Quotes from The Control Theory Manager

Here are some selected quotes from the book which I found of particular interest or value.

If we look at our successful companies, we will find that they have taken managing for quality very seriously. In doing this, they have discovered that they must focus on the workplace far more than on the work. ... This is because, without the control theory explained in this book, most managers find it almost impossible to conceptualize a quality workplace.
- from the Introduction

Chapter One: The Reason for This Book

Based on their common sense, almost all American managers are so convinced that they "know" why the people they manage behave the way they do that it never occurs to them that they could be wrong.

Workers who are managed by people who use control theory will consistently do quality work at a competitive cost.

... we pay lip service to people such as Deming much more than we pay attention to what they say, especially if they advise us to abandon [what we think of as] common sense.

Chapter Two: Lead-Management Is the Basic Reform We Need

Taken as a whole, the worst feature of boss-management is that it always results in the workers and the manager becoming adversaries.

What is most difficult for boss-managers to realize is that it is the system itself that creates the problem. Their tendency is to blame the workers.

Chapter Three: Explanations and Definitions

Managers should do everything they can to encourage cooperation between manager and worker and among workers. Any and all problems related to production should be presented to the workers for suggested solutions.

Nothing destroys quality more than asking workers to do things they do not believe are useful or refusing to listen to their ideas on how to make things better.

The idea that quality is conformance to standards is only accurate if the workers themselves have a role in setting the standards...

Quality work always feels good.

Chapter Nine: Criticism

The lead-manager is trying to setup a no-fault, no-criticism policy.

In the nonblaming, noncriticizing lead-management environment, they will feel free to evaluate their work, quality will increase, and they will solve problems by themselves without even going to the manager. In this trusting atmosphere, they will work together and, in doing so, will get away from the situation caused by criticizing and punishing in which each employee protects her own turf even if it is to the detriment of the company.

Chapter Ten, Supervising Noncoercively

As I help people learn the skills of lead-managing, I find that, next to teaching self-evaluation, learning to supervise noncoercively, for example, asking rather than telling, is the hardest part of the process.

...to deal with people noncoercively means to make work a talking and listening place, especially listening.

The Lead-Manager's Sign (from Chap.11, Solving Problems With Counseling)

In any workplace problems arise. These may be between the management and workers, among the workers, or just individual difficulties. Whatever they may be, if they are not solved to the satisfaction of all parties, we will be less able to produce quality products or render quality services, and our success as a company will suffer.

We believe it is the managers' job to help solve these problems and we take this job seriously. We also believe that all problems can be solved without the use of threats or punishment from us or any of the parties involved. It is our goal to create a workplace where we care for each other and where you can be confident that we are doing all we can to make this a good place to work. Only if we do this, will the company prosper and everyone earn what we and they believe is a fair wage.