No Leadership, No System - ISO9001:2015 Requirements for Leaders

ISO9001:2015 standard framework diagram

From the framework diagram provided by the standard, it can be seen that Leadership has filled the void of the original standard in the PDCA loop, becoming a core element directly related to planning, implementation, inspection, and improvement. This is a very important change in this management system modification, which means that there have been fundamental changes in whether it is enterprise system establishment, system establishment consulting, or management system certification, We call it change.

2、 Capital that becomes the core

We can see from the comparison between the two versions of the standard in which aspects the new version enhances the requirements.

In the 2008 version, there are five requirements for top management:

(1) Communicate the importance of meeting customer and legal requirements to the organization; (2) Develop quality policies; (3) Ensure the development of quality objectives; (4) Conduct management reviews; (5) Ensure the availability of resources.

The 2008 version of the standard states that if the top management achieves the above 5 points, it can be considered that they have fulfilled their responsibility of "establishing, implementing, and continuously improving the effectiveness of the quality management system".

Among them, (2) formulating quality policies and (3) ensuring that the formulation of quality objectives corresponds to the new version of standards. a) ensuring that the quality policies and objectives are established and aligned with the strategic direction of the organization. But the difference is that the new standard once again emphasizes the organization's strategy here. And it will also be mentioned later, indicating the importance that the new standard attaches to the impact of organizational strategy on the quality management system.

Management review does not serve as the leadership and commitment of the top management. In the "Management Review" clause, it is explicitly required that "the top management should review the quality management system at planned intervals." In other words, management review has become a responsibility requirement that the top management must fulfill.

The new standard has new requirements for top leaders:

(1) The implementation of quality policy and the integration of management system and business are commitments to be achieved; (2) Enhancing awareness of process methods, enhancing overall participation, and enhancing continuous improvement and innovation are the manifestations of leadership; (3) Hello everyone is really good, and leaders at all levels can prove that their leadership is also a part of leadership.

Please refer to the table below for details:

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Comparison between 5.1.1 of ISO9001:2015 and 5.1 of GB/T19001-2008

3、 How to demonstrate leadership?

Senior management personnel and other relevant management roles throughout the organization should demonstrate their leadership in the management system.

Here we recommend the works of two leadership masters, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, titled 'Leadership', for reference. Of course, the term 'leadership' in the quality management system is somewhat different. The following content is derived from the content in this book, and there are also some requirements in the quality management system.

(1) Set an example and take the lead in adhering to common values

In many certified enterprises, we can see a situation where executives are not concerned about the management system, usually only the person responsible for the system is busy, what other people should do, and even have not heard of what the management system is, let alone understood. During the audit, I communicated with the company leaders and was very familiar with the business and talked about the strategy. However, when it comes to certification, I knew very little, and the middle level didn't know how to do it. If something went wrong, I was criticized and subjected to pressure. This made the people in charge of the system feel embarrassed. Over time, two layers of skin are inevitable and the system is unsustainable.

To lead by example, first clarify your principles and values. As a leader, one can clearly express these principles and values and share them with others happily. In an organization, the principles of others are equally important, and as a leader, it is necessary to determine the shared values of the team. Identifying common values is not enough, behavior is more important as it reflects whether leaders take what they say seriously. Words and deeds must be consistent. Setting an example for others is setting an example.

There is an old Chinese saying: 'Do not do to others what you do not want.'. It can be said that it is the best footnote for setting an example.

(2) Authorize others and establish mutual trust

For a company, it is not only necessary to establish company level quality goals, but also to decompose and delegate the goals. Leaders at all levels need to have their own quality goals and implement the system by authorizing others. At the same time, it is best to have a connection between quality goals and personal goals, as this can easily stimulate enthusiasm. Work is also easy to carry out. This involves the corporate culture, core values, and other high-rise buildings of enterprises. It is also something that leaders need to carefully consider and plan.

Authorizing others is actually a form of collaboration that requires mutual trust. This requires good team building work. By empowering and cultivating employees' personal abilities and initiative, they will become more capable and gradually become leaders.

(3) Challenge the current situation and be brave enough to take on the risks of innovation

Enhancing continuous improvement and innovation is a requirement of the quality management system for leaders. Continuous improvement has always been a requirement, and innovation is a further requirement based on this foundation. Innovation is familiar to everyone, and in this era, everyone is talking about innovation, but how many people can truly achieve innovation?

Innovation comes from challenges, and the challenge to the current situation may be a brand new product, a cutting-edge service, the creation of new enterprises, or even force majeure issues such as emergency economic crises, technological destruction, and natural disasters. For leaders, innovation is not about letting them practice it themselves. In fact, the vast majority of leaders are not the most innovative individuals in the organization. However, being able to discover innovative points, pay attention to new products and services, and obtain innovative methods and opportunities is a high requirement for leaders.

At the same time, challenging the current situation and improving innovation means constantly experimenting and taking risks, so the role of leaders in it is to create an atmosphere of bold experimentation, identify ideas, support good ideas, and be willing to challenge and change the existing system.

(4) Motivating people

The new version of the requirements for top leaders emphasizes their influence on others, and can exert influence by raising awareness of process methods, conveying the importance of quality management, absorbing, guiding, and supporting contributions from employees, and supporting other managers to demonstrate their leadership. There are two types of impacts: positive and negative, and of course, the standard hopes to avoid negative impacts as much as possible. One of the proven effective ways to have a strong and safe impact is to inspire people.

In the hearts of leaders who inspire leadership, a magical ratio of 3:1 has been proposed, where the frequency of positive incentives and praise should be three times that of negative criticism and criticism, which many of our leaders have not realized. So what kind of motivation is truly effective? Lingyue ® The seven principles of motivation have been proposed in leadership, enabling organizations to truly achieve the goal of motivating people. At the same time, it is pointed out that motivation should include two aspects: recognizing the contributions of others by recognizing their outstanding performance. Celebrate the realization and victory of values by creating a spirit of collectivism.

Recognition is the most powerful reward, and there is no cost.