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What do you do with a toothpick? – Subir Chowdhury – thought leader, management consultant, author – The Ice Cream Maker, The Power of LEO, The Power of Design For Six Sigma
//What do you do with a toothpick?
    2018-06-07T19:28:22+00:00

    Quality & Me

    Subir shares short stories about what people do to make a difference everywhere they go. We can make huge contributions to the way we function as a society by standing out as an example within our own community: at work, at our places of worship, among our colleagues, friends, and family. All it takes is the courage to step up and being straightforward, thoughtful, accountable, and resilient.

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    Books by Subir

    The Power of LEO
    The Ice Cream Maker
    The Power of Design for Six
    The Power of Six Sigma
    Organization 21c

    Books read by Subir

    What do you do with a toothpick

    What do you do with a toothpick?

    Caring isn’t someone else’s issue—it’s your issue. It’s my issue. It’s your neighbor’s issue. It’s the CEO’s issue.

    A few years ago, I met with a client at his offices in Michigan. It was a large organization, going through some turbulent times.

    The organization wasn’t meeting its goals; things weren’t looking good.

    Out of nowhere, my client asked me the following question:

    “Subir, what do you do with a toothpick when you are done with it?”

    I was stunned into silence. Where did this come from?

    After a few seconds, I responded that, of course, I would throw it away.

    “Exactly,” he responded.

    This client then went on to tell me he had spotted a used toothpick on the floor that housed the C-suite offices of his organization.

    To me, he seemed overwhelmed by a meaningless piece of garbage.

    I asked him, “What’s the big deal? It’s a toothpick. Someone was just careless; it happens.”

    That was exactly the point, he explained to me.

    To him, that “meaningless piece of garbage” was indicative of a bigger problem: not caring.

    To me, it was an “ah ha” moment.

    His point was simple, yet profound: unless everyone cares, none of us care.

    A caring mindset is paramount to success in work, at home, and in our communities and places of worship. If just one of us stops caring, it creates a domino effect: we all stop caring.

    Think about the last time you picked up a piece of trash on the sidewalk, helped your neighbor without being asked, or thanked a co-worker for critical but necessary feedback. These are all small actions, but again, the sum is more powerful than the individual actions.

    Caring has a snowball effect because little things add up.

    Caring isn’t someone else’s issue—it’s your issue. It’s my issue. It’s your neighbor’s issue. It’s the CEO’s issue.

    Caring starts with you: how many “toothpicks” have you picked up today?

    Frances Hesselbein Medal for Excellence in Leadership and Service

    Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence?

    Maruti-Suzuki and the Quality Way

    Quality is defined by the customer. It happens when we are willing to listen to each other, enrich our experiences, and optimize our opportunities to improve. Quality comes when we have a mindset for honesty, integrity, resistance to compromise, and ethical behavior. What we want is for quality to be an automatic response to everyday encounters. When this mindset becomes part of the organization’s DNA – its very essence – then we can say that Quality is everyone’s business.

    Step back so you can move forward

    When I need to recharge my batteries, I usually go for a long walk. Sometimes by myself, sometimes with one of my kids. I always end up feeling refreshed and reenergized when I return. It’s critical that you’re passionate about what you do—otherwise, what’s the point? However, there’s a difference between passion and obsession. Let me explain.

    Don’t be afraid of the truth

    Encourage everyone – and I mean everyone – to be straightforward, to tell the truth, and to not be afraid. Without being straightforward, you can never make a difference.