As the quality improvement approach evolves in the University, it will change the way many of us conduct our work. You may already be involved in some of the activities. If not, here are some suggestions for ways to begin to apply M-Quality principles to your daily work.

Mission and goals

If your unit has a mission statement, get a copy if you don’t already have one.

Read it and think about how to tie your work to your unit’s mission. Set some specific goals for yourself.

Satisfying those we serve

Identify those individuals who benefit directly from the work that you do. Ask them how they think you’re doing. What’s important to them? What are you doing well? Where is improvement needed?

Give some thought to determining priorities. Who are the primary recipients of your work? When several recipients compete for your time and services, what criteria are used to make decisions about priorities?

Respect for people

When a problem arises, a good first step is to assume it’s a “process problem,” not a “people problem.” Imagine the same situation, but in your mind substitute a good friend as the key player. This will help you move out of a blaming mode and into a mindset of looking for problems in the system instead of in the people.

Take time to observe people communicating. How often do you observe a listener verbally communicating back to a speaker what the person has said? Take some time to observe your own behavior in this regard.

Managing by fact

Whenever engaging in a new activity, consider ways to evaluate its effectiveness at appropriate points in time. Constantly ask yourself whether what you do adds value for those you serve.

Be wary of decisions based on a single person’s anecdotal report. In such situations, ask whether there’s enough information to know whether the single case is truly representative of the situation at hand.

Continuous improvement

Take a fresh look at the things you do in your work and ask the following questions:

If I did not currently do this activity, would it need to be done?

Does this activity add value?

Could it be completed in less time or at a lower cost?

Could this activity be simplified or reduced?

Could I improve it?

This information has been adapted from a forthcoming booklet, Becoming Involved with M-Quality.

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