Deming

W. Edwards Deming was a college math professor and consultant who became famous for studying and implementing ideas in 1950s Japanese business that transformed that country into an economic powerhouse. He focused primarily on quality, which naturally led, if one followed his methods and recommendations, to improved service (both external as well as internal, i.e. management) and better products. The famous example of the fruits of his work is the Japanese dominance in the early 1980s of the automotive industry.

I read plenty about Deming (though not his own actual works) in business classes in college. I recently came across two quotes of his in an unrelated book, and it started the wheels turning. I think a lot of his ideas have trickled down into 21st century business life, but mostly in the form of lip service. I have a variety of work experience; I've worked in a college library, a supermarket, a 100-employee mid-sized business, a huge corporation, and two small technical companies working with two large foreign banks. In every one I could point out areas where this man's work could be applied more authentically for better all-around results. Probably the one company that did this most effectively was the huge corporation, which is still a growing leader in its industry, a "blue chip" type business.

The first quote I came across by Deming was, paraphrasing, "No man should evaluate another man. Period." Think about this. That's the very premise of our business model in modern America since forever. Every day your boss or your manager evaluates you in some way, behind closed doors or face-to-face. You may even be subject to humiliating annual performance reviews, where you have to justify yourself and your actions and say what you think the other person wants to hear so you can be rewarded with a few extra treats, be it a raise or whatnot. Deming flat out says this is wrong. There is absolutely nothing good that can come from an annual performance review. Thought experiment: How would management of a business which internalized and implemented this quote function?

I don't remember the exact other quote, but it was to this effect: The ideal manager should best be compared with the conductor of a symphonic orchestra. What is the conductor's primary focus? To create beautiful, moving music. How does he do this? By skillful and knowledgeable direction, by getting all the members of his ensemble involved and coaxing the best performance out of each and every one of them. Ego is set aside in pursuit of excellence. This image has stayed with me over the past couple of days. What a mind-expanding paradigm-shattering metaphor!

Now, if only I can find a good conductor to work for - oh how I ache to be a member of a team like that!