When we think of November we immediately think about Thanksgiving, deer hunting season, and Black Friday shopping. These observations are well-known and carry a rich tradition. Some people like the tradition and some are less than pleased with it. Either way, these events are etched in America’s fabric. Throughout November, there are many other observances to speak to a diverse nation. However, November is a busy month and while we scurry to fulfill our tasks and prepare for celebrations, we can easily miss the many other events observed in November. For instance, did you know National Family week occurs in November? Plate Tectonics Day is November 1 and National STEM/STEAM Day takes places on November 8. We celebrate our veterans on November 11. November 17 is Use Less Stuff Day. With Use Less Stuff Day, we meet quality in two ways. Using less stuff makes us more efficient. Being more efficient, if only for November 17, is a laudable exercise. Quality professionals can certainly applaud the less stuff bunch. At the same time, we can use November as an opportunity to celebrate our achievements through World Quality Month.

Closing the First Decade of World Quality Month

Since 2010, ASQ has fostered World Quality Month, offering organizations around the world an opportunity to celebrate successes and share results for others to learn from. World Quality Month is also about understanding the impact quality has on the world during business hours, in the community, and at home. And there’s even some stuff available to you for your use.

ASQ hopes you celebrate World Quality Month with your colleagues and share with your organization and the quality community the great work you have accomplished. World Quality Month is also a great opportunity to learn what other organizations are doing.

Celebrating World Quality Month in Your Organization

While there are many organizations that plan their World Quality Month celebrations weeks—if not months—in advance of the event date, your organization can plan a successful event in a short amount of time. You can also celebrate without planning a specific event. ASQ has developed an online event planning handbook based on events that have taken place over the past World Quality Months. Here are a few examples:

• Print and hang World Quality Month posters around your building.
• Include a note about World Quality Month and the work of the quality department in your organization’s newsletter and on your intranet site.
• Arrange for the quality department to host an open house in which staff speak about the importance of quality and showcase their projects. Consider serving light refreshments.
• Host a “lunch and learn” event about quality or World Quality Month at your organization. Ask the quality director or VP to speak about the role of quality and its importance in the organization. Consider serving light refreshments or dessert at the event.

The connecting thread throughout these examples is your community and network. Like Thanksgiving, deer hunting, and Black Friday, World Quality Month should be seen as an opportunity to get together with your colleagues and meet staff from other departments and divisions.

Much like the more established November observances, World Quality Month is about community—celebrating the existing community and fostering the future community, creating a tradition. Also, like the more established November observances, there is no one right way to celebrate World Quality Month. In fact, the only wrong way to celebrate World Quality Month is to fail to celebrate at all.

For downloadable files and other World Quality information, visit asq.org/wqm.