NORTHERN IMPROVEMENT NETWORK
Statement of Purpose
Mission
The Northern Improvement Network exists to facilitate communication and learning between people who are focused on making quality an organizational strategy. The following are expected results for each meeting:
· Learn to apply the necessary methods and tools supported by theory for predictable results
· Make connections with other organizations who are working on the same challenges
· Learn about new applications, ideas and insights from fellow participants
· Identify ideas for testing for your organization
Beliefs
Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge (theories of variation, systems, knowledge and psychology) guides Network members in studying, creating, and integrating knowledge for improvement.
The Network is open to all types of organizations, including industry, healthcare, government and education institutions.
The use of methods and materials from Associates in Process Improvement (API) will be the focus of the Network. This does not preclude the use of outside speakers.
Objectives
1. Learn from Each Other
· Everyone here has substantial knowledge of the topics being discussed. Your participation will contribute greatly to the value of this Network. Everybody learns, everybody teaches.
· We must be able to examine our thinking, strategies and methods. A spirit of inquiry and reflection should be part of our communication.
2. Share Successes, Obstacles and Failures
· Improvement requires great effort. The journey is filled with learning from success and failure. Failure is a natural part of making improvements. Describe the journey and help others learn from the roadblock, failure and successes.
· No sales pitches. We are interested in your journey and the results.
3. Create Networks of Communication
· Get to know each other. Gaining information and help from people actually causing quality to become an organizational strategy can be a great resource for your own organization.
· The purpose of this Network is not to grow as an organization, but to learn from all sections of society.