W. Edwards Deming was most known for his arguments for organizations to embrace continuous improvement plans for their processes. Although specifically geared towards the manufacturing sector, the concept of continuous improvement can and should be practiced by all organizations. The basic concept of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is basic in its premise but can be powerful and…… Continue reading Plan – Do – Check – Act
Primarily known for his work in Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War, W. Edwards Deming was a driving force behind the innovation and quality push behind the post-war Japanese economy. Deming trained many engineers, managers, and scholars concepts of quality through statistical process control (SPC). A number of Japanese manufacturers applied his…… Continue reading W. Edwards Deming & the Deadly Diseases
Far too often organizations are plagued with a mentality where the employees are not encouraged to think critically. Mandates and directives come down from the top, and cannot be challenged. Alternatively, the existing management may not entertain ideas and solutions provided by their subordinates because they may not be viewed as qualified enough to contribute. …… Continue reading Encourage Critical Thinking
In my first semester in graduate school at Colorado State University, I had to take a business leadership class as part of the MBA curriculum. “The Leadership Challenge”, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, was the book we read and studied as part of this class. Within the book, Kouzes and Posner identify five principles…… Continue reading Book Review: The Leadership Challenge
Disaster planning can be easily compared to data management for people who work in offices, where computer usage is a routine part of their job. In my experiences working in the IT sector, I have seen so often where our end-users experience panic and shock when they encounter a PC problem that jeopardizes their data. …… Continue reading Succession Planning IS Important
A general concept in the business world is the concept of it is not what you know, it is who you know. Everybody wants a promotion or to be recognized when an opportunity presents itself. As a manager, there are things I look for in future staffing plans. Normally I prefer to promote from within…… Continue reading Qualities That Lead to Growth and Promotions
Under conditions of heightened competition and pressing needs for innovation, organizations need to routinely collect performance metrics. Organizations may need to track different data; such as a mining company would prefer to measure how much iron or coal they are digging up, while a hospital needs to measure items such as average length of stay…… Continue reading Respect of Leaders, Morale, and Company Culture
As a manager, it may be nice to think of giving an order, and the staff follows it without question. It seems to be a good example of a strong organizational hierarchy, or the most effective and efficient way to run a department. I am the manager, they are the staff I supervise, and there…… Continue reading Should Staff Blindly Follow Orders?
The University of Michigan football team will forever be associated with its former head coach, Bo Schembechler. During his tenure as the head football coach, Michigan prospered and was routinely among the top ranked football programs in the nation. In addition to being a top performing program, many of the former players went on to…… Continue reading Book Review: Bo’s Lasting Lessons
Back in 2007 I was promoted to an IT manager, suddenly responsible for an evolving team of twelve analysts, all had varying degrees of skills and abilities, each of which also had a unique personality. I cannot speak with any authority on other organizations, but for me, it was a trial by fire. I think…… Continue reading Some Thoughts on Management
Deep Thinking 