Quality’s commonly accepted definition along the lines of “meeting or exceeding customer expectations” falls short. A more complete definition of quality should also consider achieving our potential, which can exist at a personal level or at a business level. Our ability to achieve both potentials is influenced by the relationship between personal ethics and business ethics. This ethical relationship has a direct bearing on craftsmanship, which, in turn, affects quality.

Personal ethics transcend our physiological needs and can be defined in terms of the choices we make to achieve our potential and fulfill our basic social and creative needs. These choices must also contribute to society. Sometimes we make good choices, sometimes not. Reaching the balance between achieving our potential and contributing to society is what it means to be ethical.

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