Total Quality Management: For companies to thrive we need good people who are growing!

My recent trip to Europe got me thinking about Total Quality Management.
Have you heard of W. Edwards Deming and his concept of Total Quality Management? Deming went to Japan after WWII, and is credited with helping “Made in Japan” become the symbol of quality it was by the 1970s. His ideas on management are still thought of as revolutionary today, almost 80 years later!
One of his 14 points is that for companies to thrive they need not only good people, but good people who are growing. Going to Europe, being in countries I hadn't visited before, where I didn't know the language or the culture, pushed me out of my comfort zone and fed me in a way I haven't been fed in a long time! It fed my soul, my intellect, and my curiosity. It helped me grow in the way Demings believes we need our employees to be growing.
For our employees to keep growing we need to help them find a work / life balance. We need to encourage them to have a full life outside of work. Does the structure of your company encourage your employees to do that?
Until next week, when I'll talk about another aspect of Total Quality Management: the definition of "Quality", remember that you are enough.