Re: Thinking skills in LO LO3589

The Wolff Group (jzavacki@epix.net)
Wed, 25 Oct 1995 10:49:24 -0400

Replying to LO3380 --

In complete agreement with:

*** begin quoted msg ***
From: Barry Mallis[SMTP:bmallis@quickmail.markem.com]
Sent: Monday, October 23, 1995 12:34 PM
To: learning-org@world.std.com
Subject: Re: Thinking skills in LO LO3380

Walter:

You focus strongly on TQ as a reactive tool where most all energies are
concerntrated on causal analysis, on fixing something that's broke in =
the
name of improvement.=20

I felt a bit confined by your focus, so I'll type this description of
total quality:=20

TQM is an evolving system of practices, tools and training methods for
managing organizations to provide customer satisfaction in a rapidly
changing world.=20

Thinking plays a pivotal role. Good implementation of TQ practices and
methods is informed by, and also informs, positive thinking. Concept
#005#Engineering, for example, is supported by careful considerations of
customer input. Tools such as the Image KJ are based upon semantic
considerations, language processing, consensus, etc. Thinking skills =
are
crucial; effective facilitators will actively, explicitly promote =
thinking
skills before, during and in the debrief after team work.=20

Barry Mallis
bmallis@markem.com
*** end quoted msg ***

I'd like to add: learning organizations need a strong foundation in =
planning, control, and improvement methodologies. Regardless of your =
opinion on it (or my opinion on it) the ISO 9000 series of standards =
(models for quality systems) suggest a starting point for learning =
(forget the overblown documentation systems you always hear about, think =
about the twenty points involved as control points equipped with =
feedback mechanisms). The latest version includes a section on =
Corrective and Preventive Action. The notion of preventive action has =
been around for a long time (one of the rationales for the original SPC =
work in the twenties) and is the basis for TQ. If you look at the early =
Juran and Gryna, as well as Fiegenbaum, you'll see a lot of emphasis on =
feedback mechanisms, trend analysis, and innovative (or break through) =
thinking. The point I'm trying to make deals with tools: you can use a =
cause and effect diagram to predict an outcome, to pinpoint a cause, to =
evaluate your options based on a set of dynamic values, or you just can =
just use it as a doodle. To focus on TQ tools as problem solving tools =
is static. To think about systems in terms of their potential is an =
important aspect of quality.

--
jzavacki@epix.net=20
	John Zavacki
	The Wolff Group
	900 James Avenue
	Scranton, PA 18510
Phone: 717-346-1218	Fax: 717-346-1388