Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
W. Edwards DemingRead
It is a mistake to assume that if everybody does his job, it will be all right. The whole system may be in trouble.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that individual effort alone does not guarantee overall success and that systemic issues may still exist.
W. Edwards Deming's quote highlights the misconception that if each person performs their assigned tasks, the entire organization or system will function smoothly. It stresses the importance of looking beyond individual contributions and recognizing that the interconnections within a system can lead to broader challenges that need to be addressed collectively for true success.
In practice
In a business meeting discussing project outcomes, one could use this quote to emphasize the need for holistic strategies.
Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
The job can't be finished only improved to please the customer.
Don't expect smart people to listen to you without proof.
Quality begins with the intent, which is fixed by management.
Learn the basics of analytics and people will love you. If you don't have time to learn, hire someone.
Just because you can measure everything doesn't mean that you should.
Modernity: we created youth without heroism, age without wisdom, and life without grandeur
The desire for high status is never stronger than in situations where "ordinary" life fails to answer a median need for dignity and comfort.
The world isn't purposeful. It isn't ruled by reason. The world wants to play. Fashion queens have always aroused more interest than future generations and their fate.
If civilization has an opposite, it is war.
You can have an interesting story about a person living an interesting life. And if it's done well, that is just as engaging as the end of the world. A million people dying - we can't process. One person, we can process.
Our dreams prove that to imagine - to dream about things that have not happened - is among mankind's deepest needs.
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