Deming on Management: Getting Started

Guest post by John Hunter, author of the Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog (since 2004).

One of the challenges adopting Deming’s management ideas is that it doesn’t provide a simple process to follow. There is no recipe – no first do x, then do y, then do z. Instead the ideas must be learned and applied to the unique circumstances of the organization you wish to apply them in.

There are principles that must be learned and there are management concepts and tools that aid in the process of applying Deming’s ideas. Still, the process of getting started is a challenge. This post, part of our Deming on Management series, provides some resources to help those getting started in transforming their management system to one based on Deming’s management ideas.

Blog posts

• How to Start Applying Deming’s Ideas on Management
• How to Get a New Management Strategy, Tool or Concept Adopted
• How to Grow the Adoption of Management Improvement Ideas in Your Organization
• Educate New Managers on Their New Responsibilities
• Why Do People Fail to Adopt Better Management Methods?
• Change has to Start from the Top, Webcast with David Langford – “You are the top of your system. Change your thinking, change your process – you change your system. As soon as you start to modify your system you are going to have an effect on the larger system”
• Grow Your Circle of Influence
• Where to Start Improvement
• People Take Time to Believe Claims of Changed Management Practices
• How to Improve
• Change
• Building the critical thinking practices in the organization creates an environment that supports the principles and practices of management improvement.
• Thinking Required – Not Just a Recipe to Follow
• Dangers of Forgetting the Proxy Nature of Data – the proper use of data dramatically improves the practice of management but misusing data leads to significant problems.

Articles

• Managing Our Way to Economic Success – Two resources, largely untapped in American organizations, are potential information and employee creativity.
• Transformed leadership starts with a transformed individual (and that means you!)

Books

• The Leader’s Handbook: Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done by Peter Scholtes
• Management Matters: Building Enterprise Capability by John Hunter
• Fourth Generation Management by Brain Joiner

Podcasts

• Deming Podcast with Fred Wambier and Kelly Allan On Applying Deming’s Ideas at Finishing Technology
• Dr. Deming, Lean, and Shifting From Command and Control