Deming Philosophy takes roots in global organization

[Steve Brant <trimtab@sprynet.com>]

> From: "Mike A Woolbert" <mawoolb@ppco.com>
> WED could change the world, if only it would listen.  Maybe the world is

Last fall, I signed on in support of the UN Global Compact, which has as its
mission to create a world where corporations act in a more socially
responsible manner (ie. as corporate citizens, incorporate 9 principles
related to human rights, labor relations, and the environment into their
operations and strategic plans). see http://www.unglobalcompact.org for more
information

I write in response to Mike's comments, because a miracle is developing
within the UN Global Compact organization related to the future of Dr.
Deming's philosophy.  The Global Compact internal working group (of which I
and approximately 30 others are volunteer members) has decided that the
Deming/quality principles will be the methods of choice to be used by
organizations in support of their efforts to incorporate these 9 sustainable
development-oriented principles into their operations and strategies!
(Having just said this, I must add that I believe they still have much to
learn about the Deming/quality philosophy's transformational power.)

This decision was reached in May/June of this year.  The question of how
this decision will be put into action (ie. seeking possible alliance(s) with
the American Society for Quality and its "global partners"?  with the Deming
Institute?  others?) is starting to be worked on right now.

I can send anyone who wishes it a copy of the PowerPoint presentation which
announces and explains this decision.  It was written by a man named Claude
Fussler from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
(http://www.wbcsd.org/aboutus/index.htm)  Key text from several of these
PowerPoint slides is pasted into the bottom of this email.

In my humble opinion, the corporate social responsibility (sustainable
development) movement is the key to the future of the Deming/quality
philosophy.  In addition to the Deming/quality philosophy's recognition by
the Global Compact, ASQ's immediate past-president Tom Mosgaller spoke about
the sustainable development - quality connection at an international quality
conference this past April.  This speech opened the door to ASQ's formal
adoption of a strategy to move in a sustainability-oriented direction.  On
the shoulders of Tom's speech, I am reaching out to ASQ's leadership about
the possibility of creating an alliance with the UN Global Compact.  I will
be making the same suggestion as part of a presentation I will be making at
next month's Deming Institute conference in Washington, DC (thanks to Pat
Clark, who generously accepted my proposal to speak).

Dr. Deming often said that a "transformation" was required for business
leaders to break out of the current management paradigm "prison".  As you
will see from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's recent comments at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburgn, the
international leaders of the sustainable development movement recognize that
"a season of transformation" is critically needed if we are to solve our
world's problems - if we are to optimize the larger system of society.

I hope this new and exciting development will give you all hope that what we
all know - and what much of the world "doesn't know it doesn't know" - will
have a new pathway to visibility and adoption in the future. (Of course, if
this is to happen we will all have to learn some new things
ourselves...engage ourselves intellectually with the international
development and sustainable technology worlds.)

Steve
-------------------------------------
Steven G. Brant, Business Futurist
Founder and Principal
Trimtab Management Systems
315 West 33rd Street, Suite 11B
New York, NY 10001
212-947-5705; 212-947-5706 (fax)
646-373-5347 (cell)
sbrant@trimtab.com http://www.trimtab.com