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Force multipliers help you get more done with less effort. Are you using this one?
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“In different arenas, often in the military, they talk about things that are force multipliers: Things that make your force better, faster, more agile, more everything. I want you to consider that the QI Macros is a force multiplier. It can take somebody and make them wildly more successful and productive rapidly. If I had that tool back in the 90s, I’d have gone through the telephone company like with a chainsaw, and maybe the company would not have been acquired and gone into bankruptcy (or almost gone into bankruptcy).
Continue Reading "Are You Using Force Multipliers to Maximize the Results from Lean Six Sigma?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, QI Macros.
Most of the business world deals with consultants. I’d like you to consider becoming a resultant. Here’s why:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“Forever, business has hired consultants, and I think the operational word in there sometimes is “CON-sultant,” right?
“When I think of myself, I think of myself as a “resultant.” My job is to help people get results, not to come up with big PowerPoint presentations and keep the meter running for weeks and months and years on projects. No! Let’s get some results!
Continue Reading "Are You a Consultant or a Resultant?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Have you ever made a judgement and discarded an idea before you realize how valuable it could be? Here’s how it applies to Lean Six Sigma and ukuleles:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“This is an ukulele, and most of you probably think, “Well, that’s for Hawaiian music, isn’t it?” I’ll tell you; no, it’s a very versatile instrument. You can do lots with it. If you don’t believe me, go watch Jake Shimabukuro do Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen; it’s on YouTube.
“You know, with this this instrument we can do lots of things.
Continue Reading "Is Lean Six Sigma Just an Ukulele?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean, Six Sigma.
Lots of people have been educated in Lean Six Sigma, but some can’t use the methods and tools to solve problems. Here’s why:
“You know, I worked at Bell Laboratories in the mid-70s, and I was the little representative from one of the Bell operating companies: U.S West. It was Mountain Bell at that time, I guess… That’s true!
“Anyway, I was out there and boy, I’ll tell you: we had people with master’s degrees and PhD degrees. One of the things that I discovered when I was there is that education does not mean production. Right? There were people that were very educated and were very good at school but couldn’t find a way to write a line of code that worked with all the with all the help in the world.
Continue Reading "Education Does Not Mean Production"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Ever caught yourself doing something from habit that makes no sense anymore? Here’s how it applies to Lean Six Sigma:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“Last week I went out to eat breakfast and I ordered two eggs over medium with some hash browns. When my eggs showed up, I cut them up with a knife and a fork and then I sat there and I mashed the eggs into kind of like a scramble. I thought, “Oh my gosh, that’s how my dad always ate his eggs.”
Continue Reading "Old Habits Die Hard"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Sometimes your data seems to be telling you something counterintuitive. Here’s a healthcare example using Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and Code Blues. What is your data telling you?
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma For Hospitals” and QI Macros [software].
“Last week I got a call from a customer and they said, “Here’s some data and we need your help a little bit.” (This is rare, okay, but they did ask for help.) So anyway, the issue is in a hospital when patients’ respiratory [numbers] and everything else drops to zero, that’s what they call a Code Blue, right?
Continue Reading "RRTs vs Code Blues – What is Your Data Telling You?"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, QI Macros, Six Sigma.
Do you ever struggle with data analysis and problem solving? This might help:
“When I first built my first website for the QI Macros, it was pretty primitive and got going and got some things done. Then about 2012 I needed some help because it wasn’t quite doing everything it should. I resisted getting some help, but I finally found somebody to help me tweak the website and get it going on a useful path. Since then, things have become even more and more complicated with Google Analytics and pay-per-click and all the other stuff that’s going on out there, and it’s just become too complicated for one person to know how to do all of that stuff.
Continue Reading "Psychological Barriers to Asking for Help"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Do you remember the first time you used the tools of quality to get that first jolt of satisfaction from solving a problem? Here’s how to get newcomers to that first jolt a lot more quickly.
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“When I first got into Quality Improvement I had some great training, and then started trying to do some projects. Man, I don’t know… I struggled for probably… it was almost 18 months before I actually… One day there was an issue that we were having around false fire alarms (which were being caused by cell phones; we didn’t know that).
Continue Reading "Get that Jolt of Quality"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Singapore is teaching children from grade school through high school quality improvement techniques and how to use control charts, Pareto charts, histograms and fishbone diagrams. Here’s what that means for quality:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“This last week I was out in Anaheim for the American Society For Quality’s ASQ World Conference On Quality Improvement. We were exhibiting the QI Macros at the booth, and one guy came by and he was from Singapore. We got to talking and we found out that – guess what?
Continue Reading "Singapore’s K-12 Education for Quality"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights.
Top Gun: Maverick holds a powerful lesson and insight. Here’s how it applies to Lean Six Sigma:
“Hi, I’m Jay Arthur, author of “Lean Six Sigma Demystified” and QI Macros [software].
“My wife and I recently went and saw “Top Gun: Maverick.” Maverick’s now this old “test pilot” kind of guy, but he’s called in to help train the best of the best for a special mission. These young hot shots think that he’s an old guy, right? He can’t possibly know anything. It’s kind of funny to watch: they get up and he’s trying to evaluate them and he says, “Let’s get up and we’ll do combat,” and they make a challenge.
Continue Reading "Top Gun: Maverick and the OODA Loop"
Posted by Jay Arthur in Improvement Insights, Lean, Six Sigma.
