Lean Six Sigma Academy

Once again, I have the privilege of hosting the latest edition of the Management Improvement Carnival. So without further delay here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere over the last 30 days or so.

Are we Cowboys or Not? by Mark Graban.

Anyway, I’m not trying to start a “Liker v Bodek” battle, but it’s an interesting contrast in perspectives.

Competing in the Afterlife by Kevin Meyer

I don’t disagree that executive compensation is more than a little unreasonable at times, but I am also starting to see, slowly, the free market reigning in such excess.

Why I Love $7.41 per Gallon Gasoline by Jon Miller

That’s what I paid recently to fill up the tank of a rental car in Europe. I look forward to the day when we will have $8 per gallon gasoline in the U.S.A.

Necessary but Insufficient by Pete Abilla

Motorola (MOT), the inventor of Six Sigma, is in big trouble. Even though it invented Six Sigma, this is a clear example that shows how Lean or Six Sigma are not a cure-all for corporate woes…

Continual Improvement by John Hunter

Dr. Deming used to use the term continual improvement (rather than continuous improvement) later in his life because that would include continuous and dis-continuous improvement (innovation, etc.).

Relentless Pursuit of Kaizen by Mike Wroblewski

Jumping into firefighting mode was literally what happened to us this past week a mere 30 minutes before our scheduled kaizen event was to start.

Numb3rs by Sue Kozlowski

Now, part of the reason for this hyperbole is that exciting headlines get more people to buy the paper, and so you may think that the exaggeration is just a way to get people to read the accompanying story.

Eight Reasons Your Lean/Six Sigma Could Fail by Ron Pereira

Programs, by definition, end. Conversely, the ancient origin of the word philosophy (philosophía) means “love of knowledge” or “love of wisdom.” And true love, as the good book tells us, never ends.

1. Management Improvement Carnival #18
2. Management Improvement Carnival (Best of 2008)
3. Management Improvement Carnival #27 (Best of 2007)
4. Management Improvement Carnival #46
5. Gemba Academy: Improvement Learning, Improved