[tweetmeme source=”leanisgood” service=”ow.ly” only_single=false]Just came across a great post here by Christian Paulsen at the Lean Leadership Blog. He compares the PDCA cycle that Deming preached to the “Silly Cycle” that replaces the PCA with Do, Do, Do. This post really hit home with the way we run around “doing” things rather than thinking them through.
As a leader do you encourage any action to be done regardless of root cause analysis? Do you punish those who are thinking a problem through and not just out there “doing” something? It’s an easy trap to fall into. Have you ever felt you had to have something to tell the corporate office on a problem? The more countermeasures thrown at the problem the better right???? Wrong!!!!
Take the time to reinforce with your teams the value of the PDCA cycle. Reward them for thinking a problem through. Ask the tough questions around causal explanation and experimentation. Ensure you create time from all the “doing” for your teams to work on the Act portion, implementing systems!
The PCDA cycle will not only fix your problems, but more importantly, develop problem solvers that can fix even more problems!
Bryan
Filed under: Deming, Lean, PDCA | Tagged: continuous improvement, Leadership |
Lean Is Good 
Bryan,
Thank you for the pingback! I like your post and you have great points. Many people will do what is rewarded. Teams are more likely to find the root cause and use the PDCA cycle if they are encouraged to do so. Thanks for sharing.
Chris