Category Archives: Management

The Importance of Critical Thinking and Challenging Assumptions

Posted on July 12, 2017 by John Hunter

There are many factors that are important to effectively practice the management improvement ideas that I have discussed in this blog for over a decade. One of the most important is a culture that encourages critical thinking as well as challenging claims, decisions and assumptions. I discussed this idea some in: Customers Are Often Irrational. There is a difference between saying people wish to have their desires met and people act in the manner to maximize the benefits they wish … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Management, Process improvement, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Organizations as Social Systems

Posted on May 2, 2017 by John Hunter

Organizations are social systems made up of people. Social systems often amplify what happens. If good things happen, more good things often follow. When bad things happen, more bad things often follow. To improve it is wise to this into account and design elements of the management system to encourage the amplification of what is good and that seeks to stop what is bad from being amplified. Building in elements to stop the negatives from reinforcing and creating more negatives … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Psychology, Systems thinking | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Why Do People Fail to Adopt Better Management Methods?

Posted on February 2, 2017 by John Hunter

It is confusing to know that better methods exist but to see those better methods being ignored. It seems that if there were better ways to manage, people would adopt those methods. But this just isn’t the case; sometimes better methods will be adopted but often they won’t. People can be very attached to the way things have always been done. Or they can just be uncomfortable with the prospect of trying something new. In this post I will look … Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Innovation, Management, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Most Popular Management and Leadership Quotes on Our Site in 2016

Posted on January 17, 2017 by John Hunter

These were the most popular quotes on the Curious Cat Management and Leadership Quotes web site in 2016 (based on page views). Follow the link on the quote text for the source and more information on the quote. Having no problems is the biggest problem of all. – Taiichi Ohno Performance appraisal is that occasion when once a year you find out who claims sovereignty over you. – Peter Block Don’t look with your eyes, look with your feet. Don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | Tagged | 1 Comment

Cater to Customers Desires to Achieve Customer Delight

Posted on January 10, 2017 by John Hunter

Customer delight requires understanding your customers needs and desires. Often even your customers don’t understand these well. Businesses that have a deep appreciation for what their customers, and potential customers, desire and that create systems to deliver solutions that delight those customers benefit greatly from that effort. To build a sustainable enterprise you must provide value customers will appreciate. Your customers do not have one unified set of desires. Some customers may want as good an experience as is possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Customer focus, Management, Psychology, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

20 Most Popular Posts on the Curious Cat Management Blog in 2016

Posted on January 3, 2017 by John Hunter

These posts were the most popular posts on the Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog in 2016 (as measured by page views, as recorded by my analytics application). Toyota Post Record Profit: Splits $15 million in Pay and Bonus for top 21 Executives (2014) Stated Versus Revealed Preference (2013) The Toyota Way – Two Pillars (2010) The Purpose of an Organization (2005) One factor at a time (OFAT) Versus Factorial Designs (2011) How to Manage What You Can’t Measure (2010)* Keys … Continue reading →

Posted in curiouscat.com, Management, Popular | Tagged , , ,

Most Popular Links on Management Sub-Reddit in 2016

Posted on December 27, 2016 by John Hunter

I created the management sub-reddit many years ago. The management sub-reddit provides links to worthwhile management improvement content and the members indicate those links they liked. Here is a list of the most popular links added in the last year. Unintuitive Things I’ve Learned about Management by Julie Zhuo on Medium Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful by Gabriel Weinberg on Medium How to Lead From Any Level In the Organization on the Aileron blog. Five Lean Myths and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Management

Podcast: Building Organizational Capability

Posted on December 7, 2016 by John Hunter

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 the time and I understand most of the time it doesn’t. But when this is done well people can go from dreading going to work to enjoying going to work, not every single day – but most days, and it … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Continually Improving Using a Focus on Delighting Customers

Posted on December 1, 2016 by John Hunter

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 me. And different people and organizations seemed to have vastly different meanings in mind for efforts they all grouped under the heading of quality. What I came up with to capture what I was interested in was customer focused continuous … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Management, Process improvement, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Bell Labs Designing a New Phone System Using Idealized Design

Posted on October 19, 2016 by John Hunter

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 if you haven’t heard Russell Ackoff before you get to enjoy a great storyteller. "Tape" of Ackoff’s Bell Lab Lecture at the US Navy. If you would limit yourself to paying attention to 5 thinkers to advance your understanding of … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Management, Process improvement, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Burning Toast: American Health System Style

Posted on October 4, 2016 by John Hunter

Democrats and Republicans have created a health care system in the USA over the last 40 years that “burns toast” at an alarming rate. As the symptoms of their health care system are displayed they call in people to blame for burning toast. Their participation in the “you burn, I’ll scrape” system is even worse than the normal burning then scraping process. They create a bad system over decades and ignore the burnt toast just telling people to put up … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care, Management, Public Sector | Tagged , , , , ,

Lead by Building Organizational Capability

Posted on September 13, 2016 by John Hunter

The result of a recent interview with me has been posted: How to Lead From Any Level In the Organization [broken link replaced by new link to content hosted on this site] 2. Help people solve their problems. Similar to helping other people grow their careers is the idea of helping other people to solve their problems. Again, this starts with a clear understanding of your sphere of influence. “It determines what strategies you can pursue, and building your sphere … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Integrating Technical and Human Management Systems

Posted on July 6, 2016 by John Hunter

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 system must integrate these facets together. A common problem that companies face is that they bring in technical tools (such as control charts, PDSA improvement cycle, design of experiments, kanban, etc.) without an appreciation for the organization as a system. … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Psychology, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Unintended Consequences

Posted on June 29, 2016 by John Hunter

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 can create pressure for results that damage the delivery of value to customers. In this example there are requirements to take action if certain conditions are present. In this case, if the airplane is pushed back from the gate for … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Management, Process improvement, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Support Theatre

Posted on June 21, 2016 by John Hunter

Support theatre provides the appearance of supporting customers when in fact it is just treating customers poorly based on a management system that disrespects customers. It is a similar idea to security theatre that has become so popular for government in the USA for the last 10 years. Dilbert does a good job of illustrating “support theatre” in this webcast: I have had the exact experience Dilbert does of tech support refusing to think about the actual symptoms of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Fun, Management | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Acting Without Theory Often Results in Wasted Effort

Posted on May 25, 2016 by John Hunter

When you act without theory you can find yourself beating your head against the wall, in ways similar to this woodpecker bangs its head against this sign. This bird may have copied the pecking behavior without understanding the theory. Pecking steel won’t lead to it uncovering insects to eat. Alternatively, it may be pecking to make noise and attract a mate or tell other woodpeckers this territory is claimed. If mates and others acknowledge the metal pecking noises then the … Continue reading →

Posted in Management | Tagged , | 1 Comment