W. Edwards Deming’s ideas about leadership, systems, variation, and psychology continue to shape how organizations pursue quality and improvement. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections exploring Deming’s teachings—and how they apply to Lean, healthcare, management, and continuous improvement today. Many of these posts challenge common misinterpretations of Deming’s work, emphasizing that quality cannot be delegated and that improvement starts with leadership.
Yesterday, I tweeted a quote about patient safety that I’ve seen posted on the wall or bulletin board in many hospitals: “To err is human, to cover up is unforgivable, and to fail to learn is inexcusable.” – Sir Liam…
Hospital acquired infections continue to be a big problem, one that’s often unsolved except for instances like Dr. Rick Shannon’s work at West Penn-Allegheny and UPenn and the “checklists” approach used at a number of hospitals around the world. One…
I had a good long chat with a former client (from my J&J days) the other day. I call him “The Synthesizer,” and no he’s not an electronic keyboard. We’re working together on a business journal article about their Lean…
Again, I’m very happy to host the Carnival for John Hunter and his Curious Cat blog. My job here is to share some noteworthy and thought provoking posts from the past few weeks from the blogs I try to keep…
It’s time for another in my Reader Questions series, this question comes from Brian via email. If you have a question or topic that you’d like me to address, you can contact me via the web or by leaving a…
Reminder: I’ll be on “The Lean Nation” today at 4 PM (more details) In this article about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, “Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s (rather run-of-the-mill) house: Facebook founder gives rare glimpse into his private life on Oprah“, there is…
It’s time for a Lean Blog feature I haven’t done in a while…. “A Lean Guy Reads _______”. I’ve done this before with the WSJ, Fortune, and USA Today (click here for past editions). This time, it’s Tuesday’s USA Today…
I’d like to welcome a new sponsor to my blog, LeanPosters.com. You’ll find their ad in the right hand column… As is the case with many of my sponsors, LeanPosters.com is a small business, so I like helping entepreneurial ventures…
One of the things I get frustrated with is people who want to take shortcuts with Lean. There are some who are only interested in copying and taking the easy path to yummy Lean goodness. You see this in the…
Today is a federal holiday in the United States, Labor Day. I know that’s obvious to the 70% of you reading from the U.S., but it seemed worth pointing out to the international readers. Labor Day became a holiday in…
I nearly drove off the road when I heard this NPR story yesterday: “Allowance Economics: Candy, Taxes And Potty Training.” Please take a listen or a read. In the piece, an Australia economics professor who is “an expert in incentives”…
I’ve had the chance recently to re-watch some of The Deming Library DVDs, thanks to my friends at CC-M Productions (found at www.managementwisdom.com). I’m watching some of the videos for the first time. It’s always a joy for me to…
