Quality circles. Important groups within an organization for the identification and subsequent solution of problems.
The need to group will always be latent in all living beings. Just as there are herds of animals in jungles and plains, people also tend to form groups of friends, study partners or work, this in order to feel supported or better perform certain tasks.
The topic to be dealt with in this article has to do with groups formed within a company in order to perform specific functions that will result in global benefits for a company. We refer to the Quality Circles (CC).
WHAT ARE THEY?
CCs are groups that, depending on the size of the department where they are created, can be five or ten specially trained people, who meet regularly to distinguish and solve problems in their specific area of work.
To create the CC, the following steps must be followed:
Planning: It is important, as a first step, to make the decision to create these groups. In general, it is a high-level executive who determines to implement the CC technique and delegates a person to train in everything that has to do with this topic. Or also, you can hire a person who will be in charge of assisting the management for the establishment of the CC in the company.
It is necessary later to create a steering committee that will be in charge of directing all the activities of the CC within the organization. This group should be formed by employees, preferably, from all areas of the company and by high-level managers so that there is a real commitment from the employees as well as from the management.
This steering committee will define the objectives that the circle will pursue as improving quality, promoting the reduction of failures, encouraging more efficient group work, preventing problems, etc. Likewise, it will choose the internal moderator who will be the person in charge of the daily coordination of the CC activities, the training of the leaders for each one of them, will attend the circle meetings, give orientation and keep records of the achievements achieved.
Training: to carry out any work, you must have the necessary skills to carry it to a successful conclusion. At this stage, the moderator and the leaders of the circles meet to learn everything about the CC, its application and its subsequent operation.
Management training can take place both inside and outside a job
Initiation: informational meetings are held (between employees, the moderator and the leaders of the circle) in which the employee will be familiarized with the CCs and will be asked if they are willing to be part of them. Subsequently, each leader will meet with interested persons according to their area of work and circles will be formed. Leaders, likewise, must have a manual with the panorama and all the techniques of the CC
How it works: An idea comes alive when it starts working. At this stage, each circle is dedicated to identifying, selecting, analyzing and solving problems in their area of work.
The active participation of the members of the circle is very important and they, more than the leader or the moderator, are in charge of determining the solutions to the problems. This will give them a greater degree of confidence and a great feeling of satisfaction when being included in this process.
Subsequently, the recommendations will be delivered to management, who will be responsible for approving them or not. The latter must ensure that the CCs do not disappear, truly committing to them, not leaving them adrift and taking them very seriously, since, as it could be observed, the CCs are very important mechanisms to float in the face of any eventuality that may arise. can present.
