Xerox
Although ostensibly a total quality management issue, this assignment was a classic piece of Organisation Development. Xerox Inc had introduced its 'Leadership through Quality' initiative worldwide. Sales and Marketing executives in the UK operating company perceived this as a centrally imposed mechanistic training package. Instead of 'ownership', a cynical rejection emerged.
The challenge led to an assignment with three fundamental objectives:
1. Presentation and Status
• to re-craft and reposition the 'package' as a valuable set of tools for the achievement of business rather than training objectives
2. Political
• to ensure that the initiative was championed by the Board with directors sponsoring a business project with individual managers
3. Capability
• to coach the Quality team in facilitation skills and to develop their organisational savvy so that they could build on Board support.
This bore fruit in terms of comprehensive take-up in the UK business.
