Posts selected fromManagement Blog - Engineering Blog - Investing Blog and other blogs - Beautiful View of Limestone Karsts in Yangshuo, China
 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. continue reading: Beautiful View of Limestone Karsts in Yangshuo, China - Ron Moen and Cliff Norman Discuss the Evolution of Deming’s Management Ideas
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..
continue reading: Ron Moen and Cliff Norman Discuss the Evolution of Deming’s Management Ideas - Before Deming’s 14 Points for Management
 (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. continue reading: Before Deming’s 14 Points for Management - Quitting, Habits and the Examined Life
Treating others fairly is admirable. Being true to your beliefs is admirable. Sacrificing in order to achieve more important long term goals is admirable. Quitting is admirable when it supports those interests. Quitting is not admirable when it is sacrificing your long term happiness to avoid some short term effort. continue reading: Quitting, Habits and the Examined Life - Change and the Management System
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. continue reading: Change and the Management System - Highest Paying Fields at Mid Career in USA: Engineering, Science and Math
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. continue reading: Highest Paying Fields at Mid Career in USA: Engineering, Science and Math - People Copy Examples and Wonder Why They Don’t Succeed
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. continue reading: People Copy Examples and Wonder Why They Don’t Succeed - Riding a Bike and the Theory of Knowledge
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. continue reading: Riding a Bike and the Theory of Knowledge - The Road Not Taken
 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. continue reading: The Road Not Taken - The Fed Should Raise the Fed Funds Rate (Sep 2015)
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. continue reading: The Fed Should Raise the Fed Funds Rate (Sep 2015) - Exercise Is Really Really Good for You
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. continue reading: Exercise Is Really Really Good for You - Myth: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It
- Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam (established in 1070)
 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. continue reading: Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam (established in 1070) - Adding 50,000 Jobs a Month is the New 150,000 in the USA Due to Demographic Changes
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). continue reading: Adding 50,000 Jobs a Month is the New 150,000 in the USA Due to Demographic Changes - Why do you hire dead wood? Or why do you hire live wood and kill it?
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 continue reading: Why do you hire dead wood? Or why do you hire live wood and kill it?
|
