The latest newsletter from the W. Edwards Deming Institute [new link since the old link was broken] includes the photo of Dr. Deming from 1951 and: Some notes on management in a hospital by W. Edwards Deming, Ph.D.:
Fifteen hours elapse between dinner and breakfast. I was hungry in the middle of the night, first night. Fortunately had candy bars on hand. I have learned how to acquire and store up food like a squirrel if I get hungry during the night.
Dr. Deming had a sense of humor (the smile in the picture is quite different from the photos I normally see).
A physician cannot change the system. A head nurse cannot change the system. Meanwhile, who would know? To work harder will not solve the problem. The nurses couldn’t work any harder.
I will attend the W. Edwards Deming Institute Fall Conference in Washington DC, October 14th and 15th – send me a note if you plan on attending.
Related: PBS Documentary: How Hospitals Heal Themselves – Destroyed by Best Efforts – blog posts on Deming’s management ideas
