Quality Professionals

FOREWORD

They Shoot Horses, Too

I'd like to begin by describing the ending of a film I watched years ago, which made a deep impression on me. I believe it was a film that had won several awards. The film offered a glimpse into the social and psychological dimensions of the economic crisis that was raging across America in the 1930s.

On the dance floor, there is a dance competition where the couple who can stay on their feet until the very end will win the prize. Unemployment and destitution had led many people to pin their hopes on this dance competition, which went on 'until they collapsed'. The spectators—affluent American citizens—are having a jolly good time, oblivious to the contestants' despair, exhaustion and disillusionment with life. As the film progresses—though I don't recall the details very well now—the unfolding relationships and events culminate in the male lead shooting and killing the female lead. The exhaustion and weariness brought on by economic hardship and so many disappointments further compound the fatigue of the dance marathon, which lasts for days. The film's protagonists are unable to complete the marathon and are thrown out of the hall. For the girl, who has lost all hope for the future, dying becomes her only hope. In the end, the young man agrees to fulfil the girl's wish to leave this life and shoots her in the head.

When one of the police officers arriving at the scene asks, "Why did you kill this girl?", the young man, standing by the head of his murdered girlfriend, replies, "She asked me to kill her," and then adds, "They shoot horses too, Don't they?" The police had never encountered such a motive for murder before. They could make no sense of it. For them, what mattered was that the murder weapon and the perpetrator had been found. In truth, they had neither the curiosity nor the concern to understand the real reason behind the murder. The orders they've been given to behave in accordance with written and unwritten rules have robbed them of the ability and desire to grasp certain subtleties. Yet, even so, faced with an answer he's completely unaccustomed to, he turns to his colleague and, muttering something along the lines of, 'Hah! A benevolent murderer. What on earth is this bloke on about?', belittles the killer in his own way.

After all, police officers are smarter than murderers. Because they live by the rules. Because the murderer will soon be locked up in prison, whilst sensible people will carry on with their normal lives.

I am quite certain that the topics and views I shall raise in this book will provoke reactions in certain quality management professionals—and particularly in the leaders of the Masonic organisations to which they belong—similar to that of the police officer in the film. It will begin with a reaction along the lines of 'What on earth is he on about?', followed by 'Who does this man—that is, me—think he is? What on earth is he on about? We are experts who know all the standards and models for quality management systems by heart and have successfully implemented them in countless organisations and/or firms. In the field of quality, how could anyone other than us possibly have a say? If we were to list our references, training certificates and certificates of achievement one after the other—and at frequent intervals—we'd fill dozens of A4 pages. What this man is saying has absolutely nothing to do with quality standards. Besides, how many training certificates does this man have? These are reactions against progress and development. Those who oppose us are enemies of quality. I know they'll carry on in this vein: 'etc., etc.'...

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