Cargo Cult Quality

Many Quality initiatives are introduced in the form of ‘Cargo Cults’.  

So, what are Cargo Cults?

Cargo Cults derive from a collective misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the world, brought about by overly simplistic beliefs. 

The term ‘Cargo Cults’ appeared during World War II.  Military personnel would appear in front of indigenous tribes with apparent unending wealth and technology.  This wealth was often re-supplied by cargo planes.   

Once the military personnel had left, the locals would try to copy what they had seen, hoping to bring them similar ongoing ‘wealth’.  ‘Cars’, ‘aeroplanes’, ‘radios’, and so on were created from a purely visual perspective, rather than a technically correct one.  They would do the easy part and make their copy ‘look right’.

Although they might look ‘correct’ to the casual observer, or from a child-like perspective, what they built would have essential pieces missing such as engines and other ‘hidden’ parts.  The effect would be they could, and would, never work.

Cargo Cult thinking is already an understood phenomenon in the IT world, where Cargo Cult Programming is a recognised ‘problem’.

By overlooking the ‘difficult’ foundations required to create a true robust and sustainable Quality system, many end up implementing what we might call ‘Cargo Cult Quality’.

Many Quality systems are deployed as a part of a management ‘fad’ initiative, where the manager is searching for the ‘quick fix’, rather than sound thinking about how they may actually add value.

In the same way the original Cargo Cults would leave out the ‘difficult’ or ‘long-winded’ aspects of what they were copying, many who implement Quality systems, along with the consultants who ‘teach’ them, leave out the difficult and long winded aspect of building the suitable foundation of truly engaging the staff first!