It’s my birthday month, and as we typically do , I have taken time to be introspective about where I have been and where I am going. 

From 2001 to 2020, I was the Head of a Quality (HOQ) unit. Since 2020, I have been an HOQ consultant for several small start-ups. Since that first position began, I was never considered typical. I was somewhat gregarious, liked to bring levity to serious situations, and was very grey—as in—focused on figuring out the best operational/least complicated way to meet the regulation.

But why? For the last 12 years, I have taught in a MedTech Quality Graduate Program. In the last few years, the type of student has changed from seasoned Quality professional to brand new to industry and/or new to Quality. I have gotten good feedback from my peers and teams regarding my Quality Style in the past, so as the students have come into the Quality Program more green and malleable in their Quality leadership style, I have tried to dissect my own behaviors and how I was shaped. What are the good things I can help pass on. Why did I become a Head of Quality – what drove me there….

Driver #1: I am fundamentally a rule follower. QA just makes sense to me – because, duh, we have to follow the rules. Call it a by-product of my Catholic school upbringing or my Girl Scout membership – whatever – I feel good when I know the guidelines and that I will not get in trouble if I stay within them.

Driver #2: I am very pragmatic by nature. I grew up knowing I would be a scientist. I was a Junior Naturalist in junior high, and throughout high school, I participated in several special programs, so I settled on being a Forestry major with the goal of working for the DNR. Sometime during my Freshman year of college, it dawned on me that a) there are very few actual DNR positions to be hired into and b) I would likely need to move (News Flash!). Once I determined this dream wasn’t reasonable, I decided to become a Medical Technologist – immediately employable out of school!

Driver #3: I am passionate about good, effective leadership. As a Program Manager in the late 90s, I was fortunate to have a position in a heavily matrixed organization. I had no positional power and got things done purely by persuasive power. This was interesting to me – and drove me to obtain my Masters in Leadership in 1999. I live by Peter Drucker’s quote “Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things”. I knew I could manage people and things, but being a leader was what I aspired to be!

Driver #4: I love teaching and mentoring people. I was a GS leader from the age of 18 until into my 40s. I also trained adult Girl Scouts how to be great GS leaders. I formally mentor through SQA and ASQ. I mentor several of my old Quality team members – between 5-10 hours a month. I feel extremely fulfilled by helping and offering an approach, lending an ear so they can vent about a situation, and giving the “no, you’re not crazy” talk when they are being told they are going too far… And they give so much back to me by allowing me to stay so connected to them!

Driver #5: I’m insecure and want to be liked. Yep – it’s true. I’m very empathetic and sometimes lead by my emotions. Not very sciency. But it does lend itself to allowing me to hear others point of view. Even the cranky Operations guy (no -they aren’t all guys, and they aren’t all cranky!). The bottom line is that my need to be liked makes me sometimes a better Head of Quality. If I couldn’t care less if you liked me, I may be more willing to say NO – you can’t do that, and instead, I am more willing to say KNOW why we shouldn’t do that.

Driver #6: I HATE being the bad guy ALL THE TIME. I wasn’t really good at being the bad guy parent, either (my husband concurs, but my children disagree…). But again, this can work to my advantage sometimes. I need to have all my ducks in a row and have the right ammunition before shutting something completely down. That being said – plenty of past co-workers can tell you I can and will stop things – and not always gracefully or nicely. I have been the bad guy – and I’m sure some didn’t like me much at all. But in general, my inner voice drives me to avoid being that person.

I haven’t figured it all out. I do know that I chose the right career path after all. And that, as much as it has given me sleepless nights, weeks/months away from my family, holidays spent working on recalls or serious issues… It has also given me a sense of being a part of something important (I have been part of successful IVD, Device, and Drug approvals!), its provided both scientific and creative outlets for me (ask me to show you some of my process flow charts and processes!), its allowed me to cultivate strong leadership skills and to help others to do the same, and at the end of the day – I feel pretty accomplished. Like a Queen of Quality.