A fundamental tenant of continuous quality improvement (CQI) methodology is the Shewhart or “PDCA” cycle developed by Walter Shewhart. The four consecutive phases in the model are: Plan: Recognize an opportunity and plan a change. Do: Test the change. Carry out a small-scale study. Check: Review the test, analyze the results, and identify what you’ve […]
For most organizations, summer is the best time to prepare for Strategic Planning. However, with everything going on these days, you might be wondering if that is still the case. Here are two good reasons, one traditional, one more unique to this year, that you should prepare now for great planning in the fall. 1. […]
Front Line Heroes: During unanticipated events such as the current Virus Outbreak, those working directly with customers face even more stress and challenging circumstances than usual. We are inspired by how they rise to the occasion with patience, creativity, and extraordinary efforts, earning our admiration and thanks. Their abilities to meet the challenge are often […]
Dealing with Change? Rethink Communication. When unanticipated events occur, good or bad, very little else seems as important as communication. Communication is vital to managing through these changes that happen to us, as we gather and disseminate information, create focus and organization out of chaos, align resources, and so much more. Communication is also vital […]
When major unanticipated events occur, they often force us to re-prioritize, if only for the time being. For example, within the broad subject areas of data analysis, planning, and organizational performance, there may be some activities that are postponed until things become less chaotic. However, unforeseen events may also heighten the importance of other activities, […]
It's all about Change. Isn't it? The word “change”, by itself, can trigger a variety of immediate emotions in people, and not all of them are pleasant. This seems to be the case more than ever in today’s world. And you have probably heard it said that “people don’t like change” or “it is hard […]
Having trouble getting started on that Business Plan for your new service? Have an idea for a major process change, but don’t know how to plan it? Try using an Effect and Cause Diagram. Process improvement practitioners may think that’s a typo. They’ll claim the correct name is the Cause and Effect Diagram. Actually, the […]
In essence, strategic planning is about changing from a current state to a desired future state. The better you can understand and articulate both, the easier it is to identify the necessary changes (Strategies and Tactics) that will be needed to move from current state to future state. This is where information and analysis play […]
When we think of information, we often think of numbers, data, maybe even statistical methods that can help us assess the numbers. This kind of quantitative information is critical to leading and managing organizations and work units. But there is another kind of information, more qualitative in nature, which is also very valuable in research […]
