By Michael Bournazian, Eng., Newsletter Editor, ASQ Senior Member, Quality Management Professional, CSSGB
ASQ will be holding their World Conference on Quality & Improvement very shortly (May 7-10, 2023) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it will be “In Person”.
If you wish to have more information or to register, please click HERE.
World Conference on Quality & Improvement (May 7-10, 2023) Read More »
By Raymond E. Dyer (Ray), ASQ Senior Member, CMQ/OE, & CQA (Texte en français suit)
“The most valuable “currency” of any organization is the initiative and creativity of its members. Every leader has the solemn moral responsibility to develop these to the maximum in all [their] people.” – W. Edwards Deming
I hope I can give justice to the presentation and workshop of our 22 March, 2023 webinar with Ruth Stanley on Applying Intentional Creativity to Quality Management. It’s not always easy to moderate such events, participate in the workshops, and then write up about them. However, here it goes.
Like all good presenters, Ruth spent some time sharing with us about the co-authors of her book “Your Creativity Sprint“, i.e. Dwight Powless, Tim Ragan, and Edwin Garro. After reviewing a few popular acronyms like VUCA (Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous) and BANI (Brittle-Anxious-Non-linear-Incomprehensible) and their significance, Ruth asked us “How do we nurture creativity?“, going through components such as Physical, Mental, Emotional, Relationship, Spiritual, and Cultural. This alone indicated we were going to talk about human factors which she summarized as “embracing our humanity“.
Ruth then spent time reviewing techniques such as “Look, Listen, Feel Challenge” and incorporating Intentional Creativity into an A3 Challenge, a tool many Quality professionals are very aware of. My favorite workshop exercises were the “Ugly Baby Challenge” where no “buts” were allowed and especially the “Hero Challenge” where the focus was on relating a message regarding a current issue using a hero to give your younger self a message from your experience — talk about thinking out of the box!
Having taken courses in coaching, I could not help feeling that Ruth’s Intentional Creativity approach shared strong elements with a coaching approach that really solicits individuals to think of alternatives and paths of action themselves rather than following prescribing best practices suggested to them. This ASQ event had everything we look for: information, application of theory, and an opportunity to reflect and learn. An excellent experience indeed. For more information on Ruth’s book, see Your Creativity Sprint Five-Week Challenge.
We look forward to continuing discussions on this and other topics in the future.
J’espère pouvoir donner justice à la présentation et l’atelier de notre webinaire du 22 mars, 2023 avec Ruth Stanley, sur Appliquer la créativité intentionnelle à la gestion de la qualité. Il n’est pas toujours facile d’animer de tels événements, de participer aux ateliers et de rédiger un article à leur sujet. Mais voici ce qu’il en est.
Comme tout bon présentateur, Ruth a pris le temps de nous présenter les co-auteurs de son livre “Your Creativity Sprint“: c’est-à-dire Dwight Powless, Tim Ragan et Edwin Garro. Après avoir passé en revue quelques acronymes populaires tels que VUCA (Volatile-Uncertain-Complex-Ambiguous, en français “Volatilité, Incertitude, Complexité et Ambiguïté”) et BANI (Brittle-Anxious-Non-linear-Incomprehensible, en français “Fragile, Anxieux, Non-linéaire et Incompréhensible”) et leur signification, Ruth a posé la question suivante: “Comment nourrir la créativité?” en passant en revue des éléments tels que le physique, le mental, l’émotionnel, le relationnel, le spirituel et le culturel. Ceci indiquait que nous allions parler des facteurs humains, ce qu’elle a résumé en disant qu’il s’agissait d’embrasser notre humanité.
Ruth a ensuite passé du temps à revoir des techniques telles que “Look, Listen, Feel Challenge” (regarder, écouter, ressentir le défi) et incorporer la créativité intentionnelle dans un défi A3, un outil dont les professionnels de la qualité connaissent bien. Mes exercices préférés ont été le “Ugly Baby Challenge” (défi du bébé moche), où aucun “mais” n’était autorisé, et surtout le “Hero Challenge” (défi du héro), où il s’agissait de faire passer un message sur un sujet d’actualité en utilisant un héro pour faire passer à son jeune soi-même un message issu de son expérience – il s’agissait vraiment de sortir des sentiers battus!
Ayant suivi des cours de coaching, je n’ai pu m’empêcher de penser que l’approche de la créativité intentionnelle de Ruth partageait des éléments forts avec une approche de coaching qui sollicite réellement les individus pour qu’ils réfléchissent eux-mêmes à des alternatives et à des voies d’action plutôt que de suivre les meilleures pratiques prescrites qui leur sont suggérées. Cet événement de l’ASQ avait tout ce que nous recherchons: de l’information, l’application de la théorie et une occasion de réfléchir et d’apprendre. Une excellente expérience en somme. Pour plus d’informations sur le livre de Ruth, voir Your Creativity Sprint Five-Week Challenge.
Nous nous réjouissons de poursuivre les discussions sur ce sujet ainsi que sur d’autres à l’avenir.
Had You Connected to the Last Event | Si vous étiez connecté (2023-03-22) Read More »
By Dr. Farnoosh Naderkhani, ASQ Member, Assistant Professor @Concordia, Student Outreach Committee Chair (un texte français suit)
Our third student webinar series held on March 23rd, 2023 was a highly successful event with around 20 participants. The distinguished speaker, Dr. Mohammad Reza Faghani, delivered a talk on “Learning how adversaries infiltrate highly secured environment.” The webinar was highly informative and engaging, providing valuable insights into the challenges of securing highly sensitive environments and the tactics that adversaries may use to breach them.
A closing survey was conducted and the response rate was quite impressive, with 10 attendees sharing their feedbacks. The average satisfaction rating for the subject matter was 4.9 out of 5, while the satisfaction with the approach and presenter was rated at 4.7 out of 5, demonstrating the high level of enjoyment and engagement among the attendees.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the attendees motivates us to continue to organize more student webinar series to provide students with valuable knowledge and learning opportunities. Overall, the third student webinar series was a resounding success, and we look forward to hosting many more such events in the future.
Until next time.
Notre troisième série de webinaires pour les étudiants, qui s’est tenue le 23 mars 2023, a été un événement très réussi, avec une vingtaine de participants. Le Dr. Mohammad Reza Faghani, a présenté un exposé sur le thème “Apprendre comment les adversaires s’infiltrent dans un environnement hautement sécurisé“. Le webinaire a été très instructif et engageant, fournissant des informations précieuses sur les défis de la sécurisation des environnements hautement sensibles et les tactiques que les adversaires peuvent utiliser pour les pénétrer.
Pour l’enquête de clôture menée, le taux de réponse a été assez impressionnant, avec 10 participants partageant leurs commentaires. Le taux de satisfaction moyen pour le sujet traité était de 4,9 sur 5, tandis que le taux de satisfaction pour l’approche et le présentateur était de 4,7 sur 5, ce qui démontre le niveau élevé de plaisir et d’engagement des participants.
À la prochaine.
If you are part of an educational institution and would like to have more visibility on quality-related topics, please contact us. We have a network of potential speakers that may be of interest to you. Contact Raymond Dyer on LinkedIn.
Si vous faites partie d’un établissement d’enseignement et que vous souhaitez avoir plus de visibilité sur les sujets liés à la qualité, veuillez nous contacter. Nous disposons d’un réseau de conférenciers potentiels qui pourraient vous intéresser. Contactez Raymond Dyer sur LinkedIn.
Student Outreach | Sensibilisation étudiante Read More »
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By Michael Bournazian, Eng., Newsletter Editor, ASQ Senior Member, Quality Management Professional, CSSGB with Rolls-Royce
Back in March 2021, I wrote in this very section about the ice storm that had hit Texas. I concluded in the end that it was not really my place to point the finger at the state’s lack of preparedness, given eastern Canada’s lack of preparedness during the 1998 ice storm that affected us 25 years ago (happy silver anniversary!).
In present day Quebec (and Montreal specifically), we experienced an unexpected sense of deja-vu when, low-and-behold, another ice storm hit the area on April 5th. Not as severe as 1998, but still a large proportion of the Montreal region was once again plunged into darkness, which meant no electricity and, unlike in 1998, no Internet as well (yes, I know, the Internet was around in 1998, but without the stranglehold it has on our lives like it does now).
So did Hydro Quebec do a better job of dealing with the emergency this time around compared to 1998? If I strictly look at my own personal situation, I went 4 days with power this time around, as opposed to 2 weeks as I did in 1998. So by those numbers, I should be happy. That of course did not stop me from cursing (loudly in my mind) every 5 minutes or so that my power was still off yet I was seeing other neighbourhoods regain their power almost immediately.
But overall I do feel that Hydro Quebec dealt with this storm better than the previous one, so kudos where they are due for lessons learnt and improvements made. That said, this ice storm took place during the warmer month of April, whereas the 1998 storm occurred in January and continued into February, the veritable “dead of winter”, so not exactly the same “test conditions”. And no, I am not wishing for an ice storm to strike in January 2024 😉
Hopefully by the time you read this, your power has returned and you are back to surfing Internet-style and not sleeping under 2 blankets and wearing 3 layers of clothing. All the best for a warm summer.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Neither the “C” word nor the “P” word were used during the writing of this article.
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ALSO . . . Please contact me or any one else on the Leadership team if you would like to:
1) Write and submit an article to be published in the Newsletter.
2) Write a review of one of the upcoming monthly webinars for the “Had You Been There” section.
Thank you, all the best and none of the worst.
The Editor’s Corner | Mot de l’éditeur Read More »
By Raymond E. Dyer (Ray), ASQ Senior Member, CMQ/OE, & CQA (Texte en français suit)
We were busy in March. We had three events:
All three virtual events were very interesting and highly appreciated. Thanks to all those that helped organize these events!
Next I’d like to spend a few minutes on Quality related tools and skills. ASQ sends to members, that wish to receive, various e-mails containing links to ASQTV, Quality Progress, etc. It’s a wealth of knowledge. In cleaning up old e-mails, I came across a couple of topics that I thought were interesting to share.
The first was an ASQTV video called CI and RCA with A3 and 8D that correlates the A3 form as being focused on Continuous Improvement (CI) and the 8D form being focused on Root Cause Analysis (RCA). It’s an interesting video if you have access, i.e. are an ASQ member.
The second involved a Quality Progress article on Building An Army Of Problem Solvers – Add Frontline Workers To Your Problem-Solving Ranks With Coaching Questions. Again, you’ll likely need ASQ membership to access. In summary, even though it may take a little more time, to ensure involvement of colleagues in the problem-solving process, the author suggests asking three types of coaching questions; open-ended, non-leading, and non-judgmental. There’s a lot more guidance in the article, but I felt the summary was a good point to share.
Thank-you!
Nous avons été très occupés en mars car nous avons organisé trois événements:
Ces trois événements virtuels ont été très intéressants et très appréciés. Merci à tous ceux qui ont participé à l’organisation de ces événements!
J’aimerais ensuite consacrer quelques minutes aux outils et compétences liés à la qualité. L’ASQ envoie, aux membres qui le souhaitent, divers courriels contenant des liens vers ASQTV, Quality Progress, etc. C’est une mine de connaissances. En nettoyant d’anciens courriels, je suis tombé sur quelques sujets qui m’ont semblé intéressants à partager.
La première était une vidéo d’ASQTV intitulée CI and RCA with A3 and 8D qui établit une corrélation entre le formulaire A3, axé sur l’amélioration continue (CI), et le formulaire 8D, axé sur l’analyse des causes profondes (RCA). C’est une vidéo intéressante si vous y avez accès, c’est-à-dire si vous êtes membre de l’ASQ.
Le second concerne un article de Quality Progress intitulé Building An Army Of Problem Solvers – Add Frontline Workers To Your Problem-Solving Ranks With Coaching Questions (Construire une armée de résolveurs de problèmes – Ajouter des travailleurs de première ligne à vos rangs de résolution de problèmes grâce à des questions de coaching). Là encore, vous devrez probablement être membre de l’ASQ pour y accéder. En résumé, même si cela peut prendre un peu plus de temps, l’auteur suggère de poser trois types de questions de coaching: des questions ouvertes, des questions non suggestives et des questions qui ne portent pas de jugement, afin de garantir l’implication des collègues dans le processus de résolution des problèmes. L’article contient bien d’autres conseils, mais j’ai pensé que ce résumé était un bon point à partager.
Merci!
Word from the Chair | Mot du président Read More »
Par Chantale Farley, Responsable VoC (English text follows)
Ce mois-ci nous avons été choyé en présentations: une le 22 mars et la seconde le 28 mars.
Applying Intentional Creativity to Quality Management (Appliquer la créativité intentionnelle à la gestion de la qualité) présentée le 22 mars dernier par Ruth Stanley co-auteure de Your Creativity Sprint: The Five Week Challenge to Better Insights et auteure de A Different Type of Bombshell a connu un franc succès. L’activité débutait à 18h30 avec une période de réseautage où il a été possible d’échanger sur divers sujets. Parmi les 43 participants, 25 ont complété le sondage, démontrant un taux de satisfaction de 90%. Le thème ainsi que la présentatrice ont été également apprécié avec un taux de 89%. Parmi les participants, plusieurs secteurs d’affaire étaient représentés; nous avons pu également observer une plus grande audience provenant du domaine manufacturier. Par ailleurs, cette présentation bilingue a attirée une audience provenant de la Grande région Métropolitaine et des États-Unis.
Ensuite, le 28 mars se tenait l’évènement Learning Culture Assessment Helps Transformation (L’évaluation de la culture d’apprentissage contribue à la transformation) présenté par Anastasia Sayegh et Samer Hamadeh, partenaires de l’Institute for Learning Organizations. Parmi les 27 participants, 19 ont complété le sondage, démontrant un taux de satisfaction de 87%. Le thème ainsi que le présentateur ont été également apprécié avec un taux de 88%. Cette présentation a attirée une audience internationale; de la Grande région de Montréal, de Québec également des États-Unis, Allemagne et la France.
Chantale,
Merci à tous pour votre participation à cet évènement.
This month we were treated to two great presentations: one on March 22nd, and the other on March 28th.
Applying Intentional Creativity to Quality Management presented on March 22nd by Ruth Stanley, co-author of Your Creativity Sprint: The Five Week Challenge to Better Insights and author A Different Type of Bombshell, has been a great success. The activity started at 6:30 p.m. with a networking period where it was possible to exchange on various subjects. The event attracted an audience of over 53 participants. 25 respondents confirmed an overall satisfaction rate of 90%. The theme and the presenter were also appreciated with a rate of 89%. Among the participants, several business sectors were represented; we were also able to observe a larger audience from the manufacturing field. In addition, this bilingual conference attracted an audience mainly from the Greater Montreal Area and from the United States.
Then, on March 28th, Learning Culture Assessment Helps Transformation was presented by Anastasia Sayegh and Samer Hamadeh, partners of the Institute of Learning Organizations. Of the 27 participants, 19 completed the survey demonstrating a satisfaction rate of 87%. The theme as well as the presenter were also appreciated with a rate of 88%. This presentation attracted an international audience from the Greater Montreal region, Quebec City, United States, Germany and France.
Chantale,
Thank you all for your participation in this event.
Voice of The Customer | Voix du Client Read More »
By Dr. David Tozer, Ph.D., ASQ CQE and SSBB, Education & Audit Chair.
ASQ Certification often leads to higher paying employment. The money invested in education and certification increases chances of finding employment quickly in the down sizing environment we live in. People who take the section sponsored refresher courses, and spend at least twice as much time as spent in the classroom on self study, have an 80%, or better, chance of passing the examination on the first attempt.
Having ASQ certification gives you an edge in the market and can significantly increase your income.
Courses are now available online as well | Courses now available online
Calendar and Registration Online Form
Questions? Cours en site/In house courses, etc. Contact: Dr. David Tozer (514) 694-2830
ASQ Montreal Section – Education Program 2023 Read More »