InstantForum.NET v4.1.4Virtual Hold Users Forumhttp://www.virtualholdforum.com/afrazer@virtualhold.comTue, 07 Sep 2010 08:58:23 GMT20http://www.virtualholdforum.com/Topic105-23-1.aspxOver the past few years VHT has been growing at lightning speed and we've all been trying to keep up. One thing I've noticed that happens is that in order to keep up, you wind up collaborating less. Decisions have to made quickly and sometimes in a vacuum in order to meet the needs of an ever growing client base. This undoubtedly leads to communication silos where individuals or groups of individuals get used to just taking care of themselves and their own issues. This is bad. It destroys teamwork and creates resentment as confusion about role clarity seeps in. </P><P>The way that we've worked through it here at VHT is by getting together and developing new processes for inter-department communication that more closely coincides with our new growth. The old processes just couldn't keep up and important information was slipping through the cracks and not getting diseminated, which of course ultimately leads to many issues. </P><P>When the company grows from 30 to 50 to now 73 employees in a relatively short period of time, you have to depend more on processes in order to get things done, which is why it must be worked through in groups, agreed upon and clearly defined for all. It's not easy. A critical part of every process must include elements of collaboration along the way. In fact, collaboration is a form of organizational quality assurance that takes place to ensure that we deliver a unified message, quality product and exemplary service to our customers. It reminds me of what I learned from the late Dr. Demming, who is famous for being "the American who taught the Japanese about Quality" after WWII. Demming wrote how it is everybody's responsibility on the production line to ensure quality and that every worker must feel like they have input into the quality and craftsmanship of every final product. He taught me that depending upon a QA department at the end of the line was completely worthless...because it's too late!!! Rather, the QA department should be a feedback tool who collaborates with others in order to help isolate and determine where the process went wrong. Then it should be left to the people who make up the process to figure out how it needs to be fixed. As you can tell, Demming wasn't a big fan of management. He taught us that quality must be built into every single step of the process and that this involves every single person's cooperation and collaboration, every single step of the way. </P><P>If your organization is suffering from quality and communication problems then it may be time to dig in and do some hard work...modify your processes. The first meeting will be the worst because everybody thinks they're doing it right and everybody else is wrong. Remember, people might be bitter because they have felt left out for so long. But by the end of second meeting, folks will start getting excited over the fact that finally they are part of the process and in a position to collaborate with others in order to ensure ultimate quality.Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:52:18 GMTecamulli