In a new podcast series, Jacob Stoller and podcast host Andrew Stotz discussed five major management and productivity myths and how Lean and Deming thinking solve them. Jacob Stoller is the author of The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence and Productivity Reimagined: Shattering Performance Myths to Achieve Sustainable Growth.
5 Myths of Traditional Productivity
The first episode offers an overview, and Jacob shares his journey from traditional management to a better way.
In the second episode, Jacob and Andrew ask: Is the whole simply a sum of its parts? They go on to discuss what happens when you divide a company into pieces and manage them separately, and what to do instead.
The third episode addresses the financial bottom line – for many, the end-all-be-all of business management. But is your financial bottom line the true story of your organization? Maybe it doesn’t tell you what you think it does.
In the fourth episode, Jacob and Andrew discuss the myth that managers need to know everything in order to be good managers. What happens when you ask non-managers for feedback and ideas?
Traditional management uses “carrots,” like bonuses, and “sticks,” like Performance Improvement Plans, to motivate employees. But are humans really built that way? In this episode, Jacob and Andrew explore the myth surrounding that approach and discuss what actually motivates people at work.
Many companies strive to automate by using more technology and fewer humans. But does their productivity really improve? Does it keep them agile? In this episode, Jacob and Andrew share stories of companies that improve productivity because they focus on processes instead of tech alone.
In the final episode of the series, Jacob and Andrew discuss the difference between typical companies using traditional management and more successful Deming-style companies. If productivity and performance are so much better, why do companies stick with traditional management?
We are grateful to Jacob and Andrew for creating an in-depth series exploring these five productivity myths and showing our community how Deming thinking and Lean tools can work together to develop efficient and joyful workplaces.