VW. A company that was once synonymous with quality and reliability is now so tightly bound with the emissions scandal. These are sad times for the motoring giant, but what happened? How did they get it so wrong, and how can we learn from their unfortunate downfall?
Quality and Deadlines
But it does not have to be the case! It should not be the case. We need to stop seeing deadlines as being purely time-related. If you haven't met the brief, but you delivered on time, you have not met your deadline. Just because it barks like a dog and looks like a dog, does not make it a dog!
When deadlines and targets are looming, the first thing to go is quality. I'm sure we can all identify with that on some level, but why is that consistently the case?
Quality is the measure of a good product or service. It is the main ingredient. It secures repeat business. It underpins good branding. Surely it should be the last thing to go.
Brand Promises. Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies...
'It's not just food, it's M&S food', would have a whole different ring to it if they said "It's not just food, it's M&S food, unless we're really under it, and then we'll just shove any old crap in there, but at least it's in M&S packaging."
"It's not just a car, it's a Rolls Royce, but you don't understand what's going on underneath the bonnet anyway, so what difference does it make? We'll make it look pretty and shiny though, so the Jone's will be none the wiser and you'll still look good driving it."
It happens time and time again in every industry. Essentially it boils down to this: This is our ethos, until the crap hits the fan, and rather than admit that we cannot deliver to your timescales using our existing processes, we will compromise our internal practices to ensure that we do not lose face.
Why are we so afraid of managing expectations? Is the sacrifice worth it? I'm sure VW would rather have their reputation in tact by being open and honest, rather than face the current problems they are in.
The Time Delusion
If you don't have time to do the right thing now, it is a fantasy to think that you will have the time later to go back and clean up your mess when nobody is looking. There will always be another pressing issue that requires your full attention.
Don't fool yourself. Do it right or don't do it at all. That's not to say that you won't make mistakes, but they will be honest mistakes. Deception is a bitter pill to swallow. It damages trust, it undermines brand value, and it has severe financial consequences. Your investors will want to distance themselves from you, and worst of all, so will your clients.
Invest in Your Processes
If you find that you are constantly running out of time, that is a symptom of bad processes. You cannot have more time. You must make do with the same amount of time that the rest of us have. If you want your business to stand the test of time, you have to choose your priorities. Either keep on cutting corners and patching things up, and enjoy your dwindling marker share as the sun sets over your business; or invest in your processes. Work Harder and Smarter. Nobody said it would be easy.
It's important to own your processes. Create processes that you have absolute faith in, so you can say what is and isn't possible with absolute confidence, and stick by it. There will always be other clients. And yes, sometimes you may lose out to the competition, but if you are not honest, you will ultimately be the loser.
The #VW #Scandal & why it could've been you. #Quality & #Deadlines: 2 sides of the same coin https://t.co/jSLtHyiZHd pic.twitter.com/rFHWCI7puJ
— Danielle Curio (@DanielleCurio) December 17, 2015
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