Leading Blog

MARCH 21, 2011

Management that doesn’t confront problems and make the necessary tough decisions to change, typically ends up with a culture focused on pride in the past and the protection of old procedures. I think we are seeing too much of this core issue and what we end up with is operational complexity and lack of innovation and forward momentum.

Six Sigma 279

Six Sigma COO Leadership Constraint 279

Deming Institute

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

I’d like to focus on a few areas of Dr. Deming’s career that perhaps are under appreciated, not talked about as much as some other areas. For those interested in improving the management of our organizations (hopefully that matches the readership of this blog) there is value in reading their views on six sigma.

Rogers 28

Rogers Deming Six Sigma Engineering 28

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

A bachelor's degree used to provide enough basic training to last a career. And it's not only white-collar, college-driven careers that will suffer rapid skills obsolescence. Project Management and Lean Six Sigma certifications both center on hands-on learning. The key takeaway?

Skills 17

Skills Six Sigma Supply Chain Education 17

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 5, 2012

Whether motivated by a lack of insight arrogance, or stupidity, the illusion of rationality is a waste of time and resources — yet one that keeps a lot of people employed in management consulting, as I learned first hand. And modern management systems must become far more adaptive. Three words: fear of failure. This must change.

Creativity 14

Creativity Six Sigma Entrepreneur Learning-by-Doing 14

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 1, 2013

After looking hard at the numbers and algorithms, the smartest — and richest — general managers and franchises have made up their collective minds: They're not paying a premium for yesterday. Think of it as Six Sigma predictive analytics for talent. Yesterday" is a sunk cost. We have a luxury in sports," says Morey.

Loyalty 8

Loyalty Franchising Six Sigma Sports 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

But increasingly, at the local level, innovative approaches involving unlikely partners playing unlikely roles are disrupting the status quo and addressing seemingly unsolvable challenges like those posed by Sandy. Government must adopt innovation practices that mirror those used by leading entrepreneurial companies around the world.

Six Sigma 8

Six Sigma Long-term Innovation Definition 8

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 23, 2015

The executive team of a consumer healthcare company had concluded that the rise of new competitors meant the company needed to up its innovation game. The company had spent the past two decades focused on implementing Six Sigma processes across the enterprise and it was primed to execute on the best and smartest ideas.

Innovation 8

Innovation Company Six Sigma Constraint 8