Developing employee ownership of the quality improvement process

Developing true employee ownership of quality improvement is a process in itself. It begins with sending clear signals to employees that management fully supports the process and is committed to making it successful. It is reinforced when managers provide for the progressive education of all employees to ensure that job requirements are known and are achievable. Employee ownership of quality improvement continues to develop with ongoing management action that makes it clear that doing things right the first time is a part of the organizational culture. Encouraging the use of prevention--including quality improvement responsibilities in job descriptions and performance appraisals; the use of problem identification systems; and employee involvement in corrective action teams, quality improvement teams, and the management of the process--sends the message to employees that employee ownership of the process is a way of life in the organization. When success of the quality improvement effort is related to and understood as the key to the organization's success, as well as that of individual employees, and when each employee personally accepts the importance of his or her own role in making quality happen, the organization is well on its way to achieving its quality improvement objectives.