Monthly DEN Aim Reminder

[Jim Clauson <jim@jclauson.com>]

DENizens,

The monthly reminder of the AIM of the Deming Electronic Network:

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"Learn, apply, and extend the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and to
help others do the same."
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How we operationalize the 3 words: Learn, Apply, and Extend:

LEARN:  Before one can enter into an effective dialogue on a topic, one
needs to study it.  We are *all* learners at some level.  Whether we are
so new we spell Deming with 2 "m's" or so well founded in the Deming
Philosophy we write books on the topic -- we are all in a learning
mode.  Let's concentrate on learning and assisting, not judging others.

And while Deming told us that we need not have expertise in all 4
components of Profound Knowledge, we *do* need to consider and study all
4.  Some topics are more popular or more easily understood - but these
should not dominate our discussions.

The LEARN component of our Aim is the study and citation of specific
Deming works.  The LEARN component probably appeals more to those
DENizens with a "scholarly inclination".  This is the basis for the
other 2 components of our Aim.

APPLY:  Many come to this list with a basic understanding of the Deming
Philosophy, but want to know either how to actually apply it personally
or how to encourage others inside or outside their organizations to
apply it.  In this area of our dialogues, we often offer anecdotal
evidence and personal perspectives.  Whether they are universally
applicable or based on a specific Deming teaching is not as important as

the ability to perceive that a Deming principle has been applied.

The APPLY component is probably the most prone to judgment because it
is so often a personal perspective.  Being open to different
perspectives is, in my mind, critical to understanding how others see
the Deming Philosophy.  The APPLY component probably appeals more to
those on the front lines of organizations.

EXTEND:  The Deming Philosophy is certainly not static -- to consider it
so does an injustice to Dr. Deming himself, as he was always learning
and extending.  This component of our dialogue may be the toughest to
explain or define.  Each of us will see potential connections and
extensions based on the myriad experiences that we have.

In the EXTEND component, there is clearly no right or wrong.  I suspect
that Dr. Deming had no specific plan for where his learning would lead -
only his openness as a "scientist" to developing, trying and testing new
theories.

So:
o  the LEARN component is grounded in Dr. Deming's writings,
o  the APPLY component is grounded in our personal experiences, and
o  the EXTEND component is grounded in our unique perspectives.

Hopefully, all of us can be open to each of these three components.  You
may not be interested in a specific message or thread or you may
disagree with someone's comments.  But I have found that if I look
closely enough, these is something to be learned from virtually every
message that comes across the DEN.
 
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Jim Clauson:	 		                  jim@jclauson.com
Breakthrough Systems:	                       http://jclauson.com
Deming Virtual College		         http://virtual-deming.com
Web hosting and development:           http://jclauson.com/hosting
Turn-key technology e-business    http://handteam.com/breakthrough
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