One Good Idea
2005
Let's Accentuate the Positive
As a quality practitioner, I have learned problem based management is pretty much the standard. So when I was introduced to a positive approach known as appreciative inquiry (AI), I was initially intrigued by it and eventually embraced it....
Inefficiency With the Best of Intentions
As quality professionals, we are all familiar with lean thinking. We have spent years, sometimes decades, trying to find waste and eliminate it. But did you ever wonder how the waste got there?...
Work Learning In
Today, I’m at my desk getting things done. I’m working. Tomorrow, I’m going to an off-site workshop. I’ll be learning.” Work today, learn tomorrow, and never the two shall meet, right?...
Mini-Scule
Forty-three people from diverse industries, with a wide range of credentials and work experiences, were hired to form an internal consulting unit within a large organization. From the outset it was obvious the individuals' egos would be problematic....
What a Bubble Plot Can Do for You
As an industrial statistician, I believe the majority of insights into manufacturing problems can be gleaned from simple graphical displays. One exploratory graphical tool with high potential for revealing patterns in data is the bubble plot....
Craft a Meaningful Quality Policy
One way to align a quality management system policy with its objectives is to use the Ishikawa cause and effect (CE) method. These five steps will help management effectively structure a meaningful and integrated quality policy....
