//Do you work in a fake culture?

Do you work in a fake culture?

2018-06-14T19:49:26+00:00

How a

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

Ever heard of a fake culture?

If you are not being true to yourself in all aspects of your life, you’re living in a fake culture.

As a leader, a fake culture makes it impossible to develop a caring mindset.

Without a caring mindset, you’ll never make a difference, or be the difference.

Ask yourself the following question, “Are you your true self once you leave the office?” In other words, when you go home, are you a different person?

Your answer, I’m guessing, is “I’m more myself at home.”

If so, why are you allowing yourself to live in a fake world at work?

Think about it: When you are outside of the office, you probably treat other people differently than you do colleagues at work. My guess is you treat people outside the office with respect and consideration.

You understand they have families, they have dreams, and they have problems they’re trying to work through.

You empathize because you care about them as a fellow human being.

You know what? So, do all the employees you manage during the day!

For some reason, when we walk through the office doors in the morning, people become employees. I’ve even heard employees referred to them as a “bucket of resources” as if their value was nothing more than a fast-food meal.

Take a step back and remember that everyone you work with has a story. They have a family; they have dreams; they have challenges. Those things don’t end when they arrive at the office.

If you want your employees to care about you and your organization, you need to care about them—as individuals.

By the way, stop pretending that it’s okay pretend to be someone else at work. Employees will respect the “real you” more than the “fake you”.

When people can’t be their authentic selves, the result is a fake culture. Don’t let yourself be a fake person by treating those around you as if they do not matter.

If you treat the people around you as human beings you truly care about, others will follow your cue, and quality will improve dramatically. Both at work and at home.

Making Choices

Subir reflects on his arrival into the United States with the promise of a job, only to find that the promise is broken. Practically penniless, Subir searches deep into his soul. Undefeated and undeterred, Subir pursues professors and department heads until he meets one who asks: You went to 20 departments, and now it is the 21st one; if I say no to you what you would do? Subir tells him, "I will go to the 22nd." This is Subir's story, not of conquest, but of perseverance in the face of making difficult choices.

Recognizing Quality Innovation

In 2010, the Society of Automotive Engineers along with the Subir and Malini Chowdhury Foundation, established The Subir Chowdhury Medal of Quality Leadership. This award is designed to honor those in the mobility industry who demonstrate ability and talent to further innovation and broaden the impact of "quality" in mobility engineering, design and manufacture.

Stop playing games and start gaining trust

A caring mindset is critical to your success, and the success of your organization. And it starts with being straightforward. Being straightforward means you can be tough and exacting, but also honest, direct, candid, transparent, and fair. Sounds like common sense, doesn’t it? Not always. Let me share a story with you.

How to make everyone a S.T.A.R.

One company had a return that equaled 5 times the cost of their investment in the program. Another company had a return that equaled 100 times the cost of their investment! It’s a true story. I know, because both companies were clients of my firm. Both companies got a return on their investment, but I still felt both frustrated and perplexed that one had done so much better. The reason for the difference kept puzzling me—why would one company do so much better using the same processes?