Expressing Your Company\'s Values

Introduction:

The three corporate goals are translated into measurable objectives throughout the corporation. Prog-ress on the people goal is determined by the Leadership Index, a statistical measurement of subordinates' opinions of management's performance.

Primary corporate quality goals:

• 100  percent  customer  satisfaction  after  every  interaction   and transaction.
• 100 percent service performance on every package handled.

Many people doubt the ability to achieve 100 percent of anything. "We acknowledge that 100 percent is impossible," says Smith, "but that doesn't keep us from striving to achieve it. We have to- be wary of being satisfied with 99 percent performance because the law of large numbers catches up with us. VVhen you're handling millions of packages a day, a 1 percent failure rate is totally unacceptable. We believe the road toward 100 percent is worth the effort."

The policy and pledge are further defined by Marlow's quality values:

• Senior executives must be the leaders.
• Employees have the authority to make decisions and take actions on their own.
• Honesty with customers, employees, and suppliers.
• Meeting the customers' requirements.
• Quality comes from prevention.
• Anticipate problems and take appropriate action before the problem happens.
• Do it right the first time.
• Continuous improvements toward customer satisfaction.

Nothing earthshaking here. Many companies espouse simiîar values. The difference is that Marlow Industries actually lives by them. The company's leaders will allow nothing less.

• When Corning started its quality initiative in 1983, one of its first tasks was to identify the principles, actions, and strategies on which its system would be built. it introduced the foundations of its system in Jan-uary 1984, and has been İmproving them ever since.
• Corning's purpose is: "to deliver superior, long-range economic bene-fits to our customers, our shareholders, our employees, and the communi-ties in vvhich we operate.

Corning’s seven values:

1. Quality.

2. Integrity.

3. Performance.

4. Leadership.

5. Innovation.

6. Independence.

7. The Individual".

To act on these values Corning identified eight operating environment dimensions: