The term “guerilla tactics” likely conjures images of ragtag armed fighters skulking about the jungle to ambush a better outfitted target. Obviously, that’s not what this workshop is about when it comes to changing your organization’s culture around quality. A better definition in this context paraphrased from Google’s Dictionary, is that of a member of a small independent group taking part in activities performed in an impromptu way, often without authorization. In business we would more typically refer to such people as mavericks, leaders, change agents, or even loose-cannons, heretics, or disrupters. Regardless of which of those labels you consider positive or negative, the common theme is that they are people with strong convictions who persist in driving change.
In changing quality culture, the goal isn’t to crush our opponents, but to convert them; along with everyone else. That conversion is the entire focus. Your goal shouldn’t be just to implement a new process, system, or requirement, but winning over hearts and minds so that everyone truly engages in the change (I know, lots of cliches). Even those who agree with the need for change often still fear it; most often because they don’t know exactly what the change will be, how it will impact them, or how to get there. And change agents often aren’t sure how to address each of those legitimate concerns.
A perception of needing permission often hinders the desire to lead change. This event, will show you how to lead, without formal authority.
Speaker:
Steve Gompertz (CQM, CBA, RAC-US, CMII) is a leader in Quality Systems management with over 30 years of experience in the medical technology industry. His career includes roles in quality systems development and implementation, project management, engineering automation, configuration management, audit, and software development for companies including Pelican BioThermal, St. Jude Medical (now Abbott), Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Vital Images, and Control Data. He is now a consultant to the industry providing guidance on quality systems and regulatory compliance. Steve holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University, and certifications in quality management, medical device auditing, regulatory affairs, project management, and configuration management. Steve started his professional career in software development and then moved into systems implementation project management. After joining the medical device industry, he transitioned from implementing quality-related IT solutions to managing quality organizations and processes. Steve also helped St. Cloud State University develop and is a Sr. Adjunct Instructor in the “M.S. in Medical Technology Quality” program. Steve can be reached at Steve.Gompertz@QrxPartners.com, and more information about his experience is available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegompertz/
Sponsor:
The MN ASQ Biomedical Consortium (BMC) is a group of quality professionals promoting and advancing quality tools, principles, and practices through educational events. We focus on the medical device industry but promote events for other regulated environments.
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