The last days of World Quality Week were another opportunity to talk to another manager of the Iran Standard & Quality Inspection Company, who in turn can play an effective role in improving the quality of life of colleagues, especially in the work and welfare of colleagues. For this reason, we dedicated the last interview of World Quality Week to Zeineb Mirzakhani, the manager of the Financial Unit, and asked her opinion on the issue of quality of personal and professional life.

Ms. Mirzakhani, could you please tell us how you evaluate the quality of your surroundings in terms of work life, social life, welfare facilities, and so on?

In general, quality means meeting requirements and demands. However, concerning the quality of work life, this concept is defined in terms of progress and job satisfaction. Therefore, based on the current conditions, it can be said that the social relations and job position of each person in different positions are evaluated with personal opinion and the level of his/her expectation, which in my case, considering my activity in civil society or the people, I estimate it to be in good condition qualitatively. Also, from an economic perspective, it should be noted that factors such as inflation and other conditions, including significant limitations in welfare facilities, are noticeable, affecting all segments of society.

Similarly, how do you evaluate the quality of your performance and management in the workplace in relation to organizational duties?

Considering the concept of quality, which ultimately means flawlessness and the fulfillment of all requirements, and based on conducted assessments, to evaluate performance quality, attention should be paid to aspects such as “goal setting,” ” creating evaluation criteria”, “monitoring and measurement,” “analysis of results,” “feedback analysis from colleagues,” and finally, “adjustment and flexibility.” This has happened in accordance with the organization’s specific vision and goal, and through unity and conclusion, that in my opinion, all efforts have been made to the best of my ability to perform the organization’s duties within the framework of regulations.

In your opinion, how and to what extent can a manager monitor and control the quality of work and personal life of their subordinates, as well as their responsiveness and performance?

A manager should make appropriate communication with their colleagues and stay in continuous contact with them to listen to their needs and respond to them. Additionally, the manager should set clear goals for their subordinates and have strong follow-up to achieve these objectives. Providing regular feedback and measuring the performance of colleagues will also enhance their performance. The manager should support their colleagues in maintaining a balance between personal and professional life and create opportunities for flexibility in the work environment. This includes offering suitable break times and regular vacation allowances. The manager should guide their colleagues on the path of professional and personal progress and support them in making appropriate decisions.

In your opinion, which of the following factors, including quality of equipment, work space, management style, facilities, coworker relationships, and proportional salary and benefits based on workload or working hours, are the most influential in the quality of work life for employees? Which factors would you not compromise on when choosing a place to work?

The importance of these factors varies depending on the individual employee’s organizational behavior and position, but in my opinion, the level of salary and benefits proportional to the workload and working hours, opportunities for advancement and promotion, insurance, and other benefits can have a significant impact on satisfaction and work life. Additionally, the balance between personal and professional life of coworkers and the creation of organizational attachment can create a high level of job satisfaction among coworkers.

As the financial unit manager, how do you evaluate the satisfaction of the employees in that unit with your management? Do you have a solution to increase the job satisfaction of your colleagues?

As the manager of this unit, the evaluation of employee satisfaction with my management can be conducted using the following methods:

Performance evaluation of the manager through surveys and routine meetings is carried out. Considering the monthly meetings of the financial unit and the participation of individuals in problem-solving, their interaction and dialogue suggest a proportional satisfaction. To enhance this job satisfaction, solutions such as timely appreciation, recognizing the efforts of colleagues, and progress in the work environment are recommended.

And finally, for the improvement of quality in any area, especially in the fields of work and performance, do you have any suggestions for your peers in other units of the Iran Standard & Quality Inspection Company?

To enhance quality in any field, especially in the areas of work and performance, I can offer several suggestions:

Creating of a feedback and suggestion system: Requesting feedback and suggestions from colleagues in your unit and other units of the company for the improvement of quality and performance can be beneficial. To achieve this, you can create a system for receiving feedback and suggestions, that allows colleagues to share their needs and propose solutions for improving performance.

Conducting experience-sharing sessions: In these sessions, colleagues can share their experiences in various areas and recommend effective solutions and patterns for the business. These sessions can encourage the sharing of knowledge and experiences among colleagues, contributing to the improvement of quality across the unit and even the entire company.

Forming workgroups to encourage innovation: By forming groups with your colleagues in other units of the company who are interested in improving quality and innovation in the field of work and performance, you can share ideas, programs, and projects. These groups can exchange experiences and ideas with each other and work to improve quality and performance.

The most important point is to interact with your colleagues in other units of the company and use their experiences and suggestions. This type of collaboration and brainstorming can be creative to improve quality and enhance performance at the company level.