Manulife joins staff on journey

Silver award winner Manulife (International) has derived a great deal of pleasure from competing in the HKMA Quality Award 2011, says Michael Huddart, executive vice-president and chief executive officer.

'Although participating was hard, we had a lot of fun in so doing. It was a great team-building exercise. We forged collaboration across departments and among individuals who don't usually work together,' he adds.

The company reaped numerous benefits by taking part, not least because independent quality experts have given Manulife their seal of approval in its adoption of Total Quality Management (TQM).

Manulife consistently communicates with the public about its passion for customer service. By participating in the award, the company had the opportunity to reinforce this message internally, and further motivate its employees by letting them know how vital they are to top quality customer service, Huddart notes. 'Through our participation, we have sent out the message that quality and services are the differentiators. Everyone is a marketer giving services tailored to the specific needs of each customer.'

On a personal level, Huddart says he has learned a lot from the award's detailed and stringent judging criteria, which has inspired him to identify some areas for further enhancement. 'The message has gone out to the entire workforce as well,' he adds.

In his view, one of the biggest impacts of the adoption of TQM is on staff communication. 'We have put increasing emphasis on achieving strategic and tactical objectives. We have employed multiple tools, including a CEO video discussing quality.'

Manulife has also beefed up the content of its staff newsletter and regularly features key performance indicators, communicating the company's expectations to employees, Huddart notes. 'We also use panel meetings to engender ideas. Communication is vital for continuous quality enhancement. Everyone needs to be aligned towards the same goals.'