I come from the perspective that the Deming Management Method (DMM) is as difficult as it is made to be. Many times it is made out to be very complex. To me it is simple and when I communicate it I try to keep it as simple as possible. I would recommend three simple and yet profound books:
1) The Deming Management Method by Mary Walton. $5 in a discount bookstore. It will give you an overview of Dr Deming's thinking, enough to apply in any organization, and practical examples. The examples of implementation (Ford is one) are mostly out of date because quality improvement is continuous and many organizations do not have the power to stay the course.
2) To understand the concept of a system and related thoughts (if necessary) I would recommend "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt. This book will cost new $25 and used less.
3) Lastly and it might be the most important, a book on positive leadership, "LEADING PEOPLE TO BE HIGHLY MOTIVATED AND COMMITTED" by Ben S. Simonton. Simply stating it is a profound and unique book. Ben has a website and the book can be purchased in pdf format for $10. Over the years leadership, positive leadership, in my mind has become the building blocks and glue of DMM. Without the type of leadership Dr Deming practiced there will be no sustaining power for a Deming-guide CQI system. This is the answer to the question why DMM is not more widespread practiced. There is a great lack of positive leadership in many of our countries.
This $40 max cost will be well worth the value. In my life the fruits have been incalculable from a business and personal level.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Blog and a Group Together
I am going to combine this blog and a Linkedin group and update them concurrently. A blog gives greater flexibility and enables catagorization. Also entries and comments can be edited. I am not the best proof reader. I am applying all my CQI abilities to personally improve this skill, but it is not going as fast as I would like. This is a weakness of mine. Plus there are other features available with a blog to grow and expand it.
The group at Linkedin.com is "Grass Roots Deming". Do a simple search in groups using keyword Deming and you will find it. Same grass roots theme. If leaders are not willing to listen, then we will go to the bottom (so to speak), find the leaders there, and work our way up. We will start at the grass roots level and allow them to enjoy the fruits of Dr Deming. This would include the willing worker just wanting to do a better job in his place of employment, the small business owner, the farmer or the artist. This, my friends, is the greatest part by far of the working folks. Why wait for our leaders if they will not change. When we become small business owners and work for ourselves, whether we are aware of it or not, we become leaders/ managers. We are enpowered in the day we make that decision to work for ourselves. And of course all leaders are welcome.
All are invited and encouraged to start topics on the blog, Deming's from the Bottom Up or on the blog.
The group at Linkedin.com is "Grass Roots Deming". Do a simple search in groups using keyword Deming and you will find it. Same grass roots theme. If leaders are not willing to listen, then we will go to the bottom (so to speak), find the leaders there, and work our way up. We will start at the grass roots level and allow them to enjoy the fruits of Dr Deming. This would include the willing worker just wanting to do a better job in his place of employment, the small business owner, the farmer or the artist. This, my friends, is the greatest part by far of the working folks. Why wait for our leaders if they will not change. When we become small business owners and work for ourselves, whether we are aware of it or not, we become leaders/ managers. We are enpowered in the day we make that decision to work for ourselves. And of course all leaders are welcome.
All are invited and encouraged to start topics on the blog, Deming's from the Bottom Up or on the blog.
Many Consultants Ruin the Broth!
If Dr Deming is ever to be relevant in a wide-scale the control of his philosophy by many consultants must be put off. Most do not understand the basic motivation of Dr Deming as he influenced Japanese society, His motivation was people. The well-being and improvement of the Japanese people after the consequences of World War II. The orphans and the homeless. The fathers who could not support their family and the mothers who could not feed their children. These are the things that haunted Dr Deming and became his motivation for his unceasing beating of the drum of glimpses of how humans act and respond. A philosophy that is contrary point of a view of a Machiavellian perspective. Instead of the manipulation of people to keep power and provide few with the greatest good, there is cooperation to provide the most with the greatest good. This is where we are today in our culture on every level. Do we provide the greatest good to the few or the many, and how do we provide it, by opportunity or brute force.
When I say consultants are in control of Dr Deming's philosophy let me qualify this by saying most. I do not know all consultants. And so to the few who do not distort the philosophy of Dr Deming and do not refuse to understand the essence of Dr Deming's wisdom, his heart for the good of all people, I say welcome. But no solicitation. Start by helping folks with free advice, advice to the grass roots. How ironic that this is turning into the age old argument attached to the arts. If financial gain becomes our incentive, rather than art for art sake, what happens to the art. I see the philosophy of Dr Deming more as an art than a science. The art of cooperation for the benefit of the most. In the art of "people management" our culture has been corrupted by greed.
Where do you start when implementing the wisdom of Dr Deming?
Motivation! Motivation! Motivation! When Dr Deming went to Japan after WWII he did not go over to revolutionize Japanese industry. He was a statistician hired by the US Census Bureau. What took him in the direction he went was the plight of the people, in particular, the children and orphans and the elderly. This was his motivation- people. His focus on quality, statistics , etc were all tools that would be used to better the Japanese people. I could write about the destruction the Japanese faced after the war but I will let the reader do the research if he or she does not know.
Now there are many CEO's and company owners (leaders) who have an acute sense of the responsibility they carry and the employees and their families who are dependent on the organizations they lead. There are others who see it as a revenue stream to get rich and others a mixture of both. For the leaders who see it only as a way to get rich, gain power and prestige, Dr Deming is not the way for you. Six Sigma and a lack of world class quality is fine for you. To those who are aware of the people they lead and want to secure the future for them as much as they can, with the motivation that you already have learn of Dr Deming and in simplicity start implementing his simple wisdom. For those of mixed motivation, I would not half-heartedly implement the wisdom of Dr Deming. This would be very disheartening for your employees. I would work on your own motivations first.
Our human tendency is to not be proactive. Generally speaking we are reactive. We like the status quo. Dr Deming's advice is proactive. Is not the generational quality of Honda Motors and their consistent incremental growth over many years securing the future for it's employees and their families? Is not the situation they provide their employees a better situation than what US auto manufacturers have provided theirs. End of my argument.
Now there are many CEO's and company owners (leaders) who have an acute sense of the responsibility they carry and the employees and their families who are dependent on the organizations they lead. There are others who see it as a revenue stream to get rich and others a mixture of both. For the leaders who see it only as a way to get rich, gain power and prestige, Dr Deming is not the way for you. Six Sigma and a lack of world class quality is fine for you. To those who are aware of the people they lead and want to secure the future for them as much as they can, with the motivation that you already have learn of Dr Deming and in simplicity start implementing his simple wisdom. For those of mixed motivation, I would not half-heartedly implement the wisdom of Dr Deming. This would be very disheartening for your employees. I would work on your own motivations first.
Our human tendency is to not be proactive. Generally speaking we are reactive. We like the status quo. Dr Deming's advice is proactive. Is not the generational quality of Honda Motors and their consistent incremental growth over many years securing the future for it's employees and their families? Is not the situation they provide their employees a better situation than what US auto manufacturers have provided theirs. End of my argument.
Layoffs and DMM
I think there is a direct correlation between the quality of management (leadership) and layoffs, especially as it relates to huge layoffs of many thousands of people we routinely see in the news in our present generation, but also layoffs in general and at any level. Now I will admit there are special cases where a tsunami or earthquake can be the cause of layoffs. But a tsunami or an earthquake does not have to be a guarantee of layoffs. Without a Deming-style, influenced or mirrored quality management system with people as the focus, processes in statistical control and monitored, and management freed up to look at the future, management's vision is on putting out fires. The competition most certainly will catch them by surprise. The result is loss of marketshare, revenue, profitabilty and layoffs. It is imperative for a healthy society to have employed people, and the ideal being employed people with a sense of security.
To make my case on the relationship of quality management and layoffs, I give you the following link:
http://money.msn.com/investing/ceos-who-became-job-killers-thestreet.aspx?cp-documentid=6834878>1=33002
Let me know your thoughts.
To make my case on the relationship of quality management and layoffs, I give you the following link:
http://money.msn.com/investing/ceos-who-became-job-killers-thestreet.aspx?cp-documentid=6834878>1=33002
Let me know your thoughts.
Is the Deming Management Method (DMM) outdated?
I do not think DMM is outdated. I do not think Dr Deming's counsel has even been given a fair shake outside of Japan for the most part as yet, not even close in the US.
A Foundational and an Introductory Course to Dr Deming's Work for anyone with an interest
Folks, I want to make an introduction and foundation to Dr Deming's work as simple and as least expensive as possible for everyone. You need one textbook. This book I bought in a surplus book store twenty years ago for $4.99. You heard me correct, four-dollars and ninety-nine cents. $4.99 for a ROI in the hundreds of thousands of dollars adding up into the millions in cost savings at minimal costs many times over. And this occurring for the most part in organizations that were contrary to CQI. If I counted all the potential savings it would be in human lives and millions more. I exaggerate not.
The textbook for our course is the "Deming Management Method" (DMM) by Mary Walton. The book's jacket is a simple black cover and on the front under the title are these words, "W. Edward Deming, the genius who revitalized Japanese industry, offers his UNORTHODOX system to make "Made in America" a guarantee of quality-again!" What a simple sentence pregnant with meaning! Yes, DMM was and is unorthodox because western management IN GENERAL does not understand people, and is more interested in making money. It is unorthodox for those who are accustom to make money (or power) the main goal of management/leadership versus the prosperity of all. This book came out in 1986 and was republished in 1988. The words are just as relevant today as they were over twenty years ago.
In this textbook you will first read a personal story about the man, his first visit to Japan and what became his motivating impetus: the betterment of people. You will read about the Japanese people and their plight after the destruction of World War II, brought upon them by their goverment and their own people and how it deeply affected Dr. Deming. Then you will read of the "Parable of the Red Beads" and its simple lessons:
The textbook for our course is the "Deming Management Method" (DMM) by Mary Walton. The book's jacket is a simple black cover and on the front under the title are these words, "W. Edward Deming, the genius who revitalized Japanese industry, offers his UNORTHODOX system to make "Made in America" a guarantee of quality-again!" What a simple sentence pregnant with meaning! Yes, DMM was and is unorthodox because western management IN GENERAL does not understand people, and is more interested in making money. It is unorthodox for those who are accustom to make money (or power) the main goal of management/leadership versus the prosperity of all. This book came out in 1986 and was republished in 1988. The words are just as relevant today as they were over twenty years ago.
In this textbook you will first read a personal story about the man, his first visit to Japan and what became his motivating impetus: the betterment of people. You will read about the Japanese people and their plight after the destruction of World War II, brought upon them by their goverment and their own people and how it deeply affected Dr. Deming. Then you will read of the "Parable of the Red Beads" and its simple lessons:
1) variation is part of any process
2) prediction
3) workers working within systems that are beyond their control
4) only management can change the system
5) some workers will always be above average and some below.
To name a few. Then there are short chapters on Dr Deming's 14 points, 7 deadly sins and some obstacles to good management. A short chapter on some basic statistics is included followed by a chapter on the Deming Prize, the greatest quality achievement award in Japan. Then there are eight short chapters on practical examples of the implemetation of Dr Deming's advice. The first example being Ford Motor who did not follow through, but each example will at least show the potential of DMM even if they had no lasting power.
I will add one supplemental textbook that is optional in our self-taught course, "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt. The reason I mention this book, is Mary Walton only uses the word system twice in the chapter on the Red Beads Experiment, and it is assumed that the reader understands what a system is. You cannot take for granted in our course that there is an understanding of what a system is. We are surrounded by interacting systems whether in business or in our personal life. Systems are ways of making order in our minds out of the things we see around us. But the reality is the things around us are far greater and complex than these systems in our minds. We just can't see the big picture. System thinking ultimately leaves us with a wonderment of life around us that is much bigger than us. If you don't thinks so, go to the mountains, or sailing on the ocean with unbroken horizons, or Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. A developed systems concept is essential in operating within the complex business organizations we work in. And that is why I present this optional textbook if the student, of which I am one, feels his own understanding of a system is lacking. After reading "The Goal" you will find yourself on the way to a sound foundation of systems for the future.
Begin your life long course!
I will add one supplemental textbook that is optional in our self-taught course, "The Goal" by Eliyahu Goldratt. The reason I mention this book, is Mary Walton only uses the word system twice in the chapter on the Red Beads Experiment, and it is assumed that the reader understands what a system is. You cannot take for granted in our course that there is an understanding of what a system is. We are surrounded by interacting systems whether in business or in our personal life. Systems are ways of making order in our minds out of the things we see around us. But the reality is the things around us are far greater and complex than these systems in our minds. We just can't see the big picture. System thinking ultimately leaves us with a wonderment of life around us that is much bigger than us. If you don't thinks so, go to the mountains, or sailing on the ocean with unbroken horizons, or Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. A developed systems concept is essential in operating within the complex business organizations we work in. And that is why I present this optional textbook if the student, of which I am one, feels his own understanding of a system is lacking. After reading "The Goal" you will find yourself on the way to a sound foundation of systems for the future.
Begin your life long course!
Six Sigma is not the Deming Management Method (DMM). DMM is not SS
Statistics and DMM are not one and the same. Statistics is part of DMM, but not the majority (greater than 50%), perhaps 20-30%. (We can discuss the percentage and even do a study.) Six Sigma is an overemphasis on statistics. If Six Sigma is implemented inside DMM I see no evidence of cooperation with leadership and the willing worker, only lip service. In fact I see isolation of the willing worker and management to a greater degree from experience. Isolation from the market, and reality. This overemphasis on statistics by it's very nature produces managing the worker by numbers and objectives. This overemphasis produces waste and inefficiencies. One step forward, and two steps back. This is exactly what US auto manufacturers did for over a generation. Instead of eliminating numerical quotas they create them ad infinitum.
Performing a quick search on "Deming" among groups on LinkedIn, the top two groups consisting of 6469 members exclusively are Black Belts and Green Belts themed. Only black belt and green belts apply here. There are 18 groups following, that are Deming-centric with 2122 members.
So what is my point? SS thinks that it is DMM, and that is the predominant thought of 75% of 8591 members of groups that use the name Deming to describe their purpose. You will find this same thought among the quality groups on LinkedIn i.e. ASQ which includes many more thousands of members. DMM has been diluted, watered down and mischaracterized.
Why should I make this point? I am of the opinion that for the largest part outside of Japan and except for isolated instances the full impact of DMM has not been experienced. I think the results of DMM were coveted and in a shallow way imitated, but the complete package not implemented. I think there were many failures in these half-hearted attempts. The response to these failures was something else was needed, and for the most part it evolved into SS, lean manufacturing, etc, etc. with no real "quality" quality system implemented. No SoPk.
Performing a quick search on "Deming" among groups on LinkedIn, the top two groups consisting of 6469 members exclusively are Black Belts and Green Belts themed. Only black belt and green belts apply here. There are 18 groups following, that are Deming-centric with 2122 members.
So what is my point? SS thinks that it is DMM, and that is the predominant thought of 75% of 8591 members of groups that use the name Deming to describe their purpose. You will find this same thought among the quality groups on LinkedIn i.e. ASQ which includes many more thousands of members. DMM has been diluted, watered down and mischaracterized.
Why should I make this point? I am of the opinion that for the largest part outside of Japan and except for isolated instances the full impact of DMM has not been experienced. I think the results of DMM were coveted and in a shallow way imitated, but the complete package not implemented. I think there were many failures in these half-hearted attempts. The response to these failures was something else was needed, and for the most part it evolved into SS, lean manufacturing, etc, etc. with no real "quality" quality system implemented. No SoPk.
DMM is simple
Dr Deming's advice is not complicated. It is as simple as it is made out to be. And I make it very simple. It has to be simple if a simple person like me can have a profound understanding of DMM and it can profoundly impact my job day to day for over the last 20 years. Dr Deming himself said you did not need a high formal education to be competent with SoPK. Mary Walton's "Deming Management Method" (DMM) has enough in it to revolutionize a company or institution, if leaders would take it to heart. But alas, for the most part, coveting the rewards of DMM, they desire the results without the real work: people first. The real work is working with the willing worker. And without the real work our legacy (western business and US in particular since I live in the US) will continue to be: ENRON, real estate collapse, banking industry mismanagement, auto company demise, urban decay, etc, etc.
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