As the smoke cleared and Detroit's profits began to improve, however, the automakers featured their new image under the tag of quality. The auto industry had changed significantly, because of information that was available to everyone in the organization from top to bottom. This information said plainly and relentlessly that without change, these companies would be out of business. Many improvements were made during this period of radical change. That may be fine at the end of a change story, but remember this significant change did not begin, was not sustained by, and will not end with the auto industry chasing quality.
Quality is a by-product of a total change effort.
If you plan to take on a change initiative, you must identify the forces threatening your profitability. You must deliver enought information to confirm or not confirm your current status. You must maintain an energy level that will continue to deliver that same message, relentlessly, until the change becomes the new state. Once you are outside the maze of fads and acronyms, focus on yourself as a manager and the needs of your company. View the list of fads and acronyms only as tools.