Two Data Points Are Not a Trend: People Quitting Jobs
I've been doing some radio interviews recently (as I blogged about here and here). The firm that helps line these…
True, but Meaningless: What You Say About That Data Point (or Two)
Recently, I was asked to give a virtual presentation to the process improvement team at a health system. The focus…
Oscars Ratings Down 20% — A Data Point Worth Reacting To? (What About 56%?)
Original Blog Post from 2020:
Another year, another evening of the Academy Awards, a.k.a. The Oscars. I don't…
Would an Oscars Ceremony With No Host Make Any Difference in the Ratings? –…
With Kevin Hart now definitively stating that he will not host the 2019 Oscars, it appears that the ceremony will…
Any Four Data Points Might Make Things Look Good, But…
Why do we have to be skeptical or careful when we see a chart with just four data points? Does such limited data…
Context and a “Process Behavior Chart” Instead of Two Data Points:…
I started my career in manufacturing, so that's just one reason I'm interested in the topics of offshoring (sending…
Ratings for “The Oscars” Were Lower in 2018? Should We Ask Why or Look…
As I blogged about yesterday, things went well at the Oscars... or, at least, no errors were made in the…
The Academy Awards Add an Inspector, Practice “Andon Cord Pulls,”…
Tomorrow, my post will be about headlines that scream about ratings for The Oscars being "down from last year" or…
Two Data Points Don’t Make a Trend, So Read Beyond the Headline
When looking at data, whether it's the number of homicides in San Antonio or some of our workplace metrics, it's…
2-Data-Point Comparisons vs. Charts – NBA Big Man 3-Point Shots and Lean…
So many of our business metrics are reported in terms of two-data point comparisons. How much did the…
If You React to Every Blip in the Metrics, Then Nothing is a Priority?
Here's another post on the theme of performance metrics, as I'm talking about next week at Lean Startup Week (see…
Reader Question: More Clarity in Visualizing Hospital Performance Data
I received another reader question (submit yours here) and it's about statistics, "daily Lean management," and…
Data Without Context Have No Meaning: Emergency Department Wait Time Billboards
Patients waiting too long for the E.D. is a problem around the world. Many U.S. hospitals put up billboards that…
Ask This Question (Not This One) When Trying to Improve a Stable System
The Red Bead Kit
As I've done before (and written about), I'll be facilitating the famed "Deming Red Bead…
Lean is Not About Cutting Costs; 2 Data Point Comparisons in EDs & the NFL
Two pet peeves of mine are hearing people say things like "Lean is all about reducing waste" and or "Lean is all…
Tweets & Notes from the 2014 Society for Health Systems Conference
Last weekend, I was happy to attend, as I've done for seven of the last eight years or so, the annual Society for…
Data Without Context Isn’t Very Helpful; Don’t Overreact to Each Up…
Some of the best lessons I have ever learned for my career are from Donald Wheeler's brilliant book Understanding…
Two Extreme Sides to Every Story in Politics *and* Lean??
This is going to seem like a political rant, but I promise this is mainly a post about Lean and healthcare, or at…