The Quality circles

Knowledge management seems to be a new label for older approaches on management. The revival of former concepts. Languages changes, but ideas are the same.

I have recently met an interesting description of the so called “quality circles” in organisations. This is an idea emerged in the early 1970s which was mainly addressed to reinforce the employee involvement and participation in organisational decision making. A quality circle is not so far from the concept of communities of practice, a more recent concept, appointed in the 90s, and understood as an useful and main tool of knowledge management and social capital development.

We can contrast definitions.

1.A “Quality circle is a group of people who meet on a regular basis to identify problems to do with quality and other day-to-day working arrangements. It provides a way for people to become more involved with matters relating to their job” (OUBS, 2004).

2.Communities of practices (CoP) are “groups of people informally bound together by shared expertise and a passion for a joint enterprise”. (Wenger and Snyder, 2000)


Even though the first one is focused on employees involvement, empowerment and theories of motivation, and the second one is addressed to organisational development through situated learning (with people sharing tacit knowledge and expertise), both of them have common features. In quality circles (Idem, 2004):

-Membership is voluntary
-Meetings are regular
-Groups are usually small, with no more than 15 members (CoPs are not constrained in this sense, but it is not recommended they become big cells of people).
-Membership is drawn from people who do the same or similar tasks.
-Leadership and structure can be decided by the group.
-Groups identify problems and define their causes
-The group develops and produces detailed solutions.

These traits are similar in communities of practice, but also, both CoPs and Quality circles could share the same inherent threats:

+ Are individuals really prepared and willing to share ideas, suggestions of improvement and ready to analyse the causes of problems? Why should them do this?
+ Are they previously aligned to the values and goals of the organisation? (Or are they mainly aligned to their personal goals?).
+ A competitive organisational culture is appropriated to develop these techniques?
+ How are these groups monitored and controlled?

Management concepts and techniques seem to be ever the same, but complexities within every different organisation and difficulties in managing social human behaviour are the truly (every day) new challenges to think about. However, I think it is always related to the same words: a climate of respect, equity, shared responsibilities, permanent feedbacks and meaningfulness of work.

"Say the good thing of people. Mention it and it will be true"

Benjamin Zander, the Boston Philharmonic's conductor, has been recently interviewed in La Vanguardia giving an interesting definition of the meaning of being a manager. I’d like to resume some parts of this conversation:

La Vanguardia: I have a friend who has spent a fortune in violin lessons for his child, but the boy doesn’t think about it.

Benjamin Zander: Does he really want his child play the violin?

LV: It’d make him happy.

BZ: So, it would be a good idea to pay some money to the child for learning: just a few dollars per lesson.

LV: Is that all your advise? Giving some money?

BZ: Would you want the boy really play the violin?

LV: Yes.

BZ: Would you want the boy to become a violinist making feel new things to millions of people?

LV: Yes!

BZ: So, ask him to play a little bit for you and concentrate in the best part of his performance: close your eyes when listening, feel emotion with the violin of your child and then, express how much you’ve been touched by his music, and if you really love him, cry.

LV: But, don’t you remember how a badly played violin sounds?

BZ: When a little baby make his first fart sounds, don’t the parents celebrate them?

LV: It is also a music performance.

BZ: And the parents feel touched! Even they can drop some tears! But it is shit, and also it is love! What is important is to celebrate the boy’s effort. Don’t give him a zero, and next do demand him an excellent mark.

LV: Don’t you have to demand more to those you love?

BZ: In life, you have first to give an excellent mark to your people and then, you can ask them more, but only after you have recognised all the best they could do. You have to cheer them to do it better. Maybe you’ve never said to your child how fine he plays football, nor how good he sings or maybe how nice he is. Perhaps that’s the reason because the boy deny to play the violin.
LV: I believed in demanding.

BZ: Listen: I have 30 years conducting the Boston Philharmonic.

LV: I know: nobody conducts Mahler like you.

BZ: Something I have learned even though I was wrong for long time because, I demanded a lot to my musicians before to prize them: I used to shout them and ticking them off in front of publics. I was convinced that it was the way to lead the orchestra.

LV: And leadership is not about that?

BZ: How much I was wrong! It is not the conductor who makes the music, but their musicians! I believed in hierarchy and thought that who commands is best and knows better what is convenient to those who are at the bottom. And it is not true. Following that way you go to disaster.

LV: So, what is it to lead?

BZ: It is to help others, who are not worst or better than you, but are like you. Help them to find out and to use the possibility of being better with you…

LV: I'm taking notes.

BZ: …And they will give you the opportunity to be a great leader. It is not necessary you have to be so generous so you have to illuminate others and to guide them trough the road of perfection. It is about to find out all together how we could be better. You have to discover to themselves their strength and power.

LV: It sounds good, but how do you get it?

BZ: You have to know your musicians, you have to know your team. You have to be interested on each one of your people and then, you will know how can they improve every note, what are their keys.

Benjamin Zander finished this interview saying:

“Concentrate in saying the good thing of people. Mention it and it will be true.”