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Moving Productivity Forward: Boosting Lean with Deming (Part 7)

01/07/2025 |

In the final episode of the series, Jacob Stoller and Andrew Stotz discuss the difference between typical companies using traditional management and more successful Deming-style companies. If productivity and performance are so much better, why do companies stick with traditional management?

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Worse Than a Thief: Misunderstanding Quality (Part 9)

12/24/2024 |

Join Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz as they discuss what actions (or inactions) make us worse than thieves and how that relates to expiration dates, and acceptability vs desirability. Plus, stories about job swapping, Achieving Competitive Excellence, and birthdays.

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Define the Problem: Path for Improvement (Part 5)

12/18/2024 |

Before you start solving a problem, you need to know what, precisely, you’re trying to solve. In this episode, John Dues and Andrew Stotz talk about how to figure out the problem on which you will focus your team’s efforts.

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Beyond Looking Good: Misunderstanding Quality (Part 8)

12/13/2024 |

In this episode, Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz dive further into acceptability versus desirability in the quality world. Is it enough that something is “good” – meets requirements – or do you need to focus on degrees of “good”? How can you tell the difference?

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See the System: Path for Improvement (Part 4)

12/06/2024 |

Before you jump into tools and solutions, you need to take a step back. In this episode, John Dues and Andrew Stotz discuss the four questions you need to ask in order to make the system you want to work on visible, and decide on a direction.

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Frame the Challenge: Path for Improvement (Part 3)

11/12/2024 |

John Dues and Andrew Stotz are diving deeper into the improvement model that John is building with his team. In this episode, learn the three ways to think about an improvement frame for your big challenge.

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Paradigms of Variation: Misunderstanding Quality (Part 7)

11/05/2024 |

In this episode, Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz explore the intersection of variation and quality through awareness of the “Paradigms of Variation”. Learn how to decide which paradigm your quality management system fits into!

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Myth of Tech Omnipotence: Boosting Lean with Deming (Part 6)

10/30/2024 |

Many companies strive to automate by using more technology and fewer humans. But does their productivity really improve? Does it keep them agile? In this episode, Jacob Stoller and Andrew Stotz share stories of companies that improve productivity because they focus on processes instead of tech alone.

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Myth of Sticks and Carrots: Boosting Lean with Deming (Part 5)

10/22/2024 |

Traditional management uses “carrots,” like bonuses, and “sticks”, like Performance Improvement Plans, to motivate employees. But are humans really built that way? In this episode, Jacob Stoller and Andrew Stotz dive into the myth surrounding that approach and talk about what actually motivates people at work.

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Top-Down Knowledge Myth: Boosting Lean with Deming (Part 4)

10/15/2024 |

In this episode, Jacob Stoller and Andrew Stotz discuss the myth that managers need to know everything in order to manage. What happens when you ask non-managers for feedback?

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