March 1, 2007A Major Non-Conformance
“Joe” used “Fred” as a subcontracting auditor until the client said he didn’t want Fred to come near. The reason was that every time he found the slightest issue he said;
- That’s a major non-conformance.
By lunchtime the client was terrified – unnecessarily. Joe tried to get Fred to understand that he was overreacting. Joe suggested that if the client had a hangnail, Fred might label it a major non-conformance. Fred seemed unable to dial it down a bit so Joe ended up not using him any more. A PowerPhrase is as strong as it needs to be and no stronger – and when the expression is too strong for the situation, it becomes a Poison Phrase.
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What exactly is a “non-conformance”? I have a guess, but I don’t know if I’m right.
Did Joe ask Fred to tone down his use of the phrase or to choose others so that his own “performance” sounded less like a stuck record and more like a dialog?
I hope somebody answers my question about non-conformancy. I’d love to know exactly what it means.
Comment by kym — February 24, 2009 @ 9:22 am
I cannot speak with certainty regarding the intended meaning in this application, but in construction it refers to work “not completed, installed, or executed in accordance with contractual requirements.” Examples would include exceeding dimensional tolerances, installing products different than originally agreed upon, or applying paint to a surface not properly prepared or when the surface temperature is to low.
Comment by Jim Swindler — February 26, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
I don’t believe we have that term here in SE Idaho (I managed a construction company until eight months ago – which included me performing such duties as installing garage doors, trusses, and sheetrock along with all the typical office administration duties).
I like the saying for construction applications, it is explanatory. If it won’t pass inspection, it is “non conforming”. Meryl mentioned that in the above scenario the phrase was used repeatedly in a single conversation though, and I can see why that would un-nerve Joe. I can also see why it might unnerve a homeowner whose inspector was using that phrase repeatedly.
Thanks for the explanation.
Comment by kym — February 26, 2009 @ 5:03 pm