Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
W. Edwards DemingRead
Management by results is confusing special causes with common causes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the danger of misinterpreting specific outcomes as general principles in management.
W. Edwards Deming highlights the importance of understanding the difference between unique, special causes of variation in outcomes and the common causes that affect all results. When management focuses solely on results, it risks overlooking underlying systemic issues that often lead to those outcomes, which can hinder effective and sustainable improvement.
Themes
ManagementResultsCausesLeadershipImprovement
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting, discussing performance metrics with staff.
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