Deming’s eighth point

Deming wrote his book, Out of Crisis, 40 years ago. Why is it still so hard to convince managers that they must drive fear out of the workplace? Perhaps it’s because we quality and management consultants are being recursive. When we tell managers that they need to drive out fear, aren’t we blaming the managers?

The problem is that managers, like all of us, have been raised from birth in an environment of blame. When Sally spilled her milk on the floor in kindergarten, she got blamed. Every news editorial demands a head to be lopped for the latest government scandal. Yet we expect managers to easily rise above their origins and walk the fine line between worker accountability to achieve an assigned job and blame when something goes wrong.

I realize that managers are paid big bucks to rise above their prejudices. But it isn't working. Is there a better way to educate them?

IMO, it is so hard because the managers are fearful as well, and you know what flows downhill. As Deming said, it is the responsibility of top management to implement the 14 points. As long as top management instills fear in the managers, nothing will change.

Change may start with me...

...welcoming news of any and all nonconformity and explaining that such ineffectiveness is caused by the system.

Here are other behaviors we could exemplify:

4 Ways to Create a No-Fear Work Environment | BusinessCollective

I think because they take the easier and more personally fulfilling path. Like the parent / child relationship, we say we don't want our relationship to be one of fear and intimidation, yet that is exactly what most will use, because getting down to their level to teach them is so exhaustive. It's so much easier to scream "Stay out of Mommy's bedroom!" than to explain personal boundaries and adult items to a small kid.
Similarly, Management is aware of executive level strategies that they aren't about to explain to everyone and the thrill of pushing people around is an attractant.
The best prevention process that I have seen for fear came from a Japanese plant I visited that was ultimately controlled by Toyota. It was their policy that an 8D had to be completed for every premature employee exit, because, in fact, it was a failure of either the hiring process or the job introduction or management that would lead to a premature exit.

Brakeman said:

The best prevention process that I have seen for fear came from a Japanese plant I visited that was ultimately controlled by Toyota. It was their policy that an 8D had to be completed for every premature employee exit, because, in fact, it was a failure of either the hiring process or the job introduction or management that would lead to a premature exit.

Click to expand...

IMO that's an overreaction (requiring an 8D for every early exit) and could in itself induce fear for the person(s) or function(s) assigned the hiring and/or 8D CA process. I'd think it could also skew hiring practices in ways they didn't anticipate.

If you pay over a $100,000 dollars for a machine that was either mis-spec'ed, abused, or failed because of interactions with other machines, would you NOT be interested in what the true root cause was? Why would a company knowingly loose training costs, effective production time, and both internal and external goodwill, without wanting to know the 5 why's? No, I think companies are crazy not to require a root cause investigation.

If you found that one particular manager or one particular meeting was causing excessive fear in your employees, wouldn't you like to know it?

Is an 8D the only tool that is appropriate for every instance of "early exit"? IMO no, it's often overkill, and as I said can cause its own problems. IMO not every early exit is preventable. You seem to disagree. That's okay.

Deming also provided a way out of the crisis. Many of the 14 points can be used as an alternative for behaviors which are to be eliminated. I suggest managers drive out fear by substituting leadership. I suggest workers substitute pride of workmanship for fear.

-> Why is it still so hard to convince managers that they must drive fear out of the workplace?

Because that is how the MBA programs and various "Leadership" seminars say how to do business. "KITA" (look it up if you don't know it). Who are our famous CEO's - Chainsaw Al? Fire the bottom 10%? And we are emotional beings, not logical. It just "feels right" to instill fear - and is a lot easier to get "compliance" than motivated, willing workers. And the manager does not need to self reflect, just blame others.

My own management sent this video out for us to watch. It is a good, though I won't say how well the first story fits my place of work or not. . ..

Until I visited the USA I never understood this point.
The USA labour laws are those that promote fear.
Other western countries cannot fire people so easily and fear is less of an issue.

Demming wants to change labour laws and improve the lot of the workers