Re: Deming on the Whole Greater Than...

[Bob Mason <bob@cc-m.com>]

I read again chapters 2 and 6 in TNE and conclude that it probably did not
occur to Dr. Deming to assert that the whole can be greater than the sum of
the contributions of its parts.  His theory of management elaborates, makes
evident, how and why that is a possible (and desirable) outcome of a system
of management. 

After all, it is only by chance that the sum of its component outputs happen
to equal the output of the whole enterprise.  Isn't it the prevailing
illusion that the output of the whole can be improved by improving the
performance of the parts?

The greater importance of the unmeasurable interactions among people over
the summing of their capabilities is illustrated on pages 132 and 133 of
TNE.  Isn't this also true by extension to the component units within the
organization?

On pages 37 and 38 Dr. Deming discusses Ed Baker's chart indicating that,
for the most part, managements think they can improve the whole by focusing
on easily measurable processes (3% of the whole).  The implication is that
transformation, operationally defined, is the set of practices by which the
whole enterprise is being managed to attain a level greater than the sum of
its parts.

I haven't looked through the Library transcripts yet.

Bob Mason
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