7 Points on Management by Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Dr. Deming teaches us that the majority of quality problems are process oriented. In his viewpoint quality of service delivery is affected by all aspects of an organization and therefore clearly defined effective process definition by management is essential to superior service. The processes employed to support work flow within an organization are management’s responsibility although smart managers elicit input from employees on how to make improvements. It has been borne out that employees that work in well run efficient environments thrive and equate their success with the success of the organization. Following are points on management as taught by Dr. Deming:

1. If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing – Dr. Deming teaches us that most quality problems are inherent in the processes employed within an organization. In order to institute effective processes and make improvements on them it’s necessary to be able to describe and define them.
2. When a system is stable, telling the worker about mistakes is only tampering – When the processes within an organization are well defined and working effectively a certain level of human error must be allowed for. If an employee performs their work and delivers the expected level of quality but some problems are caught through quality control procedures prior to service delivery – attempting to alter the employee’s work habits will be counterproductive.
3. If you don’t understand how to run an efficient operation, new machinery will just give you new problems of operation and maintenance. The sure way to increase productivity is to better administrate man and machine – Dr. Deming firmly believes (and it’s been substantiated by those who put his teachings into practice) that the majority of quality problems are process oriented. He teaches that investing in equipment or software to support flawed business processes will only create additional problems. The path to superior quality is through clearly defined, efficient business processes.
4. Rational behavior requires theory. Reactive behavior requires only reflex action – Being proactive and defining solid business processes requires analysis and evaluation leading to effective improvements. Establishing efficient work flow and making improvements to it necessitates thought and effort. Purely reacting to work as it occurs is indicative of loosely defined or even dysfunctional business processes.
5. Research shows that the climate of an organization influences an individual’s contribution far more than the individual himself – The culture of an organization is determined by how it is run. Good leadership involves making sure that everyone understands what they are supposed to do and how to do it. When employees are set up to succeed they will.
6. Hold everybody accountable? Ridiculous! – Accountability is a big part of achieving superior quality. Management is accountable for organization, planning, leadership and control. If management delivers these key components then they’ve met their requirements. If quality suffers due to a lack of attention to any of these areas management must hold itself accountable. If management has met their obligations and an employee doesn’t buy into their program or fails to execute as required – then they must be held accountable as well. In short no one is exempt from accountability.
7. All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride – People achieve a positive perspective when they are put into a position to succeed. And nothing builds success like a positive outlook among team members. When people believe they will achieve.