Bay Area Deming Users Group - October Notes

[DanRobrtsn@aol.com]

All interested parties are welcomed to attend our meetings.  
Please pass this on to those who may have an interest.  

NOTES FROM THE BAY AREA DEMING USERS GROUP MEETING

Our next meeting is on Monday, 6 November 2000 from 6:00-8:30pm,
at Acuson in Mountain View on the corner of Shorebird Way and 
Shoreline Boulevard.  Detailed directions available below.

PLANNED PROGRAMS: 

6 Nov: Jeffrey Elliott, at Sun Microsystems, has been working 
on a new approach to assessing the progress of workplace teams.
The 600 person factory Jeff has been working with has made a 
full transition from traditional hierarchy to manufacturing
cell teams.  Alone with sharing the new approach to assessing
progress, Jeff's talk will describe the transfer of 
responsibilities, a team capability and health model, and a 
team maturity model.

4 Dec:  TAKE SPECIAL NOTICE:  For our year-end, you are invited
to join in for a celebration! -- Come to renew acquaintances
and share experiences.  We want to also use this session to ask
for feedback on how we can get the most out of BADUG meetings 
-- Will changing time, format, and/or topics draw more 
participants?  Lastly, we have a wonderful videotape, from the
Deming Institute conference held October 14th, of Dave Wayne
impersonating Dr. Deming's lectures; full of classic mannerisms
and humor -- You won't want to miss this!  So we can have
adequate refreshments, please RSVP if you plan on attending the
December meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

* The BADUG Systems Thinking Study Group meets monthly, prior
to -- and in the same building as -- the main BADUG session. At
the November 6 meeting, David Snook-Luther will continue the
discussion from October's session on using systems dynamics to
enhance strategic thinking.  Please call Karen Takle Quinn at
650-964-5195 or email ktq@svpal.org if you are planning to attend.

* UC Santa Cruz Extension and HeartMath present The HeartMath
Experience, a 2-day program being held November 4-5 in 
Sunnyvale, CA.  Attendees will receive an overview of the 
HeartMath system and learn 3 techniques, putting the tools to
work during the workshop.  Fees are $175 -- For information and
to enroll, contact UCSC at 831-427-6695.

* GOAL/QPC will be offering The Memory Jogger, Creating 
Successful Projects, and their Teaching The Seven Management 
and Planning (7MP) Tools workshops in the San Francisco Bay 
Area the second and third weeks of December.  These sessions 
make use of the popular and effective "Memory Jogger" series 
published by GOAL/QPC.  Ring 1-800-643-4316 or click to 
www.goalqpc.com for information and registration.  A free 
registration is available when two or more attendees from the 
same organization pay full price.  Contact Dan or Marcia about 
special BADUG discount.

* The 56th Deming Conference will be held by the Metropolitan 
Section of the ASQ.  The Millennium Deming conference will be 
held from December 4th to 8th at the Holiday Inn North Hotel 
at Newark Airport.  Click to 
http://www.metro-asq.org/WED%20Conf.htm for details. 

* The First International Conference on the Bat'a System of 
Management is to be held 16-18 May, 2001 in the city of Zlin,
Czech Republic, at the Academic Centre of the Tomas Bat'a 
University.  The aim of the conference is to evaluate the 
historical roots of Bata's management system, to offer 
practical experiences, tried and tested through time, and 
current-day entrepreneurial working-practices and, thereby, 
to contribute towards the renaissance of Czech practices of 
management.  The  management practices of "the next man in 
line is your customer", "win-win" relations with suppliers 
and customers, pay reductions to avoid layoffs, best quality 
at the lowest price -- originated from 1905 to 1932 by Tomas 
Bat'a in a shoe company that out-produced all other shoe 
companies in the world -- anticipated in practice what is 
now called quality management.  Speakers already expected to 
address the conference include: Yoshio Kondo, to discuss the 
influence of Bat'a in Japan prior to 1932; Homer Sarasohn to 
relate the influence of the Bat'a system on Dr. Sarasohn's 
post-war efforts in Japan; Myron Tribus to compare and 
contrast the Bat'a System of Management with the teachings o
f Dr. Deming.  Quality practitioners from the world over are 
invited to attend.  New ideas, views and outlooks on Bat'a are
encouraged for presentation.  For folks coming from out of the
country, if you pay your way to Zlin, the rest of the costs, 
including your meals and lodging, will be paid by the 
conference!!  Interested parties should click to 
www.bata-konference.utb.cz/pages_en/00_about.php 
or www.spoluprace.cz/2-08.htm.

* The Deming Forum 2001 will be held 9-10 May 2001 in 
Loughborough, UK.  Speakers to include:  Prof. H. Thomas 
Johnson, Portland State U -- new approaches to life-system; 
Superintendent Mark Sheasby -- CI in West Midlands Police 
Force; Jane Seddon, CEO of PMI -- linking Business Goals and 
Process Improvement; Debbie Ray, Good Samaritan Hospital, 
Ohio -- Getting better with Dr D.; Alan Winlow -- Experiences 
and Transition in the 3rd Age; plus many more.  Obtain 
details about the conference at: 
http://freespace.virgin.net/demingforum.uk/

* An excellent opportunity for on-line learning exists at 
http://www.virtual-deming.com/ -- the site of the Deming 
Virtual College, directed by Jim Clauson.  The DVC offers a 
number of courses, guided by top notch facilitators.  See 
the site for more details. 

* ASTD's Total Quality Management Special Interest Group holds 
its meetings at National Semiconductor's "National 
Semiconductor University" site in Santa Clara, the 4th Monday
of each month, 6:30-8:30pm.  Ring Betsy Wolf-Graves at 
(408) 294-5779 for more information.

* WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING YOUR INPUTS FOR UPCOMING 
TOPICS and SPEAKERS. If you have inputs, please contact Marcia
Daszko.  Also contact Marcia for details about upcoming programs.
Her number is 408-247-7757; e-mail address is MDaszko@aol.com. 

Surf the Worldwide Web to BADUG.  An overview of the group, past
meeting minutes, and an index of Deming-associated sites can be
accessed via your web browser.  Find the site at: 

http://www.cafm-services.com/badug/BADUG-TOC.htm

October's Meeting Notes: 

New Discoveries in Brain Research - presented by Dr. Myron Tribus

Myron continues to enlighten us with his ongoing learning about 
what researchers have been discovering regarding the processes 
of the human brain.  This session was a chance to have a glimpse
at a few of the highlights of that research and for some 
discussion on the implications for efforts to improve quality.
Myron started with a report on the Israeli boy he met several 
years ago who had had one-half of his brain surgically removed 
due to a tumor.  The boy has gone on to lead a nearly normal 
life; he was found this past summer to have an IQ of 120.  This
leads us to question the typical belief that someone who has 
lost one-half of their brain would expect to permanently lose 
significant mental and physical functions!

A process for gaining meaning from observation:

When we attempt to explain what is going on in the brain, we 
are attempting to construct a theory.  We have been building 
a collective theory about how the brain works based on our 
observations.  In the "real world" we perceive something.  
Korzybski (inventor of semantics) talks about the 'unspeakables',
our interpretation of "what is that" goes beyond what we 
quantitatively see and describe.  Percept in the real world 
becomes a concept in the mind.  The concrete of the real world
-- the "thing" we observe -- becomes an abstract symbol in the
mind.  From the observation of things we develop mental symbols
which we logically analyze to create a sense of meaning at our
intellectual level.  Observations and experiments lead to real
world results; thinking about the concepts and symbols created
in our minds from observation leads to predictions; logical 
analysis leads to meaning.  Further observation leads to deeper
meaning -- There's somewhat of a Plan-Do-Study-Act opportunity
within the process.  We carry out a logical process on our 
thinking and end up asking, "does the theory have any meaning?".
Establishing meaning carries us forward.  Of fundamental 
importance: We have to be able to make meaning out of sensory 
input.  As we develop mental structures, we establish meaning
for ourselves.

Our changing view of the brain's structure:

The brain is our subject in this study, and (as Myron enjoyed 
reminding us) it is very difficult to open that brain up while
it is operating!  There are approximately 200 billion neurons
in the brain -- About 30,000 would fit on just the head of a 
pin.  It uses something like 25% of the energy produced within
the body.  Inside each of our heads are more neuron connections
being created and used than that in all of the telephone 
systems in the world.

Thinking and memory processes create new connections between 
neurons -- Education creates neuron connections, so the lack 
of education deprives the development of dendrites, the little
tentacle-like structures that reach out and connect neurons.
Research also shows how stress leads to the development of 
fewer.  Using various types of scanning tools to detect
electrical activity caused as a result of doing mental tasks,
it has been observed that planning processes stimulate more 
electrical activity than simple problem solving.  Larger and 
more complex tasks require more energy.

Scanning technology has led to some scientists claiming they 
have discovered a moral center in the brain.  In studies, 
questions are asked of people that cause them to have to make 
moral judgements.  Electromagnetic scanning seems to indicate 
that neuron activity for moral judgements centers in one part 
of the brain -- BUT, Myron mentioned how other studies and 
experience indicate that different parts of the brain can take
over when the 'center' is lost.  Again, we are finding that 
the brain is not a structure with fixed capacity or one 
constructed with easy-to-isolate functional areas.  
Dr. Reuven Feuerstein, whose work Myron has shared with us in
past presentations, offers challenges to our mental models of
how the brain works.  In a similar fashion, Albert Einstein 
challenged the world's thinking about the structure of our 
thinking with the idea that space and time are separate - It 
changed our understanding of how the universe behaves.  
Dr. Feuerstein's SCM -- Structured Cognitive Modifiability -
is founded on the premise of the brain having infinite 
flexibility.  This theory is gaining more and more confirmation
from actual experience, changing today's notions about brain 
development and learning.  

Taking theory into practice:

Theory can take a variety of forms.  Scientific or 
mathematical laws and principles, concepts, definitions, 
methods of analysis, relationships, experimental techniques 
-- All of these can be looked upon as being the stuff of 
theories.  Myron described how theories may be:

* Descriptive - Providing concepts within which to describe,
  classify and organize
* Predictive - Providing relationships among concepts, or
* Normative - Telling us how to behave.

At Dr. Feuerstein's Center for the Enhancement of Learning 
Potential and his research institute the way the work gets 
done, it is difficult to isolate the theory from practice 
and from research.  In Feuerstein's own words: "Activities 
involve three major components: research and development, 
training and service.  The organizations focus on raising 
learning capability for children.  The three major elements 
are constantly combined.  The center and institute do not 
deal with research without service, they do not train without
theory, and they do not theorize without daily encounters with
their clients."  Having used the theory and practice, Myron 
claimed that SCM qualifies as all three types of theory:
 Descriptive, predictive and normative

SCM has been developed out of a set of premises which include:

* Higher intellectual operations are carried out by calling 
  upon a number of multi-use structures. "Structures" have to
  do with relationships we mentally build in thinking about and
  understanding things.
* The brain is infinitely flexible:  If a portion is destroyed,
  other neurons can be taught to take up the lost function.  
  Repair is possible at any age, independent of the cause of
  damage.
* Structures are created in children through the mediation of 
  an adult.  Mediation in creation of structures is the way 
  that a "culture" is passed from one generation to another.
  Creation of a structure is a joint effort of the child and
  an adult.

The work being done with SCM ultimately helps us understand 
that we have to be able to make meaning out of sensory input.
As we develop structures, we establish meaning for ourselves.
Brain research is providing support for SCM, in that the 
structures of SCM are being "seen" with today's latest scanning
tools.  SCM concepts could also be usefully applied to the
interpretation of brain scan images, especially after mediated
learning has been used to alter a cognitive structure.  Brain
research, used to investigate what is happening, neurologically,
should provide insights into how SCM works and perhaps 
suggestions for improved methods.

Myron gave us a simple visualization of his thoughts about the
brain with the idea that the brain is a form of "hardware" which
can as a form of "software" with structures created by the brain.
Given those, "The Brain has a Mind of Its Own"!  Thinking about
SCM and how it has helped so many people think and perform at a
higher level, the previous statement makes a lot of sense...

Discussion:

In discussion after his presentation, we talked with Myron 
about some of the implications and insights this subject 
provided for us.

The question was raised of whether the practice of medicine 
will eventually become less specialized as there is more 
realization that there are innumerable connections between 
the study of heart/mind/nervous/muscular processes, diet, 
environment.  Where does the system boundary end? -- 
Information passing back and forth over self-imposed boundaries
change as they cross.  For a blind man walking, is the cane 
part of the man?  (If you say 'yes', then you have a problem 
on where to stop in defining the system -- But opportunity 
lies in the challenge...)

We pondered on the change in perspective this provides for 
education, work, etc. -- It seems so much more evident that 
the potential of humans is so much greater than we have 
imagined it to be.

Research indicates that a child from a different culture 
should not be deprived of their native language and culture --
It is through cultural connection that the parents are able to
pass on important lessons in things such as how to deal with 
strangers, with danger, with new situations...

The separation of intellect and emotion is bogus.  To take on 
a mental task, you have to be emotionally tied to it.  Myron 
called it "Descartes' Error" -- It's not "I think, therefore 
I am", it should be "I feel, therefore I am."

For our own (and it starts with self) improvement -- We have 
to become aware of how our brains work, and then we have to 
think about how our brain works in order to help our brain 
work better.

Our thanks go to Myron for sharing his learning with us.  For 
any questions you may have regarding the material Myron 
presented at this session, he can be contacted at mtribus@home.com

/s/ Dan Robertson
--------------------------
TTo receive the Bay Area Deming Users Group's newsletter, contact:

Dan Robertson           -or-       Marcia Daszko
1141 Bruckner Circle               2752 Glorietta Circle
Mountain View, CA   94040          Santa Clara, CA  95051
650-964-9186                       408-247-7757
DanRobrtsn@AOL.com                 MDaszko@AOL.com
                                   www.mdaszko.com
                                   www.itslonelyatthetop.com

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12 months from your communication with us.

** Directions to the 6 November meeting **
Venue: The Acuson Corporation Education Center, Building I, 
at 1393 Shorebird Way in Mountain View.  Contact Dan Robertson
if you have questions.

1/ From freeway 101 take Shoreline Boulevard, "Amphitheatre"
   direction (toward the bay).
2/ Turn right, off Shoreline, onto Shorebird Way (Shorebird 
   is the next street after Spacepark).
3/ Building I is the first building on the right. "BADUG" 
   signs will direct you to the meeting room.



The next BADUG meeting is Monday, 6 November 2000.