tl;dr: Two data points aren’t a trend. NCAA Final Four TV ratings swing up and down every year, but Process Behavior Charts show this variation is predictable noise–not something to explain or overreact to. Metrics only become meaningful when viewed…
After the paperback launch of my book Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More, many of you have asked, “What are you writing next?” No really, some of you have asked this. I’ve given this a lot of…
TL;DR: Daily weight changes are mostly noise, not signals. By understanding normal variation–using Process Behavior Charts–you can weigh yourself regularly without overreacting, panicking, or making unnecessary changes. The same thinking helps leaders react less and improve more at work, too.…
tl;dr: Checklists don’t prevent mistakes unless people actually use them, and they work best in cultures where it’s safe to speak up. A missed step in a webinar setup shows how Andon-style intervention–someone noticing a problem and saying something–can quickly…
tl;dr: The Red Bead Experiment demonstrates how firing “low performers” based on arbitrary targets or rankings punishes people for system-driven variation, not individual effort. Bad metrics and poor leadership can create outcomes that look discriminatory, even when intent isn’t–highlighting why…
It’s always a fun day of learning when I get a chance to teach and facilitate my day-long workshop that will teach you the core concepts from my book Measures of Success. Why take a workshop? Well, you’ll get a…
Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients Daily safety huddles are simple, inexpensive, and effective methods to raise and escalate patient safety risks. Start your safety huddles today with some tips from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. I get asked all the…
Apparently, we’re at the time of year when companies send you the “we’re sorry, but we’re forced to raise prices” letter or email. Nobody is forced to raise prices. It’s always a choice. Yes, it’s a choice. Case: Home Alarm…
tl;dr: Year-to-year changes in Oscars TV ratings are usually just noise, not meaningful signals. Blaming or praising the host (or lack of one) based on small fluctuations is a mistake. Looking at longer-term trends with tools like Process Behavior Charts…
Thanks to Ron Pereira and the team at Gemba Academy for having me as a guest for the sixth time on their Gemba Academy Podcast (find past episodes via Google). Here is a direct MP3 link to the episode, click…
Thanks to Catalysis for asking me to write a guest blog post… yesterday, they published this: Being Open to Learning and Using Process Behavior Charts Means Unlearning Something Else My post starts: “Why don’t people adopt best practices? I get…
TL;DR: Headlines calling College Football Playoff ratings “all-time lows” are technically true but misleading. When viewed with Process Behavior Charts, the ratings show routine variation, not a meaningful decline. Overexplaining year-to-year changes wastes time and distracts leaders from improving the…