The book Essential Deming: Leadership Principles
from the Father of Quality by Dr. Joyce Orsini provides a strong read for
managers who seek to understand the nature of quality and how to improve
operations. The book covers a number of
important concepts such as management problems, quality development, methodology,
research studies, knowledge vs. information, and management predictions. Each
of these concepts leads the reader to understand higher methodologies in
running corporations.
The book contains a number of important lists for
administrators to study. It indicates that there seven deadly diseases in the
way managers think. It recommends that they understand these all important
concepts to improve profits:
- 1. Lack of constancy of purpose: Having proper plans that keep the company in business.
- 2. Emphasis on short-term profits: An excessive push for dividends and short-term profits.
- 3. Evaluation of Performance: Rewards for people who do well with current systems but few rewards for those who want to improve the system.
- 4. Mobility of Management: Mobility in management from company to company creates a push for short-term profits.
- 5. Management by use only of visible figures: Over reliance on figures may damage unmeasured successful factors that impact the business in the long-term.
- 6. Excessive medical costs: Increases in medical costs have limited profit margins.
- 7. Excessive costs of liability: Contingency lawyers have raised costs of business.
The book also provides some interesting discussions
on what business colleges should teach and what they should avoid. It appears
that Deming wanted to see transformation in American companies. To him this
starts with managers having knowledge above and beyond information. Strong
business colleges should help students understand theories and then how to
apply them within the workplace in order to increase their knowledge. As a
professor I have seen a number of colleagues become successful at this approach
and it is wonderful to contribute to such future managers understanding. Of
particular interest is his understanding of what the true educational process
is:
“Joy of
learning comes not so much from what is learned, but from learning. It’s fun to
learn, if you learn knowledge. Not fun to learn information. The joy in the job
comes not so much from the result, not from the product, but from contributing
to optimization of the system in which everybody wins (Deming as quoted in
Orsini, 2013, pp. 200)
The book is written at a college level and provides
useful information for future managers. It would be my recommendation that
students who hope to move into management read this book and take its
principles in consideration. It covers everything from management systems to
how to understand business studies. The book is based upon a number of lectures
and writings by Edwards Deming. Quality to him started in the executive room
through positive thinking and innovative products.
Orsini, J. (2013). The Essential Deming: The Leadership Principles from the Father of
Quality. NY: McGraw-Hill Books.
ISBN: 0-07-179022-5
Pages: 326
Price: $23
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