Tag: Metrics
The ER Wait Time Metric That Can Hide Deteriorating Patient Experience
If your emergency department metric improved this quarter and you felt good about it, the problem might not be your emergency department.
It might be...
Stop Reacting to Red Light Metrics: Why ‘Two Reds in a...
tl;dr: The "two consecutive reds" rule persists because reacting feels like leadership -- but it generates wasted investigations, false success stories, and eroded trust....
The Bourbon “Bust” That Wasn’t: What Happens When You Zoom Out
Headlines say Bourbon is in crisis:
Yeah, this looks bad. Look at that decline! This chart supports headlines like:
Bourbon, spirits industry suffers 'significant downturn' after...
Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: January 9, 2026
Summary: Today's "mixtape" post brings together timely ideas on continuous improvement, leadership, productivity, and workplace culture. From avoiding "blank slate" metrics and rethinking PDCA/PDSA...
Don’t Start the New Year with Blank Charts: A Better Way...
Charts like this always make me wonder why we throw away the additional context of data from 2016 when we start the 2017 chart.
It's unlikely that January 1st in any given year is the magical creation of a new system or a new process. In other words, January 2017 was likely the same process as December 2016. The annual cutoffs are arbitrary. Sure, people are accustomed to thinking in annual cycles, but is this helpful for improvement?
Two Data Points Don’t Make a Trend: A Gas Price Lesson...
TL;DR: Two data points don't make a trend -- whether it's gas prices, Oscars ratings, or your team's monthly KPIs. Snapshot comparisons ("up from...
Gaming the System: What a USPS Smiley Face Reveals About Bad...
TL;DR: A USPS clerk tapping the green smiley face on a customer feedback screen is a small but telling example of gaming the system....
Three Ways Pressure Warps Performance Metrics–and What Leaders Must Do Instead
TL;DR: When leaders apply pressure instead of support, people don't improve processes--they distort data or hide problems. Real improvement starts when leaders make it...
Why ‘Red Isn’t Bad’ Is the Wrong Mindset for Performance Metrics
TL;DR: Red metrics aren't "good," but they shouldn't trigger blame or panic either. The real problem isn't red--it's leaders getting mad instead of curious....
Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: May 30, 2025
This edition of Ryan McCormack's Operational Excellence Mixtape challenges leaders to rethink how they use data, technology, and culture in the pursuit of improvement....
Why Bowling Charts Mislead Leaders–and What to Use Instead
tl;dr: If leaders have to "do the math in their heads" to see trends, the chart isn't doing its job. Bowling charts hide signals...
Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: March 21, 2025
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly...
