Process measures: A leadership tool for management

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to encourage the use of ongoing process-based measurement methods, specifically, control charts, as a process measurement tool to guide leadership improvement efforts. The work of Deming will be highlighted while providing a review of measurement methods. Design/methodology/approach - Organizational leadership requires inspiring people and creating an environment so everyone can contribute toward the success of the organization. To accomplish this, a leader needs appropriate, real-time information about how to adjust the current situation. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong and then attempting to fix the situation or tamper with the process, management should use process measures to guide improvement efforts. Findings - Real-time process measures guide improvement efforts by the workers and management because it enables them to pay attention to the process while simultaneously performing it. Traditional improvement methods often lead to worse results because they use retrospective data that encourages process manipulation. Originality/value - Process measures enable the workers and management to better understand the process, its capacity, and how the process can be improved. Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.