Fortune 75 – Best and Worst Calls in Business History – FORTUNE – Page 9
I'm a huge fan of W. Edwards Deming. Since he passed way in the 90's, it seems that Deming has fallen off the map of the popular business press and even TPS circles. It's important to recognize the impact that Deming, as an American, had on Toyota and the The Toyota Way principles. Demings “14 Points” are just as provocative and just as difficult for most companies to follow as they were in the 1980's. When I worked for GM in the mid 1990's, the plant supposedly lived by “The Deming Philosophy”, but it was really just a bunch of posters on the walls. How ironic that was!
The article has a nice profile and summary of Deming's work in Japan and the U.S. I do disagree with the article's final point, which says “Deming's 14 points are now standard operating procedure around the world.” Hardly. We need a “new Deming” to help renew the 14 points. We still have a long way to go!
If you’re working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, solve problems, and improve every day, I’d be glad to help. Let’s talk about how to strengthen Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement in your organization.
