Curious Cat Article Connections

Posted on September 5, 2004 by John Hunter

We have added a new section to our web directory, Curious Cat Cool Connections. Curious Cat Article Connections provides focused topical collections of articles, reports and web sites on topics including: investing, management, health care and technology.Since the topics included just reflect what happens to spark my interest, it likely will retain an acclectic nature. I select related documents that I find worthwhile on each topic. Feel free to send me links to articles you would like to see include using the feedback option (found on the footer of every page of the curiouscat.com site or here).

John Hunter

Posted in curiouscat.com | Comments Off on Curious Cat Article Connections

New Management Improvement Library Articles

Posted on September 2, 2004 by John Hunter

The Curious Cat Online Management Improvement Library includes hundred of online documents that have been individually selected as worthwhile for those interested in improving performance. The articles, reports, files, handbooks and guides touch on many areas of management improvement including: customer focus, lean manufacturing, systems thinking, understanding and managing with variation, six sigma, design of experiments, statistics, innovation, creativity, pychology, joy in work, continual improvement, mistake proofing (Poka Yoke), leadership, teams, process improvement and project management.

Recent additions to the Curious Cat Online Management Improvement Library include:

  • Six Sigma Sharpens Services by Zachery Brice
  • Quality Best Practices in Government by Thomas J. Mosgaller
  • Inside the Mind of Jeff Bezos by Alan Deutschman
  • Making the Business Case for Agile Management by David J. Anderson (on software development)
  • My Thoughts after 6 Sigma Conference by John Hunter

For links to these, and other new additions, visit the New Additions page of our library. Please contact me, if you are interested in having us include your article in the library.

John Hunter

Posted in Management, Management Articles, Public Sector, Six sigma | Comments Off on New Management Improvement Library Articles

Dangers of Forgetting the Proxy Nature of Data

Posted on August 29, 2004 by John Hunter

Written in relation to a thread (Staff Attitude) on the Deming Electronic Network (link removed because the network no longer is online).

We use data to act as a proxy for some results of the system. Often people forget that the desired end result is not for the number to be improved but for the situation to be improved. We hope, if the measure improves the situation will have improved. But there are many reasons this may not be the case (one number improving at the expense of other parts of the system, the failure of the number to accurately serve as a proxy, distorting numbers, etc.).

I find something I learned from Brian Joiner an excellent summary – which I remember as:

Data (measuring a system) can be improved by

1) distorting the system

2) distorting the data

or 3) improving the system (which tends to be more difficult though likely what is desired)
Brian Joiner’s book, 4th Generation Management is a great book for managers. Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Deming, Management, Popular, quote, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments