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Posts selected fromManagement Blog - Engineering Blog - Investing Blog and other blogs

• Has Six Sigma been a failure?

  Six Sigma efforts are missing some import ideas that would improve it, in my opinion. Still, I would rather take a good Six Sigma effort and then add more of Deming’s ideas than take a company that has not had any such effort (just like I would like to build on a good implementation of “TQM” or Lean Thinking…)...

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• Targets Distorting the System

  I still remember Dr. Brian Joiner speaking about process improvement and the role of data well over a decade ago. He spoke of 3 ways to improve the figures: distort the data, distort the system and improve the system. Improving the system is the most difficult.

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• Better Meetings for Your Organization

  If meetings in your organization are frustrating and not effective then taking steps to improve the situation is likely wise. There are principles I believe will help:

  • Have a written objective Document decisions and actions to be taken
  • Prepare people in advance (and don’t expect people to come if there isn’t a good reason for them to be there)
  • Talk to those involved in the meetings to learn what is working well, what needs to be improved...

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• Curious Cat Management Improvement Institute

  I have recently started publicizing the Curious Cat Management Improvement Institute

  Curious Cat Management Improvement Institute is dedicated to furthering the education, professional growth and development of current and future managers and the practice of management in organizations.

  Please let me know if you have comments, questions or suggestions for how to make the Curious Cat Management Improvement Institute useful to those trying to improve the practice of management.

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• Aligning Marketing Vision and Management

  If you believe the vision of your marketing then make sure your organization has embraced those principles. I think, often, companies would be wise to follow the vision their marketers came up with. But instead they tell customers to expect one thing and manage the organization to provide something else. I just don’t see how that is sensible...

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• I Fear for the Future of the USA if We Do Not Vote in Favor of the Rule of Law this Year

  I cannot fathom how anyone seeking political office in the USA that doesn't strongly speak out against someone with the horrendous track record Donald Trump has amassed during his life and the last 8 years can get even 5% of the USA population to consider voting for them. However, the USA public has shown that my beliefs are very different than many, at least it seems about 40% or maybe even more, voters.  I fear we could not only elect him but also those that have not strongly spoken out against his hundreds of violations of criminal, ethical and other abuses against our society.

  Details on some of the many abuses (frankly even 5% of which should disqualify anyone from supporting such an individual for any political office and most certainly from the most powerful political office in the USA):

  continue reading: I Fear for the Future of the USA if We Do Not Vote in Favor of the Rule of Law this Year
• Design Your Organization to Serve Customers Well

  Around all these processes is potential information. And you can either use it or not use it. And in most places just waste it.
  …
  There is valuable information just running down the drain. If you have everybody turned on and looking at process and saying how can we make them work better, you need to get some information, you need to get some data. That is the way you actually solve problems.

  William Hunter in seminar, Quality is a Journey to Excellence

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• Parfrey’s Glen, Wisconsin

  These photos show Parfrey's Glen in Wisconsin. It really was amazingly beautiful - the pictures do not do it justice. The light and colors were great - filtered through the trees above. The park is about an hour outside of Madison.

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• Racism in the USA

  ...I read biographies of Reggie Jackson and I learned about how bad racism was very recently in the USA, from the few pages they included about what he had to endure. That left an enduring mark on my understanding of my society.

  Here is a recent clip of him talking about some of his experience. It is extremely damaging that we have "leaders" today trying to erase history and deny current realities.

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• Quality is a Journey to Excellence

  I recently uncovered this 2 day management seminar that Bill Hunter (my father) recorded in 1985 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The embedded clip shows the first section of a the seminar.

  The present system in the US has not provided for any meaningful contribution from the workers themselves to improve the methods of production and the quality of work life. They have no opportunity to exercise their judgement, imagination, creativity or versatility in ways that could contribute to their productivity and sense of dignity. It is no surprise that they undergo frustration and discouragement, feelings certainly not apt to contribute to their efficiency. The solution to our productivity problem is the necessity for management and labor to recognize the intrinsic value of the human being.

   Russell Schrader

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• The USA Faces Extreme Risk if We Do Not Vote For Democracy and the Rule of Law in 2024

  I am continually shocked and amazed at how far below (what I thought were low expectations) the Republican Party has managed to sink in the last 8 years. And it continually gets worse and more shocking. The country faces an enormous risk if we don't vote out those that have not strongly opposed the actions of the current Republican leadership this year. We need to rebuke their horrible behavior and vote those in power out of office, and keep those out of power today out of power forever.

  ...

  I fear for the USA if we do not vote for those that oppose the abuses the Repubican Party has accepted and promoted the last 6 years.

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• How to Safely Spend Savings in Retirement

  There are no super simple answers in my opinion. But ideas like 4% (or 3.5% or …) do get you at least in the right ballpark for what has worked historically in the USA with specific portfolios

  ...

  No one blog post is going to provide an answer to the question... There are some very good posts, articles and studies on the topic, here are a few:

  • The Silliness of the Safe Withdrawal Rate Movement – “The correct answer to “what is a safe withdrawal rate?” is “something around 4%, probably in the 3%-6% range.” Not 3.59% or 4.21%.”
  • Bill Bengen: How to Monitor and Adjust Withdrawal Plans

  ...

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• Texas Civil Rights Project

  I donated to the Texas Civil Rights Project.

  It is a travesty what has been done for decades to suppress voting rights. We need those who have had their voting rights suppressed to help save the USA from the dangerous actions taken by those increasing their efforts to disenfranchise so many people.

  continue reading: Texas Civil Rights Project
• Most Valuable Companies in the USA Compared to the Total Market Capitalization

  In general investing in low cost index funds (like Vanguard’s index funds) is a very sensible strategy. I personally invest mostly in individual stocks. I see stocks such as Microsoft and Costco that are attractive businesses to invest in but the stocks are so costly I hesitate to invest. In addition, I already am over-invested in mega-cap companies (my largest holdings are Apple, Alphabet and Amazon, about 36% of portfolio). So avoiding other mega-caps makes some sense to me.

  ...

  10 year returns: Apple (up 1,068%), Alphabet (up 424%), Amazon (up 693%) and Microsoft (up 1,090%). FYI, the total USA market index fund (VTI) was up 187% for the same 10 year period and the S&P 500 index fund (VTI) was up 204%.

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• The Value of a Management System Accommodating Remote Work

  Working remotely creates a significantly different system than working all next to each other. There are big advantages to working right next to each other. There are also really bad office designs (which are very common) which detract from success of working next to each other (distractions etc. that cubical farms, "hoteling" create etc.).

  There are challenges to managing a system of work with people not being right next to each other. There are also huge advantages of hiring people that are not within commuting distance of your location...

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