Tag: Sports
Analyzing Rare Events, Like MLB Perfect Games, with Process Behavior Charts
tl;dr summary: Rare events like MLB perfect games are hard to analyze with simple counts. Process Behavior Charts--especially "days between events"--reveal real signals without...
Advice About Dealing with the Mistaken Confetti Drop at an NBA...
This was in the news the other day, and it's fun to talk about mistakes that don't harm or kill anybody:
Confetti delays Celtics-Hawks Game...
Super Bowl XLII: Experimenting with New Grass Proves Slippery for the...
This was a big mistake on the biggest stage for the biggest American sports league. I wouldn't say it ruined the game, but it...
Reframing Failure: A Growth Mindset Lesson from Sports and Lean Leadership
Failure is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Lean and continuous improvement. Leaders talk about learning, experimentation, and growth mindset--but in practice, early...
Why Charts Beat Words for Understanding Variation and Performance
TL;DR: Words can exaggerate short-term changes and invite speculation. Charts--especially run charts--make variation, trends, and context visible, helping leaders avoid overreacting to noise and...
Congratulations to Gregg Popovich, Winningest NBA Coach and a Great Leader
When I lived in San Antonio (2012 to 2015), I became a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs. I mean, it's a civic...
Prof. Elliott Weiss on Steph Curry Tweaking His 3-Point Shot and...
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #439 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Elliott Weiss, the Oliver...
The NBA’s Steph Curry, the Taguchi Loss Function, and Deming’s Funnel...
The Taguchi Loss Function says that variation from target has a cost -- and that cost grows non-linearly as you drift further from center....
Throwback Thursday: Consternation Again Over a New NBA Ball
It's been a while since I've done a "Throwback Thursday" post, but I saw some news stories late last year that reminded me of...
Is Bryce Harper a Bust–or Is It Just Variation? A Process...
tl;dr: Bryce Harper's so-called "bust" seasons weren't busts at all--they were normal variation. When you plot his monthly OPS on a Process Behavior Chart,...
The Return of “Ted Lasso” and the End of “Tyrannical” Managers?
I absolutely loved the first season of the show "Ted Lasso" (available streaming through Apple TV+).
If you're not familiar, here is a preview:
Unlike...
Shohei Ohtani and the Harada Method: A Lean Lesson in Goal...
TL;DR: Shohei Ohtani's extraordinary success as a two-way MLB star reflects more than talent--it's a real-world example of the Harada Method, a goal-setting and...
