Author : Glory Borgeson
I've done some writing about the work of W. Edwards Deming, quality
guru from the 1950's to the 1980's. When his ideas were
not initially welcome in the U.S., he turned to Japan.Business leaders in Japan were hungry for Deming's
brilliant ideas that took employee relations into
consideration as they built incredible quality into
their products.When I was a child, the "made in Japan" insignia on
many goods meant that the item was cheap and junky.
By the late 1970's, however, cars and electronics
made in Japan were high quality and sought-after.
Deming's leadership and his teachings on quality,
especially in the manufacturing environments of that time
(and later in service businesses), made the difference.Deming's ideas transformed not only manufacturing processes
but also how people were treated in the workplace. From
hiring practices to training to evaluation to promotion,
employee relations were transformed in Japan.How have the Japanese people fared in the last 20 years?
Many of their products are still considered to be the
highest quality in the world. I've also read, however,
that their stress levels are quite high, so perhaps the
people side of Deming's equations did not infiltrate
the society as much as he had hoped.I recall reading in the 1980's and 1990's about stressed-out
Japanese workers who were developing stress-related
illnesses and who were suffering from depression in
droves, some even taking their own lives.The Chicago Tribune reported on June 13, 2004 that the
Japanese people have a rising incidence of sleep disorders.
The article noted that it starts in elementary school,
when children stay up late studying, thus beginning a
habit of working too hard. This continues into adulthood
when they regularly work long hours and commute long
distances to their jobs.In 2000, Japan's Health Ministry reported that 31% of
Japanese people said they do not get enough sleep
because of their work, school, or commuting. Another
29% said their lack of sleep was due to stress.To alleviate this, a Japanese company has developed a
sleep machine that is a combination of a very fancy
chair, a large screen TV, and music. The company that
created it, Matsushita Electric Works, claims it will
give its users a full 8 hours of sleep. The chair transforms
into a sort-of bed, the TV screen displays peaceful,
pastoral scenes, and the music is soothing. All of this
sells for $30,000.I'm stressed out just from the price tag.So how did the Japanese get to such a stressful state?
Probably through a variety of means: their intense work
ethic, the high cost of living, habits formed in either
childhood or young adulthood, the culture, etc.While I acknowledge that producing a great product or
service is wonderful, when the stress of doing so
interferes with my health, what's the point? When
stress leads to a debilitating illness or early death,
that is not success.The person who dies with the most toys does not win! He dies!For much of my adult life I've focused on ways to reduce
stress. While this focus has not been continuous, an
increased stress level brings my attention back to the
importance of 'managing stress' every time.My life has been far from stress-free. When I was 22 or
23, I took one of those stress tests that asks questions
about various types of events that occurred in the previous
365 days. For those events that occurred, a certain number
of points is given. At the end of the questionnaire you
add up all the points and compare the total to a grid to
determine your current stress level. When I took that test,
my stress level was sky high. (I did not keep that test,
but it's a good one. If anyone knows where I can find a
test like that, please contact me!)Finding out that your stress level is high is only
helpful if you can do something about it. Before you
go out and spend $30,000 on a Matsushita sleep machine,
consider what you've done over the last 10 years to
reduce your stress level. Then send me an e-mail to
tell me about it.© 2005 Borgeson Consulting, Inc.Glory Borgeson is a business coach and consultant, and the president of
Borgeson Consulting, Inc. She specializes in helping small business owners
(of 500 employees or less) to increase their Entrepreneurial IQ, which
leads to increased profit and decreased stress. Whether an entrepreneur is at the top
of his game like any top athletes you can think of today, or a rookie just
starting his business, Glory works with the entire spectrum of entrepreneur.
Top athletes have a coach; why not you?Click here for Borgeson Consulting, Inc.This article was originally published in The Business Express, Borgeson's
free monthly ezine. You may subscribe by clicking here:Ezine
Keyword : stress,winning,Deming,Japan,sleep,toys,stressful,managing,change
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