For an organization to start transforming according to its new mission, vision,and quality policy statements, the Leader and Leaders must start developing, educating, and training champions among their people. This is how it happens in Stanfilco, Dole Philippines, and in the whole Dole Asia.


It all started then...

It was in 1988 when Paul Cuyegkeng, then Dole Asia/Japan Operations Manager, convinced the Banana Team to be Number in Quality, Productivity, and Customer Satisfaction. He made the late Mario Morillo, a champion of the Dole Number One initiative. When Paul Cuyegkeng became the Leader of the whole Dole Asia Operations, starting in 1992, he and Mario continued developing champions extending the Dole Number One initiative to all Dole Asia Companies and organizations.


The Champions in Stanfilco

To me, Mario started developing the starter champions in me, then Manager of Quality Assurance and Packaging, and Ricky Tagabucba, the HR manager. He sent Ricky to Japan to study Quality Circle. Ricky became the champions of our "Kaibigan" (Friendhip movement) movement to strengthen friendly and humane relationship among labor and management. He championed also the Quality Circle movement; Later he became co-champion in empowerment and Baldrige Criteria assessment. Mario sent me to attend workshops and seminars on Total Quality Mangement and on Juran IMPRO's conferences. I became the champion for the development and implementation of all TQM initiatives, mainly the Dole University, Quality Systems, Statistical Process Contro; Zero defect,empowerment, and quality improvement teams, organizational assessments along the Baldrige criteria; and many other technological innovations in the production, packaging , and quality operations. Ricky and I would cascade down and developing more champions from all the ranks of the company. The methods are the same that Paul and Mario followed: learning in seminars and workshops for latest ideas in quality mangement, sending the champions abroad to get all these learnings.In years in Stanfilco and in all Dole Companies we sent and we continue to send many champions to travel and learn.

For Quality Systems, we hired and developed Rolly Blanco to be a champion for ISO-9000 and 14000, and in Statistical Process Control (SPC). In turn he was able to develop champions in this project all around.

For Manufacturing Coaches and Quality Assurance personnels, we developed them by exposing them to Japan for three months, and by attending quality seminars and conferences.

For empowerment, we developed and sent Carlos Mandujano and Emil Grande to study empowerment in the USA. The two became champions in all TQM and Dole Number One Initiatives. Emil now works in TropiFresh, a Division of Dole Philippines, managing the Asparagus product lines. Carlos Mandujano is now the Stanfilco General Manager. Our seniors executives have been sent to Management Executive studies to the pretigious management schools like the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and Cornell University. Carlos, Emil and the rest of the senior managements became trainors of champions in their respective Divisions. In time all our Division Managers, we call Councilors, became CHAMPIONS.


The Champions in Dole Philippines and Dole Asia

Mario Morillo and Paul Cuyegkeng empowered their senior management staff to make more champions in the organization. Paul continues to develop champions among his senior managers in Felipe Dabdoub, John Casazza, Mike O'Brien, Danko Stambuk, Casper Javellana, Dickson Co, among his marketing directors, and the Research Division, working as a TEAM. Today, Dole Asia has slowly and finally formed a critical mass of quality champions.With this power of champions, nobody can stop Dole Asia from becoming Number One. The leadership is seen in the marketplaces in the last few years. It is going to be very fast in the next five years.

The difficulties and challenges in the food industry remain formidable, but, I think, the Dole Teams of Champions, will tame even the unpredictable sides of Mother Nature. Then we continue to make Dole Asia number one and the ONLY ONE! With the young blood coming in to participate in the championship, the Dole Transformation is set to the speed of light.

This transformation to be the "Dream Team" in the food business happens because the Leader and the leaders want this to happen. They do this effectively by investing in creating Champions among all the ranks. Hence, technology development, innovations, and positive changes come like second nature to the individuals in the organization.



To me, the key is leadership and development of champions.


The rest of the success ingredients follow naturally.


What will happen if the present leadership disappears in retirement?

I think, the process of the current quality initiative will continue with even new vigor. The new leaders cannot but desire a continued realization of the six Dole Values. That is the reason new leaders are hired and trained to follow. The critical mass of champions will have created an indestructible culture of quality in Dole Asia. Most likely this culture cannot be destroyed. The phenomenon of greatness among most admired companies who champion quality is one of the breakthroughs in human greatness.

You pobably notice that in the Dole process of transformation, there are no interventions or help from Consultants. Dole learns the hard way on its own pace to develop a critical mass. To me, we do not need consultants to implement the process as long as the Leaders lead in developing champions from within. I think this is most effective in organizational transformations. The champions do learn from seminars and workshops around the world.

Stories of Transformation

Books to read

(JPM: update, Sept.21, 1999)

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