Numerical Targets Story

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

I just went to my 4th conference in the past 2 months giving Deming
based sessions.  The latest was in Providence RI at the Health Physics
Society national, a session on the Red Beads and a session on applying
SPC to a dashboard set of leading and lagging indicators.

Following the sessions, my wife and I vacationed in New Hampshire, and
also visited with her family.  They are blue collar workers at various
factories and mills in NH.  One did ask me what I spoke about in
Providence.  Saying "the Red Bead Experiment" of course brought no
recognition.  So I said I spoke about statistics and number crunching.
Still blank looks.  So then I tried - teaching managers how to use their
numbers better.  Still nothing.  So then I said - teaching managers not
to use quotas and you must get this many done this shift.  Immediate
recognition and response.  All related about managers in the weekly
meetings saying "quality quality quality" but the minute they got to the
floor it was do whatever necessary to get the quantity out the door.

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