Book Club: Grassroots Introduction to TQM

Abstract

As part of its total quality management (TQM) effort, a company specializing in design/build construction established a book club with teams that periodically read and discuss books selected from best-sellers' lists or by recommendation. Team membership is open to all employees in the home office on a volunteer basis. Since the program started in mid-1990, 22 books have been read and discussed by the book club. This process has provided a forum for cross-functional exposure of employees in a nonthreatening environment, and has led to lively discussions about topics in quality, including customer focus, empowerment, leadership, and teamwork. Today these teams are still enthusiastic and members feel that they are contributing to the company through their involvement. This is an idea that can readily be implemented in any organization, large or small. This paper presents the history and the accomplishments of the book club.