Category Archives: Management

Kaizen – Yahoo Mail Style

Posted on September 19, 2007 by John Hunter

Yahoo Mail Innovates, Gmail Stagnates Yahoo Mail has begun rolling out of beta after releasing an onslaught of innovative feature improvements along the way. On the other hand, a whopping three years into their beta release, Gmail remains one of the most popular but stagnant web-based beta email apps around. To me Yahoo is really continually improving the service, not innovating. Still an interesting exploration of visible improvement. Related: Kaizen Online – Kaizen definition –Innovation Examples – Google Innovation webcast … Continue reading →

Posted in Google, Innovation, IT, Management, Software Development | 1 Comment

Employees That Telecommute are the Most Loyal

Posted on September 18, 2007 by John Hunter

In Loyal Employees Stay Home, quotes from the Wall Street Journal (behind a iron curtain still in this day and age – oh well): “When companies allow employees to work remotely or from home, they are explicitly communicating to them that ‘I trust you to be dedicated to the accomplishment of the work, even if I’m not able to observe you doing it,’ ” says Jack Wiley, executive director of the institute, which is in Minneapolis. “It boils down to … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, IT, Management, Respect, Systems thinking | 3 Comments

Keeping Older Workers

Posted on September 16, 2007 by John Hunter

We’re Not Finnished With You Yet Abloy and many other Finnish companies are suddenly treating older employees like a precious resource. Instead of nudging them into early retirement, they’re coaxing gray-hairs to work longer with better health benefits, extra weeks of paid vacation, and more. But these companies aren’t just feeling charitable. Finland’s workforce is aging faster than any other country’s–40% of Finns will reach retirement age during the next 15 years. Nearly a quarter of Abloy’s 820 workers, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Management, Psychology, Respect, Systems thinking | 2 Comments

Management Improvement Carnival #19

Posted on September 14, 2007 by John Hunter

Please submit your favorite management posts to the carnival. Read the previous management carnivals. Why Does Bad Management Thrive So Much? by David Maister – “My question is: why hasn’t this egregiously bad management been driven out competitively? How do firms like this stay in business?” Kanban Systems for Software Development (four posts) by Corey Ladas – “Work-in-process is limited, and cycle time can be managed. Most importantly, it is a highly transparent and repeatable process with all of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival, Management

Deming on being Destroyed by Best Efforts

Posted on September 13, 2007 by John Hunter

Best efforts are essential. Unfortunately, best efforts, people charging this way and that way without guidance of principles, can do a lot of damage. Think of the chaos that would come if everyone did his best, not knowing what to do. Out of the Crisis by W. Edwards Deming, page 19 I am reminded of a quote I heard from Dr. Deming (though it may well precede him): “Don’t just do something, stand there.” First think, then act. His quote … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Systems thinking | 5 Comments

Deming Electronic Network Email List

Posted on September 10, 2007 by John Hunter

The Deming Electronic Network email list 2.0 [deleted link as this is no longer online] is now live. The aim of the Deming Electronic Network is to: “Learn, apply, and extend the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and to help others do the same.” The DEN came out of a conversation between Myron Tribus, Tom Glenn, Del Kimbler, John Hunter, and Jim Clauson at the first Deming Institute Conference in early 1994. We envisioned using the Internet to share, … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, IT, Management | 5 Comments

Jim Press, Toyota N. American President, Moves to Chrysler

Posted on September 6, 2007 by John Hunter

Jim Press leaves Toyota to join Chrysler. I am surprised. I would imagine he is getting a huge amount of money. And I would guess it will encourage those that think you have to massively overpay executives or lose them to companies that will overpay them. I don’t think it is wise to pay huge sums to executives. If that means you lose some, fine, continue to manage your system well and things will still work out fine for you. … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | 1 Comment

Hiring – Does College Matter?

Posted on September 6, 2007 by John Hunter

Another essay by Paul Graham packed with great thoughts – this one on hiring, colleges, measuring performance of people, etc.. Practically everyone thinks that someone who went to MIT or Harvard or Stanford must be smart. Even people who hate you for it believe it. But when you think about what it means to have gone to an elite college, how could this be true? We’re talking about a decision made by admissions officers—basically, HR people—based on a cursory examination … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Education, Management, Performance Appraisal, Psychology

The Siren Song of Multitasking

Posted on September 5, 2007 by John Hunter

The Siren Song of Multitasking Yet multiple technologies often translate into multiple interruptions: On average, workers are interrupted once every ten and a half minutes, according to Gloria Mark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who studied the cost of worker multitasking. Once interrupted, it takes a worker 23 minutes on average to get back to the task she was working on. Open screens on desktops, files on the desk, and coworkers all distracted workers so that only … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Psychology, Respect, Systems thinking | 5 Comments

Seth Godin on Marketing and the Internet

Posted on September 4, 2007 by John Hunter

Once again Seth Godin does a great job of explaining the dynamics of marketing on the web: Seth Godin Video on Web Marketing. In this 6 1/2 minute video he touches on various topics including: the ease with which web users ignore ads on the web the importance of customers marketing for you (see our previous post: Lego – Innovative Marketing Podcast) the need to develop relationships with customers that then allow your to reach them, “permission marketing” (such as … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Innovation, IT, Management | 1 Comment

Management Improvement Carnival #18

Posted on September 3, 2007 by John Hunter

Management Improvement Carnival #18 is hosted by Ron Pereira at the Lean Six Sigma Academy. Some highlights include: The Gemba is the Dojo by Pete Abilla from the shumla blog – “The Gemba is the Dojo — precisely because the heart and mind need to be ready for teaching; the student must be humble enough and teachable enough to be taught.” Why You Need A Tatakidai by Jon Miller from Gemba Panta Rei – “But I will humbly submit that … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival, Management

Six Sigma and Innovation

Posted on September 1, 2007 by John Hunter

Peter Pande adds his thoughts on how six sigma and innovation can work together. In his podcast, Innovation vs. Efficiency, he makes the argument that innovation and efficiency can work together. As I have stated many times, while bad six sigma efforts may harm innovation but there is no reason good six sigma efforts would. In fact good six sigma efforts help innovation. Related: Six Sigma Outdated? No. – Fast Company Interview: Jeff Immelt – Better and Different – New … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Management, Six sigma, webcast

Data Visualization

Posted on August 30, 2007 by John Hunter

Data is often displayed poorly, making it difficult to see what is important. When data is displayed well the important facts should leap off the page and into the viewers mind. Edward Tufte is an expert on this topic with great books. If you have not read them, you should: Beautiful Evidence, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information and Visual Explanations. Smashing magazine has some nice examples of good display techniques in Data Visualization: Modern Approaches. I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Creativity, Data, IT, Management, Psychology | Tagged , , ,

Constant Change and Growth

Posted on August 29, 2007 by John Hunter

The Toyota Secret: Constant Change And Growth by Norman Bodek the chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. He said, “Failure to change is a vice! I want everyone at Toyota to change and at least do not be an obstacle for someone else who wants to change.” … Every day the manager should look around the company, take videos and still pictures, and challenge people to grow, to eliminate non-value adding wastes, to use their brains to identify and solve problems, … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Psychology, Quality tools, Toyota Production System (TPS) | 2 Comments

August 2005 – Management Improvement Posts

Posted on August 27, 2007 by John Hunter

A few posts from the Curious Cat Management Improvement blog 2 years ago – August 2005: Purpose of an Organization: “The aim proposed here for any organization is for everybody to gain – stockholders, employees, suppliers, customers, community, the environment – over the long term.” The New Economics by W. Edwards Deming Managing with Control Charts Failed Practice: Forced Ranking Design of Experiments in Advertising

Posted in Management

The Importance of Management Improvement

Posted on August 23, 2007 by John Hunter

If organizations just adopt management improvement practices I firmly believe customer service, financial performance and employee satisfaction could be improved. This was a big part of the reason I started to use the internet to share management improvement ideas back in 1996 (plus I find management improvement interesting). On the note of making a difference in people’s lives. I have had far more people tell me how my father (Bill Hunter) made a huge difference in their lives than ever … Continue reading →

Posted in Career, curiouscat.com, Deming, Management, Psychology, Respect, Statistics | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments