Process Behavior Charts help leaders distinguish real signals from routine noise in performance data. Instead of reacting to every up or down, these charts—rooted in the work of Shewhart and Deming—show when a system has truly changed and when variation is simply part of normal performance.
These posts explore Process Behavior Charts in practical, leadership-focused ways: avoiding overreaction to red metrics, improving decision-making, building trust in data, and shifting conversations from blame to system improvement. Examples span healthcare, manufacturing, sports, and executive dashboards—where misunderstanding variation often leads to wasted effort and worse outcomes.
Many of the ideas in this archive align with the themes of my book Measures of Success: reacting less to routine variation, leading better through better questions, and improving more by focusing on system change instead of noise.
tl;dr: Red/green metrics and single-point comparisons hide important signals in your data. Time-series charts and Process Behavior Charts reveal when systems actually change–and when leaders should learn instead of overreact. In many organizations, leaders rely on red/green color-coding to evaluate…
Our guest today for Episode 347 is Brad Parsons, the CEO of NEA Baptist, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. NEA Baptist is a 228-bed hospital and 140-provider medical group serving northeast Arkansas — part of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation. Brad is…
tl;dr: Headlines say Tom Brady is declining because a few stats have dropped, but Process Behavior Charts show his performance is still within routine variation over his career. Without a true signal, reacting to short-term “trends” is misleading–in sports and…
Thanks to the “Work Minus” podcast for having me on their show: Work Minus Overreacting to Business Metrics with Mark Graban – Distinguishing signal vs. noise I enjoyed being on this podcast — here are two quotes they captured: “When…
TL;DR: Gordon Deal and Mark Graban discuss why leaders overreact to routine ups and downs in metrics-and how Process Behavior Charts help filter noise, identify real signals, and improve decisions without wasted effort or stress. Why Leaders Overreact to Metrics…
The last time I ran a short-term book sale — lowering the Kindle book price of Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More to $2.99 — I was curious what would happen. I saw a short-term spike in…
TL;DR: Many organizations misinterpret metrics, overreact to noise, and miss real signals. Using an A3 approach helps leaders align on the problem first–before introducing Process Behavior Charts as a countermeasure for better decisions and more effective improvement. Why Process Behavior…
TL;DR: Home runs in MLB haven’t just “gone up”–the data shows a real system shift, not random year-to-year variation. Process Behavior Charts help separate signal from noise, revealing when it’s worth investigating what truly changed instead of overreacting to single-season…
TL;DR: Red-amber-green (RAG) dashboards mislead leaders by turning random variation into “red” crises that trigger overreaction and explanation-seeking. The BMJ shows that most performance data reflects normal system behavior, not meaningful change. Process Behavior Charts (control charts) help leaders distinguish…
tl;dr If a Process Behavior Chart shows many points outside the limits, the issue is often the data–not the chart. Plotting moving averages instead of actual data distorts variation and creates false signals. Process Behavior Charts work best with raw,…
TL;DR: Before-and-after comparisons hide variation and invite overreaction. Control charts–especially Process Behavior Charts–show whether a system has truly changed, help leaders distinguish noise from signals, and provide clearer evidence of sustained improvement. I attended the IHI National Forum a few…
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.…
