Embracing quality is a commitment to innovation and excellence and must become integral to our personal and professional lives. It also impacts our thoughts, actions, and behaviour.
Quality is a measure of excellence. It represents a standard, or in a manufacturing environment a specification, against which a product is judged. Excellence is not a destination. It is a never-ending journey.
It is the attention to detail. The little things that matter. A few years ago, I was delighted when the service mechanic of one of our dealers refused to deliver a product at the very last moment to a customer because he noticed that the paint gloss in less than one square cm in one corner was perhaps not consistent. Only perhaps. He was not sure. While the product was later found to be to specifications, there was pride in the brand that made him stop the delivery. He did not want to risk it. This remarkable example was escalated all the way up in the organisation and was publicly acknowledged.
The Prime Minister has envisioned India to become a developed economy by 2047. NITI Aayog estimates that we will be a $30-trillion economy by then, from $3.6 trillion today. This goal will only be achieved if we give a fillip to quality in everything we do. Quality and innovation are interlinked, and together, can create a virtuous cycle in propelling us to a Viksit Bharat.
While we have leveraged technology to ensure quality in governance through service delivery to citizens and improved physical infrastructure, there are still many challenges. Ensuring quality in education by effective implementation of NEP 2020 for 21st-century readiness and in the justice system for timely and equitable justice for all citizens is crucial.
Further, the quality of the means to an end is paramount, encompassing ethical decision-making, transparency, sustainability, and environmental care.
Culture of excellence
(i) It is the relentless pursuit of the highest standards, a commitment to continual learning, and an unwavering dedication to quality and innovation.
(ii) Excellence transcends boundaries, shaping not just individual and organizational success, but also enriching personal lives and societal progress. It becomes a guiding principle that elevates standards, transforms workplaces, and fosters collective achievement contributing to a thriving progressive society.
(iii) Excellence should therefore become an ingrained mindset that permeates every level of an individual and organization; a habit, rather than an occasional achievement. The journey to excellence will then encourage us to achieve the highest standards of performance, embrace challenges, and view setbacks as opportunities for growth.
A compelling vision is a prerequisite to cultivate a culture of excellence and achieve sustained growth. The PM’s compelling vision for India: Viksit Bharat by 2047, will instill a shared sense of purpose amongst 140 crore Indians to attain a common unifying goal driven by intrinsic motivation to achieve excellence, as seen in the nation’s pride in the successful ISRO Chandrayaan 3 landing.
Three steps
(i) Fostering a Mindset of Excellence:
Prioritise proactive problem-solving. Leaders embody excellence by setting quality standards to inspire teams to imbibe and strive for excellence. Embracing IoT, AI, and robotics, with a commitment to quality enhances overall productivity and output ensuring global competitiveness.
(ii) Cultivating a Learning Culture:
Continuous learning is a lifelong commitment. The willingness to remain receptive to new ideas and emerging megatrends in an evolving technological environment will lead to embracing a growth mindset in a swiftly evolving world.
(iii) Promoting diversity:
This is inclusion at its very best in a nation as diverse as ours. It enhances problem-solving skills because of the sheer variety of perspectives. It attracts top talent, reflects diverse customer bases, and strengthens an organisation and collectively, the nation’s adaptability and resilience.
Sustaining excellence
It is crucial to ensure sustenance of the newfound mindset of excellence; to seamlessly make it a habit and prevent reverting to the ‘old way’ and to solidify the enduring impact of the transformation process.
A few key aspects that must be reinforced to sustain a culture of excellence are:
(i) Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement
At least one improvement in whatever we do, every day. A series of rapid improvements in a short time foster innovation. Hundreds, thousands, and millions of people with the habit of improving every day can become a massive driving force for growth.
(ii) Supporting holistic well-being of people
Prioritising the holistic well-being of people within an organisation — and a nation as a whole — enhances employee satisfaction, reduces burnout, and boosts morale, engagement and overall productivity, which are necessary ingredients in the journey to excellence.
(iii) Recognising and empowering youth
Empowering youth strategically creates a culture of excellence. As future torchbearers, their unique perspectives, innovative ideas, and willingness to adapt to evolving technologies are instrumental in contributing to and upholding a culture of continuous improvement and excellence for generations.
To conclude, a commitment to quality, innovation, and consequently the pursuit of excellence, stands as a cornerstone for the enduring success of individuals, organisations, and nations. In today’s dynamic landscape, challenges have become more complex.
Maintaining a single-minded dedication to delivering superior quality becomes not only a differentiator, but a necessity for sustained relevance and growth.
A culture of excellence requires visionary leadership, a foundation of clear values, and a relentless pursuit of improvement. India has that vision, leadership, and a young demography. It is for us to seize the mantra of ‘Quality in everything we do and thereby create and sustain a culture of Excellence’!
Sondhi is Chairman, National Board for Quality Promotion, Quality Council of India & Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland Ltd. and JCB India Ltd; Sharma is Analyst Policy Unit, Quality Council of India