Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
W. Edwards DemingRead
It is important that an aim never be defined in terms of activity or methods. It must always relate directly to how life is better for everyone. . . . The aim of the system must be clear to everyone in the system. The aim must include plans for the future. The aim is a value judgment.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A clear aim is essential for guiding actions and improving lives within a system.
This quote by W. Edwards Deming emphasizes the importance of having a clear aim that is not solely focused on activities or methods but instead on how those endeavors enhance life for all involved. It highlights that everyone within the system should understand the aim, which should inherently include future plans and represent a core value judgment guiding the collective efforts.
Themes
AimLeadershipSystemValueFutureImprovement
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting, to emphasize the necessity of aligning our actions with our long-term vision.
More from W. Edwards Deming
All quotes →The job can't be finished only improved to please the customer.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Don't expect smart people to listen to you without proof.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Quality begins with the intent, which is fixed by management.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Learn the basics of analytics and people will love you. If you don't have time to learn, hire someone.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Just because you can measure everything doesn't mean that you should.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Similar quotes
I'm especially thankful for being able to coach so many talented young men over my 18 years here. It has been so rewarding to see these players come to OU and mature over a four- or five-year career, and not just on the field. To play a small part in their growth is what I will always cherish the most.
Bob StoopsRead
If you can't describe your strategy in twenty minutes, simply and in plain language, you haven't got a plan. 'But,' people may say, 'I've got a complex strategy. It can't be reduced to a page.' That's nonsense. That's not a complex strategy. It's a complex thought about the strategy.
Lawrence BossidyRead
Power is the ability to achieve purpose.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
Blessed are the people whose leaders can look destiny in the eye without flinching but also without attempting to play God.
Henry A. KissingerRead
I want to be the bridge to the next generation.
Michael JordanRead
A president who aspires to be recognized as a global leader should not personally stake out a foreign-policy goal, commit himself eloquently to its attainment, and then yield the ground when confronted by firm opposition.
Zbigniew BrzezinskiRead