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.
When I worked at the GM Powertrain Livonia Engine Plant in the mid-1990s, the hallway display cases held posters celebrating something called “The Livonia Philosophy.” It read, in part, like this: “through trust, communication, and respect for the individual, we…
The Power of Purpose It seems that someone is always rediscovering Deming. I gave a lean overview talk to a healthcare audience recently. I was asked afterward by an attendee, “Why didn’t you mention Deming?” Deming certainly played a major…
WSJ.com – Cubicle Culture Free version of article I always wonder if I should post links to WSJ articles, since I know not everybody has a $$ online subscription. But, I bet your boss reads it (or someone up “above”…
Curious Cat Deming Management Thoughts by John Hunter – Dr. W. Edwards Deming Here is a nice summary of W. Edwards Deming resources. Although he’s been gone for over a decade, his principles and teachings are just as relevant today.…
alan’s blog: The author says: “Anytime you see a new corporate program being rolled out with posters and coffee mugs and exhortations from the CEO the alarm bells should go off – similarly, if you’re the exec thinking up the…
As follow up to Deming’s mention in Fortune Magazine, Some Choice Words on Management by Slogan A good real life example of what Deming meant by not managing by slogan. Do slogans and posters really get through to workers? Do…
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…
KRT Wire | 06/14/2005 : Above is an article that talks about Boeing and Airbus moving airplane production into China. This item struck me as very Toyota like in the attitude: “Ubiquitous white poster boards with company slogans hang in…
Learning about Lean There is a very interesting article, original from the ASQ Journal, linked to on the “Learning about Lean” blog. In a manner that reminds me of W. Edwards Deming, the article makes the case that all real…
WSJ.com – The Doctor’s Office (free feature): “Most medical errors in the doctor’s office are process errors. These result from communication problems, office administration problems, incorrect medical test reports and decisions based on incomplete information. Many process errors are minor…