This point speaks to the need for (1) commitment from top management and (2) commitment from everyone else in the organization. Quality is everyone?s job, and if any implementation is not total, it will not fulfill its full potential. In project management, I see this point alluding to executive formation and support of a company-wide […]
In order for continuous improvement to become organizational culture, it must also become a personal goal for every employee. Self-improvement should not be limited to immediate application, that would be an example of short-term thinking. Employees are the most important assets of an organization, and therefore require effort to retain and enhance them. On project […]
Deming claimed that the sense of having helped other people is the most significant motivator and source of job satisfaction. It is one of the biggest enablers for pride of workmanship. Of the projects you have worked on, think about the ones you are most proud of. What is it that makes you look back […]
This may be the most controversial point, but in my opinion it is aligned with the rest of Deming?s philosophy nicely, and I agree with this point totally. In the US especially, Management By Objectives (MBO) is very much the status quo. I?ll give a short explanation of my opinion from an operational standpoint first […]
This point consists of two elements as I see it. (1) Walk the talk, and (2) hold systems accountable. Walk the Talk Slogans are phony. The word slogan has a connotation of something that is not real. It sounds like an advertisement, and not something you can really trust in. In a project management organization, […]
Many processes are cross-functional. The same is true of projects. This point is about dissolving the ?us versus them? scenario that so often exists in one form or another within organizations. In most projects that I work on, there are individuals from departments such as operations, central services and other support functions, MIS, IT, Service […]
Fear encourages short-term thinking. One of Deming’s classic stories was about a foreman who didn’t stop production to repair a worn-out piece of equipment, because he feared that stopping production would mean missing his daily quota. Instead, he let production continue. When the machine failed, it forced the line to shut down for 4 days. […]
It is the age-old distinction that usually merits much lip service and little true implementation. There is supervision/management, and then there is leadership. Project managers can either be supervisors or leaders, regardless of their job title. Supervising/managing is simply overseeing and directing work. If you know everything about PMBOK and other methodologies, but practice project […]
A quality organization understands the value of the people who work in it. The same goes for project management. Training project managers, analysts, and everyone else who regularly works on projects in the company methodology, soft skills, etc. can bring significant rewards. Many companies use the cop-out of “on the job training” to sidestep any […]
This is one of my favorite points from Dr. Deming. I see so many mistakes that are made again and again, and lessons learned that are either completely undocumented or filed away after a project, never to be seen again. Do all of the other project managers in the firm get exposure to lessons learned […]
Don't keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. It takes practice to capture lessons learned and to make use of those lessons as we move forward. What could you do better?