Commencing in 2014, The Deming Institute has recorded podcasts on a monthly basis, featuring 20 to 30-minute interviews by Tripp Babbitt with members of the Deming Community who are advancing the use and explanations of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's ideas.
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Gordon McGilton - It's Not "I'll Believe It When I See It, But You'll See It When You Believe It"
Tripp Babbitt and Gordon McGilton
This week's Podcast features Gordon McGilton, Director of a Private Equity Fund with investment in multiple industries. Gordon shares the humorous and unique way he was introduced to Dr. Deming's philosophies. He provides an example of a company that is using The Deming System of Profound Knowledge with great success, as well as how one can begin their own journey.
Gordon starts with, "every business is just a system and that system delivers some change of state that customers are willing to pay for. Everything else in between is just by what method to do it."
Listen as Gordon shares the Jet-Hot, Inc. story, a real example of how he applied the Deming System of Profound Knowledge and systems thinking to a coatings company on the verge of insolvency. After three years, with the same people, the company is prospering and the employees are proud of what they do, the company they work for and the solutions they provide the customers.
We step back and hear how Gordon was introduced to Dr. Deming's philosophies while working in the auto industry in 1980, when the documentary "If Japan Can, Why Can't We" aired on NBC-TV. This is a must listen podcast, as Gordon shares the tale of his initial resistance to attending Dr. Deming's 4-Day Seminar; and his subsequent understanding that everything he had learned in management, up to that point, was wrong.
Gordon explores his Aha! Moments, the first of which was, "you can't increase someone's capability by offering them money or by threatening them." This was a huge breakthrough, as he was raised on an intimidation model believing that's how you got things done. The breakthrough came once he saw that providing employees with the instructions, tools, information and support they needed, is what actually improved their performance.
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Ron Moen and Cliff Norman of Associates in Process Improvement (API) - "I Make No Apologies for Learning"
Tripp Babbitt, Ron Moen, and Cliff Norman
Ron Moen and Cliff Norman, of Associates in Process Improvement (API), discuss their similar experiences where first introduced to Dr. Deming, their paper "Evolution of Deming's System of Profound Knowledge" and finally the "journey of learning" through the lens of SoPK, that Dr. Deming left the world.
Ron and Cliff start with an introduction on their first meeting with Dr. Deming; how he challenged what they knew and had learned and dramatically changed their thinking and lives going forward.
The main focus of the podcast summarizes the paper Cliff and Ron will publish next year about the evolution of The Deming System of Profound Knowledge, from it's beginnings when Dr. Deming was introduced to Shewhart in 1927 until his death in 1993. Listen as they walk us through Deming's own learning, starting with SQC (Statistical Quality Control) to SQC for Management (which he taught to the Japanese) through the tremendous growth in the 1980's after the NBC White Paper "If Japan Can...Why Can't We?" Deming's learning continued through multiple versions of the 14 points, Seven Deadly Diseases and the four elements of Profound Knowledge. Deming's work culminated with his greatest contribution, the theory and interaction between the four elements, which became The Deming System of Profound Knowledge.
The last portion of the Podcast focuses on the journey of learning. Dr Deming, said, "I make no apologies for learning" as his message changed and evolved throughout his life. The teachings continue to impact Ron and Cliff in their lives and work and this research provides fascinating insight into Dr. Deming's personal journey of learning.
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Dr. Lisa Snyder, Superintendent of the Lakeville Public Schools In Minnesota – Moving from Good to Great
Tripp Babbitt and Lisa Snyder
This week's Podcast features Dr. Lisa Snyder, Superintendent of the Lakeville Public Schools. Lisa shares how the work of Dr. Deming is influencing her as a superintendent and the rewards and challenges of adopting his philosophies.
Lisa's Deming journey began 23 years ago, when in a new job, she was sent to listen to Dr. Deming via satellite. The experience had a huge impact on Lisa as she connected Deming's philosophy to her own belief systems. She thought - this is the framework that public schools are desperately lacking. It was then that she became a Deming follower.
What resonated for Lisa, was the idea of systems thinking rather than evaluating and blaming people. When she started to think about abandoning the "blame game" and looking instead at flaws in the system, it was very powerful.
Listen as Lisa talks about shifting the "mindset" in public schools from working in silos to working in collaboration through systems thinking. And how, as a district seeking to create meaningful change in the public school system, they adopted a policy to lead their organization through a continuous improvement philosophy.
Lisa explains that it was both exciting and challenging to find where schools should have high levels of autonomy and where there should be more systems alignment for efficiency and effectiveness. But the process brought more people to the leadership table and broader sense of empowerment to those who would help change the philosophy of the district.
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Keith Sparkjoy Co-founder of Pluralsight discusses their Journey To “Seek The Truth”
Tripp Babbitt and Keith Sparkjoy
This week's Deming Podcast features Keith Sparkjoy, Cofounder and Culture Coach of Pluralsight, a leader in professional training for developers through an online learning experience.
Keith discusses his "awakening" on their journey to keep Pluralsight's healthy culture as they rapidly expanded. The Deming philosophies provided hope and as he came to understand variation and a new way to look at leadership, the transition moved very quickly. From creating a system that focused on customer - eliminating incentive pay for managers, commissions for salespeople, and paid time off policies - to establishing only two rules to guide the company.
Listen as Keith explains their journey to "seek the truth", how they have been able to burst the bubble of management, build trust, drive out fear and get people to work together as Pluralsight "grows up."
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Dick Steele of Peaker Services - Sometimes it's about "what can't be measured"
Tripp Babbitt and Dick Steele
This week's podcast features Dick Steele, Founder and Chairman of Peaker Services, Inc. and member of The Deming Institute Board of Trustees. Dick discusses his company's transformation and how he has kept his employees engaged throughout their Deming Journey.
Dick shares his memory of how a book recommendation by his mother led to his introduction to Dr. Deming's philosophies. And how attending Dr. Deming's 4-day seminar led to the company dropping performance appraisals "cold turkey" the following week.
Listen as Dick discusses some of the changes that make the biggest difference (but are immeasurable) and how these changes have led to greater collaboration, employee engagement and innovation at Peaker Services.
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Doug Stilwell - "Preparing The Soil" - an Integral Part of the Learning Process
Tripp Babbitt and Doug Stilwell
This week's podcast features Dr. Doug Stilwell, Superintendent of the Urbandale Community School District. Doug shares his application of the Deming Philosophy in education - looking at education from a systems point a view and driving out fear with trust.
Listen as Doug talks about how, after 35 years in education, he always felt that "something was not right." It wasn't until 2009 when he attended a David Langford Seminar, which applied the Deming philosophy in education, that he said "this is it, this is the stuff I have been looking for."
Doug endured 35 years of new initiatives from the legislature and Department of Education, with no changes in student achievement. It caused him to think back to Deming and that "people are not the problem, it's the system." If they did not take a systems approach they would be doomed to fail. He realized that whether you're looking at the district as a whole, or a building or even a classroom, it's a system, and the way you approach that system will have the greatest impact on student learning.
Doug shares his lifelong interest in trust, the role it plays in driving out fear, and his conclusion that, "if there is fear in an organization, that means that there is not trust." By engendering trust, Doug realized that people can be freed from fear and feel freer to innovate.
Lastly, Doug shares his recommendations for others are they begin their journey. It starts with defining an aim for thieir system and clearly communicating that with the students. A few years ago, Doug was disheartened after reading a study show that the decrease in joy for learning begins in Kindergarten. But this reinforced for him the value of systems thinking, and that teacher understanding of a systems approach in the classroom is a great place to start.
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Kelly Allan Discusses the Creation of the Deming 2 1/2 Day Seminar and Current Activities of the Institute
Tripp Babbitt and Kelly Allan
In the second episode of The W. Edwards Deming Institute Podcast moderator Tripp Babbitt interviews Kelly Allan. Kelly serves on The W. Edwards Deming Institute advisory board and is the senior associate of Kelly Allan Associates.
Kelly discusses the creation of the 2 1/2 day seminar and the current activities of the Institute while also touching on various aspects of the Deming management method.
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Bob Browne, former CEO of the Great Plains Coca Cola Bottling Company
Tripp Babbitt and Bob Browne
Bob Browne is the former CEO of the Great Plains Coca Cola Bottling Company and soon to be author of a new book, The Sys-Tao Way, that outlines his application of the Deming Philosophy.
Bob gives a brief history of the Great Plains Coca Cola Bottling Company, his introduction to the Deming Philosophy and experiences incorporating many of the teachings into his organization. Bob states how the Four Pillars are the key to understanding Deming with a special focus on the theory of knowledge and working relationships.
He describes the difficulty of letting go of his own established paradigms while incorporating the the teachings of W. Edwards Deming - it required constancy of purpose and faith that this was a better way. Bob also shares thoughts on where a CEO or change agent starts and he discusses organizational change and adoption of these ideas
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Kevin Cahill Discusses Growing up with Dr. Deming and the Current State of The W. Edwards Deming Institute
Tripp Babbitt and Kevin Cahill
Deming podcast episode number one starts off our series with moderator Tripp Babbitt interviewing Kevin Cahill, the President of The W. Edwards Deming Institute and the grandson of Dr. Deming. Kevin talks about growing up with Dr. Deming and Kevin's current work with The W. Edwards Deming Institute.
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Andrea Gabor Discusses Management at Ford, GM and Her Current Passion: Education
Tripp Babbitt and Andrea Gabor
In this episode of the Deming Podcast, Tripp Babbitt interviews Andrea Gabor.
Andrea Gabor begins by discussing her book The Man Who Discovered Quality: How W. Edwards Deming Brought the Quality Revolution to America – The Stories of Ford, Xerox, and GM. She discusses what Ford and GM have done since her book was published.
And then she discusses how to improve the education system and the problems with the primary efforts on "education reform" in the USA today.
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Steven Haedrich, President of New York Label & Box Works
Tripp Babbitt and Steven Haedrich
In this episode of the Deming Podcast, Tripp Babbitt interviews Steven Haedrich, President of New York Label & Box Works.
In his podcast, Steven talks about the rich 130-year history of New York Label & Box Works and their Deming journey which began more than 20 years ago. Steven discusses his "aha" moments around management and leadership, and quality improvements. Steven also talks about the relevance of the Deming teachings today and the keys to long-term success using the Deming method.
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David Langford on Using Deming's Ideas to Improve Education
Tripp Babbitt and David Langford
In this third episode of The Deming Podcast,moderator Tripp Babbitt interviews David Langford. David serves on The Deming Institute Advisory Board and is the CEO and founder of Langford International. David shares the challenges he faced as an educator in Sitka Alaska, his introduction to the teachings Dr. W. Edwards Deming, and his work with the Leander Independent School District where they have been applying Dr. Deming’s principles since 1992. Go to Deming Today™ for more information on the Leander story.
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Paula Marshall, CEO of the Bama Companies, Inc. Discusses her Fascinating Deming Journey
Tripp Babbitt and Paula Marshall
Paula Marshall is the CEO of the Bama Companies, Inc., a company that may be best known for being the single supplier of the famous Apple dessert pies to McDonalds. They are also "...an innovator and manufacturer of bakery products to some of the most well-known restaurant chains on the planet."
In this episode Paula discusses with Tripp her amazing journey as a CEO that took her company from being on the verge of going out of business to the thriving powerhouse it is today. The transformation of Paula and her company started when she attended her first Deming seminar. That seminar and the subsequent meetings and friendship with Dr. Deming, shaped the future of the company in a way she never imagined. Paula shares her journey with Dr. Deming and how personally difficult it was to go against the very status quo management ideas she had learned and was using; in particular, learning the hard way how detrimental performance appraisals and the incentive based system are to an organization.
See http://www.bama.com for more information on Paula and the company. Paula is also an author of several books, including her personal story in Sweet as Pie, Tough as Nails.
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Clare-Crawford Mason and Bob Mason: Introducing Dr. Deming to the Western World
Tripp Babbitt, Clare Crawford Mason, and Bob Mason
In this podcast Clare and Bob take us through their respective journeys that led to their groundbreaking work with Dr. Deming in the famous 1980 NBC documentary/white paper, “If Japan Can Why Can’t We?” and the subsequent powerful 32 volume “Deming Library” which is still in widespread use. From their early memories of meeting Dr. Deming to the impact it had on their lives, we experience their frustration with American management 34 years later, as well as their hope for the future. They discuss the need for us to no longer be, “unconscious prisoners of our culture” and the importance of valuing individual differences, how people learn and how we can improve the processes we use in our work. Clare discusses the critical important concept she learned from Dr. Deming of “managing instead of controlling”.
Their passion for continual learning continues to this day as they write, speak and contribute to the Deming message. Their journey is a fascinating one of great significance and it looks to continue in 2015 with a new book from Clare titled, “The New Wisdom”.
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Dan Robertson Discusses his Deming Journey
Tripp Babbitt and Dan Robertson
In this episode of the Deming Podcast, Tripp Babbitt interviews Dan Robertson, Deming Institute Advisory Board member and Co-author of Deming's Profound Changes.
Dan discusses his Deming journey at Hewlett Packard and his experience writing Deming's Profound Changes with co-author Kenneth Delavigne, as a tribute to Dr. Perry Gluckman.
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Fred Wambier, CEO of Finishing Technology Inc. and Kelly Allan, Deming Institute Advisory Board Chairman.
Tripp Babbitt, Fred Warmbier, and Kelly Allan
This week's podcast features Fred Warmbier, CEO of Finishing Technology and Kelly Allan, Senior Associate of Kelly Allan Associates and Chair of the Deming Institute Advisory Board.
Fred and Kelly discuss their New York Times blog that documents the Deming journey of Finishing Technology, a metal finishing company in Ohio. Fred first discovered the Deming message in September 2013 when he attended a Deming Institute 2.5 day seminar presented in partnership with Aileron, a non-profit near Dayton (Tipp City), Ohio dedicated to, “Raising the Quality of Life in America”.
Fred attended with staff from his company and came away excited to explore how to change from the old way of running things. He was driven by self-insight, a passion to study and a desire to help others, while understanding his business system and how to operate it more effectively and efficiently.
After additional reading and further study, Fred was motivated to look at all elements of his business differently and through a new lens. He began working with Kelly and as these new insights gained momentum, Fred felt it important to document his experiences, which were often humbling and comical.
Around this time, The NY Times ran a story on companies unhooked from commission-based sales, which led to a multi-part NY Times blog, that documents Fred’s journey. The goal of the blog is to educate, inform, entertain, make a difference and be a call to action.
This fascinating journey will energize executives, entrepreneurs and others who are always (as Fred and Kelly discuss) probing, looking, thinking and determined to figure things out.