The headline’s question seemed a bit far-fetched to me when it was originally posed. The answer provided another delightful illustration of the myriad analogies we find in our everyday lives that relate so effortlessly to our work as quality professionals.

Every once in a while when I’m conducting training, I have the good fortune to have someone ask a particularly atypical question that gets me thinking and helps me to develop more tools and techniques. This serves to not only augment my own bag of tricks but also increases my capacity to serve my clients.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 176 is made up of members who develop international standards on quality management and assurance, including the ISO 9000 series. Members of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO/TC 176 develop U.S. positions on those standards. Participation in TAG 176 provides an opportunity for representatives of U.S. constituencies such as industry, commerce, and government, to influence the development of international standards on quality.

Trepanning is the process of drilling a hole in the skull. It was practiced as far back as 10,000 years ago. Archaeological artifacts lend credence to the lore that the process was used by some cultures to expel evil spirits. Apart from that occult-ish application, the process has been used for centuries to ease headache pain and other ailments. Scientists suspect that in some cases it may have actually been beneficial in relieving pressure on the brain.