RE: "It is not necessary to change. Survival is optional."

["Prevette, Steven S" <Steven_S_Prevette@rl.gov>]

Since it is a quiet day at work, I will take some "professional development"
time and at least document my thoughts on the quote.  I will bring in a few
other sources than just Dr. Deming also for my interpretation.

"Survival is optional".  Remember in the 1980's there were some significant
government bailouts of companies, Chrysler primarily comes to mind.  Some
people do believe that survival is an entitlement, that I deserve to survive
simply because I am me.  My own philosophy is heavily influenced by Ayn Rand
and especially Atlas Shrugged.  Ms. Rand would definitely have supported the
statement "survival is optional".  She preferred to use the word "egoist" to
describe her philosophy, but yes, there are folks who called her
egotistical.  I think it is arrogant to for a company or an individual to
believe "survival is a right", "survival is an entitlement", and if they
mess up someone will be expected to bail them out.  Take Enron and its early
attempts to get the White House to bail them out.

"It is not necessary to change".  Note Dr. Deming did not say thou must do
it my way, but I can understand the implication.  Reading transcripts of
questions asked of Dr. Deming, and seeing various videotapes, it is amazing
how many people came to see Dr. Deming (he did not force them to attend
sessions, now perhaps some employers forced attendance) and simply wanted
their own beliefs and practices justified.  Especially the large number of
questions on elimination of numerical targets.  This pattern fits right back
into the plot line of Atlas Shrugged.  We want John Galt to tell us what to
do, but when he does, we can't accept it.  Why did we ask in the first
place?  Why did people (and corporations) attend Dr. Deming's sessions?
Yes, the stock answer was "to have fun", but that certainly is not the
direct reason that people paid to go to his sessions.  Something was amiss
in their corporations.  If nothing was amiss, nothing needed changing, why
were they there?  Again, unfortunately many simply wanted the affirmation
that they did not need to change.  

There was a phrase we used in college - "life's tough when you're stupid".
Now that is arrogant and crass.  But perhaps has more meaning than you might
think.

I should also add that I am picking up quite a bit from reading CI Lewis's
Mind and the World Order.  I'm only 57 pages into it, but already can see
the traces of "there is no knowledge without theory" and "the job of
management is prediction".  These are new thoughts to some folks, but
clearly recorded in 1929.

Steve Prevette
Occupational Safety and Health
Fluor Hanford, A Fluor Government Group Project
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
steven_s_prevette@rl.gov
509-373-9371


-----Original Message-----
From: Vic Forte [mailto:vic@vicf.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 8:17 AM
To: den.list@deming.ces.clemson.edu
Subject: RE: "It is not necessary to change. Survival is optional." 


[Moderator's Note:  I personally do not believe this is what Dr. Deming
meant and hope that those on the DEN more learned than I will help explain.
]

This is both arrogant and cruel.

Survival is not "optional". Nobody simply chooses to survive. I wish it were
that simple. "Follow me and you will survive" is the implication, and it
feels rather arrogant. One may well follow Dr Deming and still not survive.
Many have not, through no fault of their own. The opposite implication
hurts. "You did not survive because you did not follow me. Tough."