10 Telltale Signs That a 'Culture of Quality' Is Lacking at Your Company (Infographic) Many business leaders lack a commitment to continuous improvement of results -- at their peril.
By Laurel Nelson-Rowe Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
With quality (or its lack) making business headlines, leaders of organizations are often wrestling with how to improve things. Yet while entrepreneurs might vigorously pursue other key tools to help their business grow, they often let their company's attention and commitment toward quality evolve naturally.
Research by my organization, the American Society for Quality, or ASQ, has shown that achieving quality goals requires a strong commitment: setting a compelling vision, companywide shared values and complementary performance metrics and incentives. The report, "Culture of Quality: Accelerating Growth and Performance in the Enterprise," analyzed responses from more than 2,000 executives and quality professionals (members of ASQ) and showed that while two-thirds of executives say their organizations exhibit a culture of quality, only half say that these values are clearly understood throughout the organization.
Related: 10 Practical Ways to Promote a High-Performance Culture
Although the research, released last year, looked at larger organizations, lessons from the report apply to companies of all sizes. The pursuit of quality is a key factor that affects the success of any business. A weak culture of quality can lead to low levels of customer satisfaction, product and service quality and even employee morale.
As a result of these research findings, ASQ developed the following list, shown in the infographic below, outlining the top 10 signs that a "culture of quality" is lacking in an organization.
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Related: What Do Great Leaders Discuss With Their Employees?
