Improvement Insights Blog

The May-June issue of Harvard Business Review reported that leaders need to take a scientific approach to decision-making. Here’s how Six Sigma can help:

“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].

“I was looking through the May/June 2022 issue of Harvard Business Review, and I know this will come as a shock to you, but there’s a whole article in here about how many leaders overuse gut instinct and that they should use a scientific approach to making decisions. Right? They should learn how to use data and testable hypotheses to come up with solutions.

“I’m reading this whole thing; Most business leaders don’t think or act like scientists. They rely too heavily on gut feel, common sense, trial and error. It’s difficult for leaders to act like a scientist because that just challenges their basic instincts: They got promoted because they had gut feel and common sense that made them rise above other people. I think there was some decision making and facts and things in there, but at some point that improvement process stops working.

“So what this basically said was they could apply it… now they were talking about applying it to [questions like] “How do we find new markets and make more money” and blah blah blah, but we know from Six Sigma that that is a scientific method. We can find ways to reduce defects, delay, deviation, harm, patient harm… I mean, we can find ways to prevent the things that are chewing up a quarter to a third of total profits. I’m telling you that’s a way better way to get money to the bottom line, and it’s faster and within your control.

“So that’s my Improvement Insight for this week: HBR figured out that leaders need some scientific approaches to solving problems… oh my gosh! Really? That’s so great!

“All right, so that’s my Improvement Insight for this week. Let’s go create a hassle-free America; hassle-free healthcare. Let’s improve something this week.”