Comments for Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog http://management.curiouscatblog.net Management Improvement focused on Deming, lean thinking, innovation, customer focus, six sigma, etc. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:56:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Information Technology and Business Process Support by Learn to Code to Help Your Career » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2008/12/03/information-technology-and-business-process-support/comment-page-1/#comment-45633 Learn to Code to Help Your Career » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:56:07 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=1147#comment-45633 [...] Good programmers have a strong tendency to think in ways that those interested in management improve... (and, sadly, often lack): systems thinking, customer focus, efficiency focused [good coders often hate wasting their time and naturally despise non-value added steps], a willingness to speak up about things that need to be improved, a desire to make a difference, passion for what they do… If you work along side good programmers these traits will be reinforced every day (this was my favorite part of my last job – working with great programmers that pursued these principles and re-enforced my doing so also). Yes there are also things you might have to temper in dealings with non-coders (being a bit kinder/less-direct about perceived failures, for example). Also some coders can be so engaged they expect an unsustainable commitment from peers (this is one of the great benefits of a good agile software development system – a focus on creating an environment for sustainable development [not expecting unreasonable effort/hours on the part of coders]). [...] [...] Good programmers have a strong tendency to think in ways that those interested in management improve… (and, sadly, often lack): systems thinking, customer focus, efficiency focused [good coders often hate wasting their time and naturally despise non-value added steps], a willingness to speak up about things that need to be improved, a desire to make a difference, passion for what they do… If you work along side good programmers these traits will be reinforced every day (this was my favorite part of my last job – working with great programmers that pursued these principles and re-enforced my doing so also). Yes there are also things you might have to temper in dealings with non-coders (being a bit kinder/less-direct about perceived failures, for example). Also some coders can be so engaged they expect an unsustainable commitment from peers (this is one of the great benefits of a good agile software development system – a focus on creating an environment for sustainable development [not expecting unreasonable effort/hours on the part of coders]). [...]

]]> Comment on ASQ Influential Voices: Future Engineers and Scientists by ASQ Influential Voices: Young People and the Future of Engineering and Healthcare — Lean Blog http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/13/asq-influential-voices-future-engineers-and-scientists/comment-page-1/#comment-45631 ASQ Influential Voices: Young People and the Future of Engineering and Healthcare — Lean Blog Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:01:21 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2631#comment-45631 [...] John Hunter (Curious Cat blog): ASQ Influential Voices: Future Engineers and Scientists [...] [...] John Hunter (Curious Cat blog): ASQ Influential Voices: Future Engineers and Scientists [...]

]]> Comment on Trust But Verify by 50 Blogs That Will Make You a Better Manager | OnlineMBA http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/01/16/trust-but-verify/comment-page-1/#comment-45626 50 Blogs That Will Make You a Better Manager | OnlineMBA Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:20:53 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2540#comment-45626 [...] Become a better manager by staying curious, reading the Curious Cat management improvement blog. (Recommended Post: Trust But Verify) [...] [...] Become a better manager by staying curious, reading the Curious Cat management improvement blog. (Recommended Post: Trust But Verify) [...]

]]> Comment on Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively by Mark R Hamel http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/15/why-use-lean-if-so-many-fail-to-do-so-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-45605 Mark R Hamel Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:56:27 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2510#comment-45605 John, Well said. I presume that the success rate is a bit higher than 1%. But, it is still pretty abysmal...and the reasons for failure are typically the same - starting with leadership. It kills me when folks engage in a half-hearted attempt at some bastardized version of lean (or fill in the blank), fail, and then blame it on the holistic business system. It can poison the minds of the countless people who were subject to and/or witnessed the failure. John,

Well said.

I presume that the success rate is a bit higher than 1%. But, it is still pretty abysmal…and the reasons for failure are typically the same – starting with leadership.

It kills me when folks engage in a half-hearted attempt at some bastardized version of lean (or fill in the blank), fail, and then blame it on the holistic business system. It can poison the minds of the countless people who were subject to and/or witnessed the failure.

]]> Comment on Quality and Innovation by Ackoff, Idealized Design and Bell Labs » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2006/07/04/quality-and-innovation/comment-page-1/#comment-45546 Ackoff, Idealized Design and Bell Labs » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:17:59 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2006/07/04/quality-and-innovation/#comment-45546 [...] all the talk about this new idea called “innovation” is silly. But the truth is innovation is and has been important for a very long time. Ackoff’s books [...] [...] all the talk about this new idea called “innovation” is silly. But the truth is innovation is and has been important for a very long time. Ackoff’s books [...]

]]> Comment on Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively by Martin Boersema http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/15/why-use-lean-if-so-many-fail-to-do-so-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-45533 Martin Boersema Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:34:47 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2510#comment-45533 I agree that the success rate of 1% is an arbitrary number. Define a successful lean implementation. Isn't continuous improvement at the heart of lean and TPS? So when does a business go from starting lean to fully implementing lean? No process is perfect, the job is never done. As you've stated in your post, all these companies that have implemented portions of lean do see effects on the bottom line. Are these lean failures or successes? To me, these are successes, with the caveat that more work needs to be done, as it always does. Even a fully abandoned lean initiative may leave remnants of lean success at some level. I agree that the success rate of 1% is an arbitrary number. Define a successful lean implementation. Isn’t continuous improvement at the heart of lean and TPS? So when does a business go from starting lean to fully implementing lean? No process is perfect, the job is never done.
As you’ve stated in your post, all these companies that have implemented portions of lean do see effects on the bottom line. Are these lean failures or successes?
To me, these are successes, with the caveat that more work needs to be done, as it always does.
Even a fully abandoned lean initiative may leave remnants of lean success at some level.

]]> Comment on Management Advice Failures by Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2006/06/10/management-advice-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-45505 Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively » Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:34:16 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=255#comment-45505 [...] or Moving Beyond Deming Often Just Means Applying More of What Dr. Deming Actually Said – Management Advice Failures – Management Improvement Flavors – Has Six Sigma Been a Success? Posted by [...] [...] or Moving Beyond Deming Often Just Means Applying More of What Dr. Deming Actually Said – Management Advice Failures – Management Improvement Flavors – Has Six Sigma Been a Success? Posted by [...]

]]> Comment on Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively by David http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/15/why-use-lean-if-so-many-fail-to-do-so-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-45500 David Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:47:06 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2510#comment-45500 If my own experience at business improvement (as victim, not initiator) is anything to go by, I would guess that failure occurs when effort is directed not to the core work, but elsewhere. I recall one particular effort where the entire management team ended up at the conclusion of a conference with lots of 'projects' to improve our business, but none of the projects would actually do that. Some might produce local optimisation, but while the projects were being done (they were really document production ceremonies), the everyday work went on largely unchanged. It would have been better if we'd identified one part of the value stream and figured out how we could all act to improve it. If my own experience at business improvement (as victim, not initiator) is anything to go by, I would guess that failure occurs when effort is directed not to the core work, but elsewhere.
I recall one particular effort where the entire management team ended up at the conclusion of a conference with lots of ‘projects’ to improve our business, but none of the projects would actually do that. Some might produce local optimisation, but while the projects were being done (they were really document production ceremonies), the everyday work went on largely unchanged.
It would have been better if we’d identified one part of the value stream and figured out how we could all act to improve it.

]]> Comment on Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively by Team Building & Leadership Blog: Create-Learning » Blog Archive » Management Quality and Productivity, under competent leadership http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/15/why-use-lean-if-so-many-fail-to-do-so-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-45493 Team Building & Leadership Blog: Create-Learning » Blog Archive » Management Quality and Productivity, under competent leadership Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:04:10 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2510#comment-45493 [...] Read this on Curious Cat ‘Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively’ [...] [...] Read this on Curious Cat ‘Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively’ [...]

]]> Comment on Why Use Lean if So Many Fail To Do So Effectively by John Hunter http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2012/02/15/why-use-lean-if-so-many-fail-to-do-so-effectively/comment-page-1/#comment-45491 John Hunter Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:24:23 +0000 http://management.curiouscatblog.net/?p=2510#comment-45491 Unfortunately one of the important methods to improve the success rates of organizations is to pay attention to why management improvement efforts failed in the past. TQM actually was the method that addressed this issue more than any other system has. I think TQM addressed it poorly, but they openly talked about it in most any decent effort and tried to think of how to avoid the pitfalls their previous efforts fell into. This area is hard though (lots of psychology and systems thinking interconnected). And we have made very little progress because what TQM discussed (on getting management system improvements adopted) was not continually improved for the last few decades. I do see some efforts to address this area in lean and Deming (but significantly less than TQM did, frankly). And most management concepts (including most consultants pushing flavors of lean, six sigma, leadership...) pushed now try to act as though their new way is completely new and different. And completely ignore trying to learn from past management change failures is needed. That is a very stupid thought process to achieve management improvement success (maybe to sell some management system foolish managers though it is successful?). Unfortunately one of the important methods to improve the success rates of organizations is to pay attention to why management improvement efforts failed in the past. TQM actually was the method that addressed this issue more than any other system has. I think TQM addressed it poorly, but they openly talked about it in most any decent effort and tried to think of how to avoid the pitfalls their previous efforts fell into. This area is hard though (lots of psychology and systems thinking interconnected). And we have made very little progress because what TQM discussed (on getting management system improvements adopted) was not continually improved for the last few decades.

I do see some efforts to address this area in lean and Deming (but significantly less than TQM did, frankly). And most management concepts (including most consultants pushing flavors of lean, six sigma, leadership…) pushed now try to act as though their new way is completely new and different. And completely ignore trying to learn from past management change failures is needed. That is a very stupid thought process to achieve management improvement success (maybe to sell some management system foolish managers though it is successful?).

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