Alignment Is the Secret Ingredient for Quality
Oct 14, 2025
Creating a Shared Understanding of Quality in Your Business
When you ask your team what quality means, don’t be surprised if you get a variety of answers. Some may equate it with luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz or Royal Doulton, while others may think of it simply as “getting the job done.” These differences highlight an important truth: unless your business has a shared understanding of quality, your customers may not consistently get what they need.
At its core, quality is not about expense, prestige, or perfection. It’s about meeting your customers’ needs dependably and reliably. For one customer, quality may be an affordable car that’s fuel efficient and easy to park. For another, it might be a premium vehicle with space, comfort, and prestige. Both are quality—because both deliver the right solution for the right customer.
The same principle applies in your workplace. A gold-rimmed tea set may be high quality for a formal dinner, but in a busy canteen, recyclable cups are the better-quality choice. Quality isn’t about “better” or “more expensive”—it’s about fitness for purpose.
So, what is quality?
Quality is delivering:
What the customer wants: Fit for purpose and solves customer problems
On time: Reliable and dependable delivery
Every time: Consistent experiences with no excuses
At the right cost: Affordable and sustainable for both the customer and the business
When your team embraces this definition, you shift from seeing quality as “nice to have” to making it a non-negotiable foundation of business success.
Small Changes that Deliver Impact
- Ask every team member what quality means to them.
- Compare answers and build a unified definition together.
- Revisit and reinforce this shared understanding in team meetings and customer conversations.
Impact Perspective
When leaders create a shared understanding of quality, they unlock alignment across the business. This ensures consistent customer experiences, reduces waste, and builds trust. Ultimately, it shifts your business from selling products to delivering solutions—a change that customers notice and value.
Reflection Questions for Leaders
- Do I have a clear, consistent definition of quality in my business?
- How aligned are my team’s views on quality with our customers’ expectations?
- Where could misaligned perceptions of quality be impacting customer satisfaction?
- How can I reinforce that quality is about dependability, reliability, and fitness for purpose in daily operations?
For more small changes with impact buy the book: An Entrepreneur’s Guide: 7 Focus Areas to Align and Transform the Business
