands of people from all around the world demonstrates that people want and need to do well; they want their work to add value and meaning to their lives. The real challenge then is to:

Determine what the organization values now
Implement an objective process to assure that people in positions of critical influence have the capacity to build and support the organizations value system
Develop the shared values that can result in shared goals, personal responsibility and mutual respect

Remember, "excellence" is an attitude. It stems from beliefs and values that can be shaped and grown. Achieving true excellence is possible if the desire is strong enough.