Reflecting on World Quality Day 2015
By Simon Feary, Chartered Institute of Quality.
The CQI challenged quality professionals to step outside their comfort zone and engage with colleagues not usually involved with the quality function. It directs quality professionals to ongoing information supporting the management of ISO 9001.
This year the CQI took World Quality Day on a different path. On the surface, it may have seemed like a more light-hearted theme but there was a serious challenge for quality professionals – to step outside their comfort zone and engage with colleagues not usually involved in the quality function.
What’s the profession got to do with it?
The move was a step towards recognising the quality profession for the crucial role it plays in business improvement. Moving away from the traditional themes may have raised a few eyebrows, but the day was a huge success with more than 1,700 organisations downloading our pack to run the Chocolate Challenge event. The positive feedback certainly achieved the desired goal, as one participant said:
“It was fun and insightful to those not usually within a quality setting or function. It was also a different perspective for those of us who work within the quality profession.”
The CQI Chocolate Challenge used a topic and technique that was familiar and simple to use. It was designed to be straightforward so anybody could download and run the activity. We need more of this in our quality community – less jargon and theory, and more engagement with new audiences on their own terms.
Placing Quality Under the Spotlight
As leaders of the profession, we are often asked why the CQI isn’t commenting more on quality stories in the media. The simple answer is that often the issues aren’t perceived as quality problems. We have to change that. To be recognised as an industry driving change and held accountable when things go wrong. We have to build an understanding of quality and what our members do.
Our Competency Framework recently shared by NQA, outlines clearly where the profession operates within the business and the value it adds. World Quality Day underlined this agenda, but the work doesn’t stop there.
In 2016 the CQI will continue to drive forward the quality profession through a dynamic learning and development portfolio, thought leadership on the big issues, and ongoing information to support the implementation of ISO 9001:2015. Keep up to date with the CQI’s plans at thecqi.org.
Progress as a Quality Professional:
-
Enter the
dragonQuality Profession - click here -
Next level training for the Quality Professional - click here
-
Life as an ISO 9001 Quality Assessor - click here