History

Posts selected fromManagement Blog - Engineering Blog - Investing Blog and other blogs

• Providing background material in advance of discussions

  I see a systemic failure to provide background material in advance of discussions in many organizations.

  In meetings when lots of data is provided on some issue, that normally would be better handled by an email in advance (or could be some reporting system or whatever - but an email to look at urls of certain data...) to let people review the data.

  continue reading: Providing background material in advance of discussions
• Experience Teaches Nothing Without Theory

  Our brains are great at creating theories and testing them even without us understanding that is what is going on. But managers need to push past this subconscious learning to understand the theories behind their actions or they will spend lots of time on activities that are wasteful, similar to the bird in this webcast...

  This bird doesn’t understand the theory behind their instinct. Therefore the bird can’t understand that a worm is not likely to burst through the pavement. Too often managers are applying behaviors without understanding the theory (or without evidence showing that the practice based on the theory is effective – failing to practice evidence based management). And so the managers don’t understand that the behavior will not be successful given the conditions they find themselves in.

  continue reading: Experience Teaches Nothing Without Theory
• Give People Enough Rope (and the Right Rope) to Succeed

  You want systems that let people take on challenges without too many restrictions but with enough support and training that you don't leave them hanging.

  ...

  the ropes should suit their situation. A tightrope over a chasm is fine for a trained acrobat with a balancing pole. It is foolish for someone without the right training or tools. They would be better served with something else - a rope bridge with railings.

  continue reading: Give People Enough Rope (and the Right Rope) to Succeed
• Introduction to Fractional Factorial Designed Experiments

  Scientific inquiry is aided by sensible application of statistical tools. I grew up around the best minds in applied statistics. My father was an eminent applied statistican, and George Box (the person in the video) was often around our house (or we were at his)...

  continue reading: Introduction to Fractional Factorial Designed Experiments
• Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  Batu caves is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. To reach the caves you must climb 272 concrete steps up the limestone formation that make up this site...

  continue reading: Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Security Theatre Thinking is Damaging the USA

  We need our watchman to care about our society. We need them to see themselves as servants of society. We don't need bullies. We need to stop accepting horrible practices from proponents of security theatre and we need to find watchmen in the vein of Sheriff Taylor not those that see SWAT teams as a sensible reaction thousands of times a year.

  continue reading: Security Theatre Thinking is Damaging the USA
• Theory of Knowledge: Can We Trust Our Memories?

  people may well overestimate their ability to predict. They therefore may under-appreciate the problems due to poor prediction. They may also not see that their predictions are not very accurate and therefore should call into question the theories upon which those predictions are based.

  Also this shows the importance of trying to cement the understanding of agreements. Sometimes people will think writing down what was decided in a meeting or in a discussion is not needed because we will remember. But memory is very malleable.

  continue reading: Theory of Knowledge: Can We Trust Our Memories?
• Effective Communication is Explicit

  Making communication explicit creates a process that is less likely to result in problems that stem from communication failures...

  Writing on a flip chart what was decided in a meeting along with all the action items (including who is responsible) is another example of a practice to make communication explicit.

  continue reading: Effective Communication is Explicit
• Examining the Scientific Basis Around Exercise and Diet Claims

  As I have said before, scientific literacy is critical to allow us to make those judgements about what is credible evidence and what are outright lies, foolish claims or highly suspicious claims tainted by conflicts of interest.

  continue reading: Examining the Scientific Basis Around Exercise and Diet Claims
• Distorting the System, Distorting the Data or Improving the System

  In Fourth Generation Management (I highly recommend this book, by the way), Brian Joiner provided an excellent summary of the options to get better “results” (as measured by the data used).

  The options are to:

  • distort the system
  • distort the data
  • improve the system

  continue reading: Distorting the System, Distorting the Data or Improving the System
• But, That Won't Work Here

  George Box, a good friend (and a close colleague to my father), put the problem of getting new ideas adopted this way (from Management Matters by John Hunter):

  1. It won’t work
  2. It won’t work here
  3. I thought of it first

  continue reading: But, That Won't Work Here
• The Wonderful Coconut

  One of the treats of living in a tropical climate is drinking coconut water. I love drinking the water from fresh coconuts. This video provides insight into the many uses of all parts of the coconut tree.

  continue reading: The Wonderful Coconut
• 94% Belongs to the System

  I should estimate that in my experience most troubles and most possibilities for improvement add up to the proportions something like this: 94% belongs to the system (responsibility of management), 6% special.

  Page 315 of Out of the Crisis by Dr. W. Edwards Deming.

  continue reading: 94% Belongs to the System
• The Art of Discovery with George Box

  Great video of George Box on the process improvement process.

  continue reading: The Art of Discovery with George Box
• Good Journalism Aids Society by Shining the Light on Corruption

  That police departments cover up abuse by their own to the public is pitiful. So many good police officers serve these systems that are failing to stop criminal behavior against the public. It shouldn't fall to journalist to protect the public, but when the police perpetrate such bad practices journalists are a potential protection to the public. If we don't support real journalism we risk great damage to our society.

  continue reading: Good Journalism Aids Society by Shining the Light on Corruption