Deming on Management

Topic: Management Improvement

I have added a new section to Curious Cat Management Improvement Connections titled: Deming on Management.

W. Edwards Deming's management ideas have greatly influenced modern management practice. Many quotes and thoughts are attributed to him. Sometimes these represent his ideas accurately, and sometimes they do not. In the Deming on Management section, I attempt to clearly indicate what he actual said and include some of my thoughts on the topic.

For example, Dr. Deming is often incorrectly quoted as saying: "you can't manage what you can't measure." In fact, he stated one of the seven deadly diseases of management was running a company on visible figures alone.

On page 121 of Out of the Crisis Deming wrote:

the most important figures that one needs for management are unknown or unknowable (Lloyd S. Nelson), but successful management must nevertheless take account of them.

For more on details see, Manage what you can't measure, in our new Deming on Management feature.