Quality Professionals Job Satisfaction?

I just read Robert Mitchell's blog:  Are Quality Professionals Happy on the Job?

Since I am fairly new to the Quality Management function, I took a few minutes to contemplate whether I am happy with this new career. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. I do view the whole organization I work at in a much different way. Previously coming from mainly an engineering perspective, I didn't appreciate as much as I should have the needs and work processes of the entire organization. I now spend a good amount of time on the manufacturing floor and have a much better understanding of how the organization can better help the manufacturing area deliver a higher quality product. I also have a much closer relationship with our remote offices and field service function and again see many areas that we can improve our customer experience and satisfaction.
2. There is great satisfaction in helping solve issues that directly affects the companies bottom line. This satisfaction at times is immediate when we solve an issue with an existing customer, especially when we know that the solution solves issues from that point in time and into the future. Also knowing that we are impacting the future quality and customer satisfaction in new products is rewarding.
3. Since this is a fairly new area, joining the American Society of Quality (ASQ) and the local Milwaukee section has been very rewarding. I have met some old and new friends and look forward to the section meetings and learning experiences.
4. On a similar note, diving into a new set of techniques, tools, theory, acronym's, etc. has been very intellectually invigorating. I am currently reading "The Certified Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence Handbook", Russell T. Westcott editor. This is a very thorough and comprehensive text that is not just a "quality" book, but it is a well written business book.

I do have more job satisfaction then I had previously. I do feel that I am making a "bigger" difference to the organization. Is this just because everything is still new and challenging? Maybe? We will have to see what the job satisfaction "rating" is in another six months.

The Quality Journey has Begun

It has been about six whole months since my career switched. I am now the Quality Manager at the company I work for. Before that I was always involved in engineering. Starting as a software engineer for industrial control products (back in the days of the Intel 8080, Motorola 6800 and assembly language, then to "C" (no pluses)), an Engineering Manager, a Program Office Manager and now Quality Manager.

Over the years I had worked with a few great Quality Managers. I learned much from them. Yet, this new position at first seemed a bit daunting (and still does sometimes).

One thing I have determined is that with a technical background (BSEE), project and program management experience, leadership experience and ISO 9001 knowledge (I was an internal auditor for years), that many basic quality issues require good problem solving skills, people skills, project management skills and leadership skills and a good dose of common sense. The lingo and TLA's (FYI - three letter acronym's and sometimes 4 to six letters) are different in the quality world, but the basic skills are not much different.

This does not mean that there is not very much to learn. There is a wealth of knowledge, theory and skills that  I still need to learn. However, many of the issues I encountered so far in these first six months requires the skills noted above. Problems need to be solved through a cross functional group of people coordinated via a basic project plan and lead by the Quality Manager or my key technical resource.

Therefore, the name of this blog made "sense" to me. 

I have started the networking process to learn more Quality techniques, tools and methods. The American Society of Quality is definitely worth joining. They wave a wealth of resources on line, local meetings and and active Bloggers and Linked In Groups.

Well, that is enough for my first entry. I will try to write an update once every week or two, maybe more, maybe less and mostly about this new and exciting path/journey in the Quality Management world.

Bob