An operational definition is a procedure agreed upon for translation of a concept into measurement of some kind.
As I use the term here, the job of a leader is to accomplish transformation of his organization. He possesses knowledge, personality, and persuasive power.
Beat horses, and they will run faster—for a while.
Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. Kindle Edition. The MIT Press.
,page 20
Best efforts are essential. Unfortunately, best efforts, people charging this way and that way without guidance of principles, can do a lot of damage. Think of the chaos that would come if everyone did his best, not knowing what to do.
Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. Kindle Edition. The MIT Press.
,page 19
Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.
Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. Kindle Edition. The MIT Press.
,page 21
Complaints come in too late… [I]t will not suffice to have customers that are merely satisfied. Customers that are unhappy and some that are merely satisfied switch. Profit comes from repeat customers—those that boast about the product or service. Quality is already built in before a customer complains. Study of complaints is certainly necessary but it gives a biased picture of performance of a product or of a service. Study of costs of warranty have of course the same deficiency. These principles apply equally well to service and to manufactured product.
Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. Kindle Edition. The MIT Press.
,page 152
Data are not taken for museum purposes; they are taken as a basis for doing something. If nothing is to be done with the data, then there is no use in collecting any. The ultimate purpose of taking data is to provide a basis for action or a recommendation for action. The step intermediate between the collection of data and the action is prediction.
Defects are not free. Somebody makes them, and gets paid for making them.
Deming, W. Edwards. (2000). Out of the Crisis – 2nd Edition. Kindle Edition. The MIT Press.
,page 9
Deming’s First Theorem: ‘Nobody gives a hoot about profits.’
“Does anybody give a hoot about profit?” Speech to European Executives, July 11, 1990
,transcribed by the British Deming Association (BDA) and later reprinted by the Swiss Deming Institute.