Two Data Points Are Not a Trend: People Quitting Jobs Mark Graban Oct 25, 2021 5 Blog 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) Mark Graban Nov 1, 2021 0 Blog 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%?) Mark Graban Apr 26, 2021 1 Blog 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? –… Mark Graban Feb 5, 2019 2 Blog 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… Mark Graban Oct 26, 2018 1 Blog 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:… Mark Graban Jul 19, 2018 0 Blog 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… Mark Graban Mar 8, 2018 3 Blog 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,”… Mark Graban Mar 7, 2018 0 Blog 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 Mark Graban Jan 8, 2018 13 Blog 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… Mark Graban Oct 31, 2017 2 Blog 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? Mark Graban Oct 26, 2017 8 Blog 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 Mark Graban May 30, 2017 6 Blog 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 Mark Graban Feb 6, 2017 6 Blog 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 Mark Graban Feb 16, 2016 3 Blog 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 Mark Graban Sep 17, 2014 3 Blog 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 Mark Graban Feb 26, 2014 0 Blog 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… Mark Graban Nov 2, 2011 9 Blog 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?? Mark Graban Jul 9, 2010 20 Best This is going to seem like a political rant, but I promise this is mainly a post about Lean and healthcare, or at…