“Quality is the best business plan.”
-Patrick Martin
You know what? Boeing isn’t just a contemporary example of corporate culture gone wrong – it’s gone completely evil.
Quality hasn’t taken a backseat…it’s not even on their radar (no pun intended).
The Facts That Will Send Chills Down Your Spine
Consider these alarming facts…In just the past year, the following public safety incidents have been acknowledged by Boeing and the FAA.
- Passenger door blown out, mid-air
- cockpit window cracked, take-off
- oxygen leak, pre-flight (Blinken incident)
- passenger notices bolts missing on wing, pre-flight
- lost wheel during take-off, wobbled off
- lost wheel after take-off, mid-air
- plane arrived with cargo door open
- landing gear malfunction
- engine failure mid-flight
- engine fire, mid-flight
This is a rolling disaster that was first documented in 2012. There have been too many incidents – some deadly – over the decade to list in a single article.
Boeing employees are lashing out, understandably:
- “Designed by clowns and supervised by monkeys!”
- “I don’t know how to fix these things; its systematic.”
- “It’s a fact that we have a senior leadership team that understands very little about the business and yet are driving us to certain objectives.”
-Fortune International January 10th 2020
John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager, prime witness, and whistleblower, shared, “My concern is with the 737 and the 787…because those programs have really embraced the theory that quality is overhead and non-value added.” (from a Twitter X interview)
Fortunately for Boeing and the FAA, John Barnett conveniently murdered himself earlier this month and will be unable to testify. You won’t find that headlining any major mainstream news network (surprise, surprise).
We’re told Boeing is fixing the problem…as if some aspirational posters in the employee breakroom will do the trick. There is no fix! The fact is: Boeing is broken and the public knows it.
Will Boeing Ever Get Deadly Serious…About Quality?
We’ve seen enough. People are selecting flights based on aircraft, and others are selecting 737 seats away from those doors. In reaction, airlines are cancelling Boeing orders. We may be seeing the beginning of the end for Boeing.
On January 6th, 2024, a hole opened up in the fuselage of a brand-new Alaska Air Boeing 737 Max. It’s a miracle no one died this time – after all, previous 737 Max passengers haven’t been so fortunate. Something as simple as seat selection could mean life or death.
On March 26th, 2024, Boeing announced its CEO Dave Calhoun, and Commercial Division CEO Stan Deal will resign. This is a ceremonial “town square hanging” to assure the public the Boeing board of directors is doing something about the problem.
Here’s what the public really wants to know: When will Boeing get deadly serious about Quality?
Now back to the world of banking…If you want to see how quality affects banking and credit unions, please read my previous blog “Spirit of Quality in Banking.”
The winds of change are blowing strong: the question is…how mobilized is your organization for the BIG changes already knocking at your door?
Contact me today to find out how I can help.