Monthly Archives: October 2013

Resources for Using the PDSA Cycle to Improve Results

Posted on October 28, 2013 by John Hunter

Using the PDSA cycle (plan-do-study-act) well is critical to building a effective management system. This post provides some resources to help use the improvement cycle well. I have several posts on this blog about using the PDSA cycle to improve results including: keys to the effective use of the PDSA cycle Richard Feynman Explains the PDSA Cycle Tom Nolan on the PDSA cycle The authors and consultants with Associates for Process Improvement have the greatest collection of useful writing on … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Process improvement, Quality tools | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Managers Are Not Non-Leaders: Managers Need to Practice Things We Classify as Leadership Traits

Posted on October 14, 2013 by John Hunter

Saying “Managers care about efficiency and leaders care about effectiveness” is like saying “Doctors care about theory and nurses care about patients.” Managers that don’t care about effectiveness are lousy managers. Leaders that don’t care about the gemba are lousy leaders. Doctors that don’t care about patients are lousy doctors. Nurses that don’t care about theory are lousy nurses. Your role in the organization (and for the particular situation in question) and training and the situation will impact how you … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Popular, quote | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

How to Sustain Long Term Enterprise Excellence

Posted on October 3, 2013 by John Hunter

This month Paul Borawski asked ASQ’s Influential Voices to explore sustaining excellence for the long term. There are several keys to pulling sustained long term excellence. Unfortunately, experience shows that it is much easier to explain what is needed than to build a management system that delivers these practices over the long term. The forces pulling an organization off target often lead organization astray. Each of these concepts have great deal more behind them than one post can explain. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Process improvement, Respect, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Management Improvement Carnival #200

Posted on October 1, 2013 by John Hunter

The Curious Cat Management Improvement Carnival has been published since 2006 and this is the 200th edition. 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 (17 years now, which I find pretty amazing): Deming, lean thinking, leadership, innovation, respect for people, customer focus, etc.. Eiji Toyoda – the Master Innovator by Bill Waddell – “He was a master innovator in the days … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival | Tagged , | 2 Comments