John Hunter's blog posts (all time)

A Powerful Tool: The Capacity Matrix

Sun, 23 Aug 2026

One of the things that I learned about at that seminar was using a capacity matrix to improve student learning. It is one of those ideas that when you hear about it, immediately you realize this is a vastly superior method to those current used. I am cynical/experienced enough to know that just because much better methods are available, and explained to people, is no guaranty they will be used.

A Powerful Tool: The Capacity Matrix

Sun, 23 Aug 2026

The basic idea of the capacity matrix is to track your capability for each concept:

awareness (information) – I am aware of this idea and can recall pertinent details as needed.
knowledge (understanding and comprehension) – I can explain this idea or theory. I can translate the idea into my own words. I can make an example to explain the idea and demonstrate learning.
know-how (analysis and application)...
mastery (judgement and evaluation)...

...

It seems to me that obviously such a manner of matching potential employees to the needs of the organization is a huge improvement upon current methods...

Standardization Doesn’t Stamp Out Creativity

Sun, 23 Aug 2026

Standardization (and reducing variation) are means to improve performance. They are not means to dehumanize the workforce. W. Edwards Deming presented a management system that emphasized the importance of joy in work and encouraged the creativity everyone brings to work. Thinking that creating standardized work processes to bring that about are about making everyone be the same is to completely miss what Deming proposed.

Ron Moen and Cliff Norman Discuss the Evolution of Deming’s Management Ideas

Sat, 22 Aug 2026

I share the believe about the management system expressed in the system of profound knowledge and the interaction of the components as the most powerful aspect of Deming’s message. It is hard to convey that idea easily.

Many other powerful messages Dr. Deming gave are also important, things like: control charts, the fallacy of blaming or rewarding individuals for system performance or variation, PDSA improvement cycle, respect for all employees, viewing the organization as a system, the importance of long term thinking with constancy of purpose, aspects of theory of knowledge (confirmation bias, seeing “patterns” where they don’t exist, accepting special cause explanations for system results…), customer focus, innovation, etc..

Before Deming’s 14 Points for Management

Sat, 22 Aug 2026

(principles 16 to 21) The consumer is the most important point - Performance of a product is the result of interaction between three participants: (1) the product itself; (2) the user and how he uses the product; (3) instructions for use, training of customer; service provided for repair.

Riding a Bike and the Theory of Knowledge

Fri, 21 Aug 2026

This video is a wonderfully visual example of how hard it can be for us to drop our ingrained habits and pick up new ones. When you watch this think about management concepts that are so difficult to drop that managers feel like this person trying to ride a bike.

The bike looks just like any other bike but reacts in a different way to the bike riders actions. But that small adjustment on how the bike reacts is very challenging to overcome and makes you very uncomfortable while you try to make sense of this odd new system.

People Copy Examples and Wonder Why They Don’t Succeed

Fri, 21 Aug 2026

Learning from what others do well can be effective if done properly. To improve your practices you can see what works for others and then abstract the principles for that success and then determine how to adopt those principles to your situation.

Myth: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It

Thu, 20 Aug 2026

Dr. Deming did very much believe in the value of using data to help improve the management of the organization. But he also knew that it wasn’t close to enough. There are many things that cannot be measured and still must be managed. And there are many things that cannot be measured and managers must still make decisions about.

I wrote a post on my Curious Cat Management Improvement blog about how to manage what you can’t measure (in 2010).

Why do you hire dead wood? Or why do you hire live wood and kill it?

Thu, 20 Aug 2026

The common objection to seniority pay is, "It’s rewarding dead wood!” My response is, “Why do you hire dead wood? Or why do you hire live wood and kill it?”

Peter Scholtes, The Leader’s Handbook, page 331

Analyzing Data Requires an Understanding of the System Generating the Data

Wed, 19 Aug 2026

If you bring in a new effort to focus on customers and solicit more feedback if you don’t get an increase in complaints that is likely not an indication of success but an indication of failure. One of the easiest way to reduce the number of complaints counted is to make complaining, in a way that is counted, difficult.

Using data to measure the effectiveness of new efforts is important. But you need to understand the risks of being led astray. That risk is much greater if those analyzing the data are not intimately familiar with the processes generating the data and the operational definitions used to collect the data.

What Will I Do This Week That Will Still Be Adding Value in a Year?

Wed, 19 Aug 2026

Failing to prioritize the important-but-not-urgent work is a common weakness in business today. To counter this situation you should build into your work system processes to counter the tendency to allow whatever is urgent from taking all the time you have.

The History and Evolution of the PDSA Cycle

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

The experiment in the PDSA cycle is carried out to learn about the system in question. I like to call it the Do-the-experiment step to emphasize that doing in the PDSA cycle refers to “doing the experiment”. Otherwise people often forget that what we are doing is running an experiment to learn from.

The Importance of Working with Suppliers Over the Long Term

Tue, 18 Aug 2026

Working together in partnership is a much more complex matter than saying you will cooperate. Sadly many companies are willing to say they will cooperate with suppliers over the long term, many fewer companies are willing to follow through with the actions needed to make that a reality.

Quality Beginnings: Deming and Madison, Wisconsin

Mon, 17 Aug 2026

David Couper: "Deming’s teachings had a strong influence in Madison. Under Mayor Joseph Sensenbrenner (1983-1989), there was a near-total involvement by city employees in applying Deming’s work to city government. These were Madison’s golden years as government, business, and educational institutions worked together to make quality an organizational lifestyle in Madison. Deming helped us to see police work as a system capable of being improved.

We also learned the value of collaborating with and learning from others outside of law enforcement. We came to see that the systems for which we were responsible, were dependent on others around us (like when we realized the important systems-link between poverty, jobs, education, and crime). Most of all we saw the work we did as a system – and a system that could be improved."

Peter Drucker Advocated a Ratio of 20 to 1 for CEO to Average Worker Pay

Mon, 17 Aug 2026

I agree with Drucker’s reasoning and the Drucker Institute’s continuing to take a stand against the bad practice of so many CEOs today. If someone wants a lot of money to lead your organization and they are qualified, fine. If they won’t run your organization for less than a king’s ransom find someone who is more interested in leading your organization than in treating it as their personal bank account.

Who Inspires Your Management Thinking and Action?

Sun, 16 Aug 2026

My largest influence by far is my father, William Hunter. Here is a good example of why: Managing Our Way to Economic Success, Two Untapped Resources: potential information and employee creativity. In another post I also wrote about my early influences related to quality management as I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin.

From an early age I learned to experiment, appreciate and understand data, respect people and continually improve.

Beautiful View of Limestone Karsts in Yangshuo, China

Sun, 16 Aug 2026

This is the view from a guesthouse I stayed at in Yangshuo, China. It was a wonderful place, and I also hired the owner as my guide.

It was a wonderful place to stay. I ate dinner with the family one night. Her son was the driver when we needed a car. I used a bike for some exploring and a guided trip with Amy. I also talked with her high school daughter though I don’t speak Chinese and the daughter’s english wasn’t so strong. We used Google translate to help.

How to Frame Photos of People Well

Sat, 15 Aug 2026

One thing I find amusing is that selfies actually take advantage of something good photographers knew a long time ago. To get good photos of people put them in the foreground. You still see it today, but it was much more common (like 98% of these type of photos), where the people are tiny dots next to some tourist attraction. Selfies go a bit overboard with putting the person in the foreground (most of the time) but they are often better than the tiny dot people photos.

The Use and Misuse of Technical Jargon

Sat, 15 Aug 2026

Overwhelming people with jargon when trying to introduce new ideas is not usually helpful. Using a couple pieces of jargon can be helpful as it reinforces the idea that this is new stuff and can make people tie the new ideas to new terms.

Technical jargon is helpful in enabling experts being able to quickly communicate unambiguous (well less ambiguous) specific meaning which is why jargon usually exists - to allow for communication to be more effective.

Certainly at times jargon is also used by experts to baffle or impress non-experts rather than to help communication. Reducing this use of jargon would be a good thing.

Businesses Need to Capture Potential Information and Use the Creativity of Employees

Fri, 14 Aug 2026

My father wrote an article a long time ago on how to use ~"two resources, largely untapped in American organizations: potential information and employee creativity."

I think it provides worthwhile ideas.

Lowering Expectations Isn't Practicing Respect for People

Fri, 14 Aug 2026

A big problem we have (at least in the USA) is the opinion some people develop that respect has to do with not making anyone uncomfortable. That isn't respect, that is creating a dysfunctional mindset.

Fear driven culture that give mouth service to "respect" often create a climate in which managers find themselves fearful of being blamed for "disrespecting people" (which often means making someone uncomfortable). If they truly are being dis-respectful their boss needs to be dealing with that and helping them improve

Creativity Inc. – Using Deming’s Ideas at Pixar

Fri, 14 Aug 2026

Ed Catmull (co-founded Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter): "As we struggled to get Pixar off the ground, Deming’s work was like a beacon that lit my way.
…
it wasn’t until the 1980s when a few companies in Silicon Valley, such as Hewlett Packard and Apple, began to incorporate them. But Deming’s work would make a huge impression on me and help frame my approach to managing Pixar going forward."

A College Degree Isn't an Acceptable Hiring Screen

Thu, 13 Aug 2026

Our company had just hired a new HR person that started "showing their worth" with new rules such as the dictate that all hires must have a college degree. Thankfully our team agreed to hiring him was wise and the CIO decided that dictate was nonsense and we hired the applicant.

How to Start Applying Deming’s Ideas on Management

Thu, 13 Aug 2026

There are many different ways to start applying W. Edwards Deming’s ideas on management. There isn’t a cookbook on what should be done first. This is helpful in that you can avoid trying things that would be very difficult given the current state of your management system. However, it is also very challenging in that you have to decide what to do yourself instead of just following a recipe.

What is a Lean Program, Deming Program?

Wed, 12 Aug 2026

Lean has evolved away, IMO, from just being able to say anything Toyota does is by definition lean. Lean and Deming are more about a philosophy of managing - continual improvement, respect for people, etc. than prescriptions. So you can't really have a checklist and say that if your org can check off all these things they are lean or Deming.

The fact that the management systems can't be reduced to a checklist is a necessary given the long lasting power they offer.

Change and the Management System

Wed, 12 Aug 2026

The most important thing though is the entire management culture. Tactics can help change efforts be more successful. But if the culture is hostile to continual improvement (fear based, performance appraisal based, target based, blame based, imposing from on high...) the tactics are working in a difficult situation. Still a good idea, but no matter what tactics are used it will be a challenge.

Root Cause - Addressing Systemic Causes Not Symptoms

Tue, 11 Aug 2026

It isn't that there is this "true root cause" that created the current problem. There is a way to look at the issue and find a deeper cause that will allow you to address it and improve the future performance of the system.

Depending on how you look at the problem there can be many different "root causes" that are sensible from their different perspectives. The important thing is by aiming to fix root/systemic problems you will not just treat the current symptom you are dealing with today but eliminate future problems from occurring.

The Importance of a Work Culture That Values and Supports Critical Thinking

Tue, 11 Aug 2026

Critical thinking is tremendously important. I have come to think it might be the most important precursor to management improvement (evidence based management, continual improvement...).

National Museum of Korea in Seoul

Mon, 10 Aug 2026

The National Museum of Korea is a wonderful tourist destination in Seoul. I recommend it very highly.

The museum displays relics and artifacts in six permanent exhibition galleries: Prehistory and Ancient History, Medieval and Early Modern History, Calligraphy and Painting, Asian Art, Sculpture and Crafts as well as one gallery highlighting donations.

Great Food in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Mon, 10 Aug 2026

I found lots of very good food in Chiang Mai. I found 3 places I really enjoyed a great deal (I went to each weekly, or more often). Anchan Vegetarian Restaurant is one of the places I would suggest everyone try. I see it as a highlight of being in Chiang Mai. I rarely find restaurants I feel this way about. To reach this level they not only have to provide great food, atmosphere and service but also capture some of the essence of locale.

Making Your Case to Senior Executives

Sun, 9 Aug 2026

My advice is to grow your circle of influence and build the capability of the organization to adopt a customer focused continual improvement management system. Once that is done, speaking to the c-suite is easy. Before that is done, speaking to them is still easy, unless you want them to change their short term financial focus.

As with all people, CEOs are influenced by good stories. So if your goal is to “make a sale” (for whatever you are selling) putting in stories that speak to their way of seeing things is always wise. By looking at the rhetoric they use and actions they have taken you should be able to see what they have a soft spot for in stories and use that to craft the stories you will tell to make your case.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam (established in 1070)

Sun, 9 Aug 2026

Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám, 文廟) is located in old town Hanoi along with many other items of interest within easy walking distance (see Curious Cat Hanoi Tourist map).

In 1076, Vietnam’s first university, the “Quốc Tử Giám” or Imperial Academy, was established within the temple to educate Vietnam’s bureaucrats, nobles, royalty and other members of the elite. The university remained open from 1076 to 1779. In 1802, the Nguyễn dynasty’s monarchs founded the Huế capital where they established a new imperial academy.

My Early Experience as a Digital Nomad: Part Two

Sat, 8 Aug 2026

Choosing to start in Chiang Mai, Thailand was fortuitous. It really is very convenient for digital nomads. Monthly renting is easy in Chiang Mai. Lots of great food and co-work spaces options. Good internet all over. It is an easy and enjoyable place to live.

I started my digital nomad ways a bit differently than most (though largely in similar ways). I lived in Malaysia a couple years first and then set off to be a nomad. I just sent two boxes a bit bigger than those for a ream of paper back home before I left. And I gave a bunch of stuff away I had picked up (books, printer, basketball, plants, cloths, etc.)

Chomphet Hike, Luang Prabang, Laos

Sat, 8 Aug 2026

The Chomphet Hike is nice hike across the river from Luang Prabang, Laos. I used this wonderful map for the hike. My hike probably was about 8 km and I went in a circle around the whole hike on the map. The hike would be very difficult (next to impossible) to follow in several places if you didn’t have the map.

Circumhorizontal Arc (Fire Rainbow) in Hoi An, Vietnam

Fri, 7 Aug 2026

I saw my first Circumhorizontal Arcs (Fire Rainbows) display in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. A couple days ago I experienced them again in Hoi An, Vietnam.

A circumhorizontal arc (also known by the exciting name, fire rainbow) is an optical phenomenon – an ice-halo formed by plate-shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds. If the cloud is at the right angle to the sun, the crystals will refract the sunlight just as when rainbow is created.

Building a System to Reduce Interruptions for Software Developers

Fri, 7 Aug 2026

I feel strongly about the damage done by interruption to maker's focus. My appreciation for this damage to system performance was greatly enhanced as I became a software developer.

In my work prior to software development I could see that interruptions were not ideal but they were not so damaging to my work and they do also have value. But work that requires extra focus, and software development sure did for me, the damage increasing greatly.

My Early Experience as a Digital Nomad: Part One, Technology

Fri, 7 Aug 2026

My first 3 destinations (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia) has had 10 Gb plus high speed data plans for about $10 (for a month). My 4th, Vietnam only offers 3 Gb for about $10 and Viettel blocks a personal hotspot, I thought only the USA was that lame). I think I will try another that offers 5Gb (I still need to find the price – a hotspot will let you tether your laptop for them).

The Value of Professional Conferences. Also Why Has There Been So Little Innovation?

Fri, 7 Aug 2026

The idea that a conference should be a 2 or 3 day event in one location is what they have been. But is that the way to serve the purpose of conferences today (or 20 years ago?). What is the purpose? What should attendees get out of them? How can we make them more valuable to attendees? There are lots of things about encouraging networking and extending the reach of the conference for months.

...

And while keynote speakers often have charisma and polished presentation styles I often found their content very lacking. I think conference organizers often err greatly on the side of slick presenters over presenters with content with much value. Now plenty of keynote speakers have both and they are wonderful...

Mosaic Art at Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos

Thu, 6 Aug 2026

I really like the mosaic artwork on the walls of buildings at Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos.

Luang Prabang is full of interesting temples and is a great place to walk around. The old city has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UN and I highly enjoyed staying in Luang Prabang.

Did Deming and Drucker Agree on Important Management Practices?

Thu, 6 Aug 2026

There were cases where Deming and Drucker disagreed but in many ways the ideas they proposed were compatible.

Jianshui Wet Market in Yunnan, China

Thu, 6 Aug 2026

Jianshui, Yunnan, China has several tourist destinations including an old town with a restored Qing Dynasty mansion and garden and the Jianshui Temple of Confucius. The Jianshui wet market is primarily for the locals with a few tourists, like me, that take in some local culture.

Beehive Fence Protects Farms from Elephants

Wed, 5 Aug 2026

This is another cool use of appropriate technology. One of the problems with Elephants in Africa is when they go into farm fields and eat crops and destroy crops. The elephants and bees project is helping farmers deal with that problem.

200,000 People Die Every Year in Europe from Adverse Drug Effects – How Can We Improve?

Wed, 5 Aug 2026

I think interactions is a hugely important area that needs a great deal more research. Doing so is very complex, which means it isn’t surprising so much more work is needed. The work of my father (and George Box and others) on multi-factorial experimentation is a powerful tool to aid this work (and that connection is likely one of the reasons I find the area of interactions so interesting – along with the realization there is so much benefit possible if we focus in that area more). Previous post on this Curious Cat Science and Engineering blog: Introduction to Fractional Factorial Designed Experiments.

The human and financial costs of adverse effects are very high. That is why the discovery of new medicines is increasingly focused more on predicting possible adverse effects at the initial stages of developing a new drug.

Teaching Students How to Use Better Management Practices

Tue, 4 Aug 2026

I wrote a blog post about critical thinking perhaps being the most important catalyst to successful adoption of continually improvement management practices.

A system that promotes critical thinking and puts continual improvement first is one that is well on the way to better management practices...

Teaching the quality tools in combination with critical thinking is a powerful approach. Students that learn to use quality tools to experiment to achieve quality results from system will be well suited to the modern workplace.

Highest Paying Fields at Mid Career in USA: Engineering, Science and Math

Tue, 4 Aug 2026

The top 15 bachelor degrees by mid-career salary were all from engineering, science and math. And the median salary was $168,000 for petroleum engineering degrees (at the top) to $107,000 for Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science and Mathematics (tied for 14th).

The starting salaries for those with these degrees ranged from $58,000 for Actuarial Mathematics (though by mid-career salary they were in 3rd place at $119,000) to $101,000 for petroleum engineering.

Exercise Is Really Really Good for You

Mon, 3 Aug 2026

150 minutes a week of moderate (walking briskly, biking, even mowing the lawn maybe) activity (30 minutes a day 5 days a week) is a decent target for a minimum amount of activity for most people.

Your Choices Determine if Others Will Find You Credible

Mon, 3 Aug 2026

If you are promoting the latest fad diet book and other high priced gimmicks the web site they have and deciding to appear on popular but scientifically inaccurate TV shows makes perfect sense. But those choices damage any credibility that could be had otherwise and make it difficult for others to take you seriously. You just put yourself into the bin with all the fad diets sales pitches in play at any time.

Scientific Inquiry Leads to Using Fluoride for Healthy Teeth

Sun, 2 Aug 2026

I love stories of how we learn for observing what is happening. We don’t always need to innovate by thinking up creative new ideas. If we are observant we can pick up anomalies and then examine the situation to find possible explanations and then experiment to see if those explanations prove true.

When working this way we often are seeing correlation and then trying to figure out which part of the correlation is an actual cause. So in this dental example, a dentist noticed his patients had bad brown stains on their teeth than others populations did...

We Have Thousands of Viruses In Us All the Time

Sun, 2 Aug 2026

Biology and the amazing interactions within a human body are amazing. Our bodies are teeming with other life (and almost life – viruses). All these microbes have a drastic impact on our health and those impacts are not always bad.

The human microbiome is incredible and teams with thousands of species (bacteria, viruses, members of domain Archaea, yeasts, single-celled eukaryotes, helminth parasites and bacteriophages). The complexity of interactions between all the elements of what is in our bodies and cells is one of the things that makes health care so challenging...

Using The Building of Robots to Engage Students in Learning

Sat, 1 Aug 2026

Fundi bots has a mission to use robotics training in African schools to create and inspire a new generation of problem solvers, innovators and change-makers. I believe strongly in this type of effort. We waste so much human potential by killing students design to learn. Instead we need to create systems that not only don’t kill that desire but allow it to flourish.

Ranking Countries by Scientific Publication Citations: USA, UK, Germany…

Sat, 1 Aug 2026

Country	h-index	2010 h-index	2007 h-index	% of World Population	% of World GDP	total cites
USA	1,518	1,139	793	4.5%	22.2%	152,984,430
United Kingdom	918	689	465	0.9	3.5	37,450,384
Germany	815	607	408	1.1	5.0	30,644,118
France	742	554	376	0.9	3.8	21,193,343
Canada	725	536	370	0.5	2.4	18,826,873
Japan	635	527	372	1.8	7.8	23,633,462
Additional countries of interest (with 2013 country rank)
16) China	436	279	161	19.2	11.7	14,752,062
19) South Korea	375	258	161	.7	1.7	5,770,844
22) Brazil	342	239	148	2.8	3.0	4,164,813
23) India	341	227	146	17.5	2.6	5,666,045

Appropriate Technology and Focus on Improving Lives at MIT

Fri, 31 Jul 2026

The D-Lab is building a global network of innovators to design and disseminate technologies that meaningfully improve the lives of people living in poverty. The program’s mission is pursued through interdisciplinary courses, technology development, and community initiatives, all of which emphasize experiential learning, real-world projects, community-led development, and scalability.

STEM Graduates in the USA: 465,000 Women and 451,000 Men

Fri, 31 Jul 2026

STEM baccalaureate degrees in the USA in 2010 (reported by NSF in 2014):

Field	Women	Men
Science (including math)	442,000	343,000
Engineering	23,000	108,000
Health	193,000	36,000
Total	658,000	486,000

If you exclude health, women still lead 465,000 to 451,000.

Engineering Graduates Earned a Return on Their Investment In Education of 21%

Thu, 30 Jul 2026

Engineering graduates earned a return on their investment of 21%. The next highest were math and computers (18%); health (18%); and business (17%). Even the lowest returns are quite good: education (9%), leisure and hospitality (11%), agriculture (11%) and liberal arts (12%).

These returns look at graduates without post-graduate degrees (in order to find the value of just the undergraduate degree).

Mistake Proofing Using Enhanced Stop Signs

Thu, 30 Jul 2026

The video shows a system that cascades a sheet of water and displays a stop sign directly in the path of trucks ready to crash into a tunnel (because the truck is too tall).

The driver had ignored several less obvious signals that they were headed for danger. This is an application of one of my favorite management (and industrial engineering) concepts: mistake proofing. As I have stated before, often it is really mistake making more difficult (as it is in this case) rather than mistake proofing.

Default Rates on Loans by Credit Score

Wed, 29 Jul 2026

About 38% of people have credit scores from 750-850 (<1% default rate). Another 37% from 600-749 (5+% default rate) and about 25% from 350-599 (25+% default rate).

Investing in Peer to Peer Loans

Wed, 29 Jul 2026

As long as you have a well diversified portfolio of personal loans there is a long track record of the risk. And while plenty of risky personal loans will default, and more will default if the economy has a downturn the interest rates on the loans provides good income even after such losses. And even if things go poorly the actually losses of capital should be small (over the whole portfolio)...

The Fed Should Raise the Fed Funds Rate (Sep 2015)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026

The issue I see is that a .25% Fed Funds rate is adding gasoline to the economy via low interest rates. Many people are saying an increase is like taking away the gasoline and taking out a fire extinguisher. But it really isn’t. Raising the rate to .25% is slightly decrease the amount of gas you are adding to the fire.

The Road Not Taken

Tue, 28 Jul 2026

Robert Frost was poking fun at his friend who would obsess over what fork to take in the path as they walked when in reality the choice made no difference.

And “that has made all the difference” is poking fun at self justifications of our actions; congratulating ourselves for doing something not really worthy of accolades.

Still the top three lines do seem like insightful advice. Of course what is really needed is insight into when choosing the road less traveled is wise (or at least a sensible gamble) and when it is less traveled for very good reasons.

Adding 50,000 Jobs a Month is the New 150,000 in the USA Due to Demographic Changes

Tue, 28 Jul 2026

Due to changes in the demographic makeup of the USA we are not adding nearly as many working age people as we have been for several decades (the large number of people reaching retirement age is a big part of this shift).