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Category Archives: Systems thinking
Unpacking the Components of Hard Work to Design Better Work Conditions
Effort is grossly underrated by Jamie Flinchbaugh: There is a common phrase of “work smarter, not harder.” I get the appeal of that. Effort without clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness, has severe limits. Working smart is essential. But does that mean … Continue reading
Posted in Career, Respect, Systems thinking
Tagged Career, Joy in Work, management system, managing people, Psychology, respect for people, Systems thinking
1 Comment
Podcast: Building Organizational Capability
The Software Process and Measurement Cast 420 features an interview with me, by Thomas Cagley, on Building Organizational Capability (download podcast). John Hunter in the podcast: Changing how organizations are managed makes a huge difference in people’s lives, not all … Continue reading
Continually Improving Using a Focus on Delighting Customers
ASQ asked the ASQ influential voices to respond to this question: What is the best way to ensure quality and customer integration grow together? When I first got involved in the quality field that name (quality) seemed to vague for … Continue reading
Bell Labs Designing a New Phone System Using Idealized Design
I remember hearing this same story when Russ Ackoff spoke at the Hunter Conference on Quality (which was named in honor of my father) in Madison, Wisconsin. If you haven’t heard this story you are in for a treat. And … Continue reading
Posted in Innovation, Management, Process improvement, Systems thinking
Tagged Ackoff, case study, change, engineering, Innovation, management, Systems thinking, transformation, webcast
3 Comments
Integrating Technical and Human Management Systems
ASQ has asked the Influential Voices on quality management to look at the question of integrating technical quality and human management systems. How do different systems—technical or human—work together? How should they work together? My view is that the management … Continue reading
Unintended Consequences
Using data to understand your processes and improve them is very useful. But using data often results in unintended consequences. If you don’t have a good understanding on the pressures collecting data will bring to bear on the system you … Continue reading
Posted in Customer focus, Management, Process improvement, Systems thinking
Tagged airlines, Customer focus, Data, Systems thinking
1 Comment
Change Management: Create a Culture Seeking Continual Improvement or Use Band-Aids?
Successfully shepherding change within an organization is often a challenge. Often change management strategies are mainly about how to cope with a toxic culture but exclude the option of fixing the toxic culture. Why not address the root causes instead … Continue reading
Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Psychology, Respect, Systems thinking
Tagged change, culture, curiouscat, leadership, managing people, organization as a system, Psychology, respect for people, root cause, trust
3 Comments
The Mission Statement Must Guide Action In Order To Matter
Does Mission Matter? [the broken link was removed] That is the question raised this month by Pat La Londe for the ASQ Influential Voices. I have discussed a similar topic in a previous post: Vision can be a Powerful Driver … Continue reading
What to Do To Create a Continual Improvement Culture
This month the ASQ Influential Voices discussion explores what to do and avoid in order to create a performance culture? James Lawther shared his ideas on what not to do to get things started. I have discussed steps to take … Continue reading
Giving Executives 40% of Revenue is Insane
I have previous written on my belief that excessive executive compensation had reached the level of a deadly disease of western management (building on the W. Edwards Deming’s list of 7 deadly diseases). I named excessive executive pay and a … Continue reading →