Posts by Andrew Stotz

Eliminate Arbitrary Numerical Targets: Deming in Schools Case Study (Part 17)

Quotas, arbitrary targets, work standards with numerical goals – these don’t seem to apply to schools. But, as John Dues and host Andrew Stotz discuss, quotas show up a lot in classrooms, causing harm and preventing improvement.

Integration and the Taguchi Loss Function: Awaken Your Inner Deming (Part 13)

Should we strive to better understand what happens “downstream” to our defect-free work? No matter the setting, if our work meets requirements and we pass it on, are we responsible for how well it integrates into a bigger system? In this episode, Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz expand on the interaction between variation and systems and why Dr. Deming regarded Genichi Taguchi’s Quality Loss Function as “a better description of the world.”

Pitfalls of Slogans and Targets: Deming in Schools Case Study (Part 16)

Slogans and exhortations don’t work to motivate people. Targets usually encourage manipulation or cheating. John Dues and Andrew Stotz discuss how these three strategies can hinder improvement, frustrate teachers and students, and even cause nationwide scandals.

Integration Excellence: Awaken Your Inner Deming (Part 12)

What does it mean that people feel connected and included when something good happens yet dissociate when something bad happens? In this episode, Bill Bellows and Andrew Stotz discuss the human side of integration.

Do You Listen to Speak or Listen to Learn? Role of a Manager in Education (Part 12)

Listening to understand and learn is often harder than not-really-listening because you’re thinking about what to say. Dr. Deming emphasized learning and was excited about ideas he heard from others every day. In this episode, David Langford and Andrew Stotz talk about why and how managers, including teachers, should listen to staff or students.