Monthly Archives: September 2012

Seminar in Singapore: Deming’s Philosophy of Management

Posted on September 25, 2012 by John Hunter

The local partner cancelled the seminar, therefore I have deleted the post.

Posted in Management

Build Systems That Allow Quick Action – Don’t Just Try and Run Faster

Posted on September 21, 2012 by John Hunter

This month Paul Borawski (CEO of ASQ) has asked the ASQ Influential Voices to share their thoughts on the cries for “faster, faster, faster” that so often is a refrain heard today. I have long said that the measure of management improvement isn’t only about improving. It is the speed at which the management system and internal processes are being improved. Improvement is a given. If an organization is not improving every year the odds of long term success is … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Process improvement, Respect, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Management Improvement Blog Carnival #178

Posted on September 16, 2012 by John Hunter

The Curious Cat management blog carnival is published twice a month: with hand picked recent management blog posts. I also collect management improvement articles for the Curious Cat Management Articles site. Disruptive Management by Bill Waddell – “The professional management experts break the fundamental rule of lean – they miss Dr Deming’s essential point. Failure is ascribed to personal failing, rather than flawed processes.” Amazon’s Play by John Gruber – “What he’s [Bezos] done that is Jobs-like is doggedly pursue, … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival | Tagged | 2 Comments

5s at NASA

Posted on September 11, 2012 by John Hunter

NASA did some amazing things culminating with landing on Moon. Much of what they did was doing many small things very well. They used 5s, checklists, gemba thinking, usability, simplicity, testing out on a small scale and much more. Here are a few photos from the Smithsonian Air and Space museum in Washington DC. I also have some nicer NASA 5s photos from the new Annex near Dulles Airport, but, ironically, I can’t find them. These kits were used by … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Quality tools, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Manage Better by Managing Less

Posted on September 5, 2012 by John Hunter

Matt May included “Silhouettes” from selected authors in his new book: The Laws of Subtraction (shipping October 26th). I am honored to be included: the following my silhouette. Early in my career, I had a supervisor ask me why I wasn’t working. I was at from my desk – not reading, not typing on my keyboard, not talking on the phone, not in a meeting, staring off into space, apparently just wasting time. I explained that I was thinking. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Management Improvement Blog Carnival #177

Posted on September 2, 2012 by John Hunter

I am returning to publishing the Curious Cat management carnival twice a month; from the schedule of three times a month that has been the case recently. The posts selected for the carnival focus on the areas of management improvement I have focused on in the Curious Cat Management Improvement Guide since 1996. Delegate or die: the self-employed trap by Derek Sivers – “Because my team was running the business, I was free to actually improve the business!” Why You … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival