Aim and Stats
Now in our twelfth year of operation, the aim of the "OD" sessions is to continue to foster an appreciation of InThinking within an emerging network that is developing inside Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne and beyond. Dates for future "OD" sessions along with additional "thinking" opportunities for 2011 can be found in this announcement.
OD Stats
For an update on OD statistics, this month's invitation is going out to 5000+ partners in the U.S., as well as fellow inthinking partners in Australia, Austria, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Dubai, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.K. Taken together, these individuals represent over 600 organizations in this list of nations, from elementary schools and senior high schools to colleges and universities, from one-person consulting firms to United Technologies, GM, IBM, General Electric, NASA, Philips Electronics, and The Boeing Company. Among this list of invitees, participation in November's OD conference call with Graham Rawlinson included 20 partners from across the US and UK, (in all, 351 have joined in so far in 2011, 520+ joined us in 2010, 450 in 2009, 394 in 2008, 342 in 2007, 444 in 2006, and 402 in 2005...ah, yes, variation exists).
And, yes, Grace, the diffusion process of connecting thought leaders continuuues...
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As we prepare for year-end celebrations, reunions, and remembrances, here's a timely reflection on the many differences between thinking in terms of a continuum vs. categories, some of which are revealed in a quotation from Thomas Mann, the 20th century German essayist and Nobel Prize winner;
Time has no divisions to mark its passage; there is never a thunderstorm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.
In the spirit of fostering "better thinking about thinking," including awareness of the differences (plus benefits) between thinking in terms of continuums and thinking in terms of categories, here's an invitation to the next Ongoing Discussion, set for December 15th and 16th. In our last session of 2011, we welcome Debra Lewis and Doug Adams as our us Though Leaders on the topic of "Creating the Duty, Honor, America Tour."
Link here for the PARTICIPANT SURVEY and to receive the conference call information once you complete the survey. Find details on the Ongoing Discussion below, including a link to the Thought Piece.
Cheers...
Bill Bellows
Associate Fellow and Lead
InThinking Network
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Canoga Park, California
william.bellows@pwr.utc.com
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NEW for 2012
Better Thinking About... Webinar Series
As always, there is no relentless root cause to explain anything, such as the ideas behind this new webinar offering. There are, however, common causes present always and a special cause on occasion. From death to birth, singular causes offer insufficient explanations when attempting to move well beyond what Dr. Deming referred to as "the prevailing system of management." Team work, as in multiple causes, both common and special, offers a systemic view. Beginning in February 2012, PWR's InThinking Network will launch a monthly webinar series. The title, "Better Thinking About..." is designed to connect this effort with the many other activities of our InThinking Roadmap efforts, all designed to foster what we refer to as "better thinking about thinking." As with all continuous improvement efforts, the use of the term "better" does not imply what we're currently doing is "bad," "dumb," "unwise," or "thoughtless." Rather, the notion of improvement implies that our efforts, processes, products, ideas, and thinking can be better and better yet again. Whether or not improvement is worth the investment of resources will always be a worthwhile question to ask. Such was the thinking behind launching this series and our theory is that this effort will be a worthwhile investment for our attendees and presenters, as well as organizers. Beginning in the fall of 2011, the ideas behind this webinar emerged from a number of conversations. Over time, the format was defined as one 90-minute session per month, from February through November, set for the second Thursday of the month, from 11:30-1pm Pacific Time. The sessions will be audio taped, with these files eventually posted for download. Ten presenters have been contacted and confirmed, with a few confirmed for specific months. Next up, topics will be confirmed for each. For example, Gipsie Ranney will present in September on the topic of "Cause(s) of Concern," a session designed to present and advance the understanding of common causes and special causes of variation. Graham Rawlinson will join us in May to explore "Thinking About Thinking." Paul Hollingworth will join us in March to explore "An Introduction to Systems Thinking."
In our first session, Gerald Suarez will present on February 9th on the topic of "Better Thinking About Leadership." As for his background, Gerald is currently a professor on the faculty of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith business school. Look for him to share his expertise in leadership, which includes 8 years of service in the White House under Presidents Clinton and Bush, as the Director of Presidential Quality -- the first such post in the institution's history. In this capacity, he initiated efforts to inculcate systems thinking and organizational redesign into the White House Communications Agency, the White House Military Office and the Executive Office of the President of the United States. He also served as Director of Customer Support and Organizational Development for the White House Military Office. Suarez traveled aboard Air Force One and Presidential helicopters in numerous missions worldwide. He received many Presidential awards and commendations for his work, including the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the White House Distinguished Service Award, the Commander-in-Chief Coin, and the White House Certificate for Meritorious Service.
Link here to register to attend our session with Gerald. |
Memories of and from Russ Ackoff
The one and only Russ Ackoff served as our "January" Ongoing Discussion Thought Leader on four occasions between 2006 and 2009. In addition to these "visits" with us from his home in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, he also traveled to Canoga Park every year, from 2003 through 2007, to deliver half-day and full-day lectures in our Leadership & Learning Center (picture above), as well as in Boeing's Conference Center in nearby Huntington Beach. In doing so, he inspired us with his countless "systems" stories, from his chance visit to AT&T's Bell Labs to experience the account of the "overnight destruction of the Bell telephone system" (and his discovery of their use what came to be known as the Idealized Design process) to the tale of a cost-cutting paper company client, who continued to offer sales of a paltry amount (think "loss leader") of specialty photographic paper to Claire Booth Luce, whose husband's company, Time magazine, was their number 1 customer. One of these stories, plus many more from his career in the U.S. Army, stationed in the South Pacific, to his lengthy career as a management consultant, is told by Russ in the first of two recent posthumous publications by Triarchy Press, titled Memories. Follow this link for more details on this book, in addition to news of the second book, Differences That Make a Difference. Here's a link for details on a special discount.
To view a video of John Pourdehnad's fond memories of Russ, follow this link on YouTube. |
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Welcome First Timers
Your names have been added to this announcement list by virtue of your attendance in our series of InThinking Roadmap seminars, workshops, and overviews within Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, or attendance at the annual In2:InThinking Network Forum, through a personal request, from you or a friend. Welcome to our thinking networks.
Click either link below to send me the name(s) and e-mail address(es) of anyone you would like to have added to this mailing list, or let me know if you would like to be removed. Thanks!!!
ADDITIONS DELETIONS
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Meeting Notice Service - OD and BTA
If you'd like to receive meeting notices on your Microsoft Outlook schedule for upcoming Ongoing Discussions and Better Thinking About... webinars, reply to Bill Bellows at william.bellows@pwr.utc.com and your name will be added to our announcement list.
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April 2011 Thought Piece - UPDATE
John Pourdehnad, our April Thought Leader, has posted his most recent working paper, titled "Systems and Design Thinking: A Conceptual Framework for Their Integration," online at this link.
This paper explores the relationship between Systems and Design Thinking. It specifically looks into the role of Design in Systems Thinking and how looking at the world through a systems lens influences Design. Our intention is to show the critical concepts developed in the Systems and Design Thinking fields, their underlying assumptions, and the ways in which they can be integrated as a cohesive conceptual framework.
While there are many important distinctions that must be considered to understand the similarities and differences of these concepts, gaining a complete understanding of these factors is more than can be covered in this paper. Nevertheless, the most critical classifying variable used to distinguish these concepts will be discussed in order to make their integration possible.
This variable, the recognition of purposeful behavior, will be used to develop a conceptual vision for how a combined approach can be used to research, plan, design and manage social systems...Systems in which people play the principle role.
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Menlo Labs' "Garden of Eden" in LA
Tracy Huston, our Ongoing Discussion Thought Leader in 2007 and again in 2009, with Dave Flanigan, has been putting her green thumb to work in Los Angeles, guided by her systemic thinking and joining minds and arms with Dave Flanigan to initiate an urban farming project that is serving 150 families a week (including 40+ within Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne) with everything from carrots to chilies, employing at-risk youth in the San Fernando Valley, and providing free training for more than 75 employees. In a recent visit to their North Hollywood farm (covered by local media, including the LA Daily News) on land provided by the Department of Water and Power, and a project funded by the city of Los Angeles, Tracy and Dave shared a vision of "an Eden in the middle of a city" and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa imagined "what we could do if the city could now find more land." While we wait for a return visit by Tracy and Dave as Ongoing Discussion Thought Leaders in 2011, link here for more about their recent book, Gardening for People and Planet. |
Multi-Matrix: The Brain Game
Leslie Peters, our March 2011 Thought Leader, led a session titled "Vision Dominates Thinking." Link here to find the announcement. Leslie followed her OD appearance with a presentation at the In2:InThinking Network's 2011 Forum on the same topic. During her presentation (link here for details), she shared a "brain game," which is now available for purchase. According to her website (http://sensoryprocessingcourses.com), here are details on the game; Develop the brain through integration of multiple senses within a 3-dimensional, motor challenge. The companion online, all-video course teaches you to improve key skills that are the foundation for reading and learning. "Brain Loads" combine multiple sensory systems to maximize brain development.
Designed by a developmental optometrist and director of a brain rehabilitation clinic, The Multi-Matrix Game assists children and adults with learning challenges, reading delays, attention disorders, and brain damage.
For more information, visit www.multimatrixgame.com |
| Thought Leader - Debra Lewis and Doug Adams
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's InThinking Network welcomes Debra Lewis and Doug Adams, from southern California, to lead our twelfth Ongoing Discussion of 2011 on December 15th and 16th (and our 144th session since we began in January 2000). Deb and Doug have selected "Creating the Duty, Honor, America Tour" as their topic in their second time with us as Thought Leaders.
I met Deb and Doug in the spring of 2009, through a connection from a mutual friend, the late Grace Fitton. Deb, Doug, and Grace shared a common background in their undergraduate education at West Point and, upon graduation, entering military service as commissioned second lieutenants. All of us had a common interest in "better thinking about thinking" and the prospects for improving team work through such efforts, in military arenas and in civilian life. Following our introduction, Deb and Doug attended the In2:InThinking Network's 2009 Forum. Three months later, they served as our Ongoing Discussion Thought Leaders on the topic of "Reconstruction in Iraq: An Extraordinary Opportunity to Expand One's Thinking on How We "Help" Others." In this appearance, they shared stories from Deb's assignment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, coupled with Doug's role at home on the family team. A personal highlight in their stories was the clarification that "help" from the vantage point of the provider may not be the same as what the recipient experiences. As an example, Deb shared a story of when help provided by the Army an Iraq fire station chief was not deemed to be helpful.
Deb and Doug returned to Los Angeles in April 2010 to present at
the In2:InThinking Network's 2010 Forum on the topic of "Help Wanted: Genuinely Caring Leaders." Included in their presentation was the following message;
Genuinely Caring Leaders know that the best teams understand the importance of immediately addressing anything that undermines the trust, creativity, and cohesiveness of the team or risk the long-term viability of potentially great organizations. Genuinely Caring Leaders set themselves apart from other types of leaders in less obvious, but still recognizable ways. What may ultimately matter most for our long term success in especially tough or uncertain high-risk situations is our skill at recognizing, encouraging and developing Genuinely Caring Leaders.
Fast forward to today, when they have recently completed a 1-year, 18,000+ mile, 50-state tour of the US, with Doug on bicycle and Deb and Daisy, their dog, in their RV. Their ambition was to raise awareness for the issues facing military veterans and their families. The planning and preparation of this effort, titled the "Duty, Honor, America Tour," is the focus of their second appearance as Thought Leaders. In an excerpt from their Thought Piece, Doug shares his thoughts from the last day of the tour, a 20+hour tour around the Island of Hawaii;
"Okay legs, here's the deal. Only one of you gets to cramp at a time. We're making it up this volcano without stopping. I am NOT stopping now." One hundred eighty miles into the last ride of the Duty, Honor, America Tour, I was not about to stop on the ride up the Kilauea Volcano. I might not start up again. And with 18,000 miles behind me, there was no way I was not going to finish the last ride of the tour, cycling 222 miles around the Island of Hawaii on October 6th, 2011.
I did finish the ride that day. It was the culmination of over two years of planning, preparing, training, and cycling that began with a vision on July 31st, 2009, a vision of cycling all fifty states in a year for America's veterans, military and their families. This Thought Piece describes how we created the Tour.
Join us this month as we welcome Deb and Doug, two Genuinely Caring Leaders.
Biographies
Even though they were classmates at West Point (in the first class with women since 1802), Deb and Doug first met 17 years after graduation at the Pentagon in 1997. Their relationship evolved from co-workers to friends to husband and wife. (This highly unlikely pairing occurred despite Deb's earlier public foreswearing to ever again date military men, especially West Pointers, and really especially classmates!!!) With over 60 years of combined military service, they separately held numerous leadership and followership positions in their careers, facing and overcoming many personal challenges to be who they are today. These past 14 years together made it possible for Deb and Doug to take on impressive challenges, such as Deb's three Engineer District military commands in the U.S. and in Iraq, and Doug's championing Veterans issues and supporting neighbors during natural disasters. Both also continued their education, with Deb earning a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy and Doug receiving a Juris Doctor. Most recently, they created a non-profit to help them prepare for and complete the Duty, Honor, America Tour, during which Doug cycled over 18,000 miles through 50 states in one year for veterans, military and families with Deb as his one-person support team or CEO (Chief Everything Officer, except cycling) and their dog Daisy as security. Together, Deb and Doug have three children, who remind them what's really important.
Contact Deb and Doug by e-mail at dhatour@gmail.com with any questions you would like to share with them in preparation for this OD session. |
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OD Details
Please join us for one or all of the hours of this month's ODs. As always, you are invited to participate for as long, or as short, as you can in one or more of these sessions. Note that the conversations vary from session to session, due to a variety of causes, such as who participates and what questions are asked. This diversity is captured every month, as the calls are recorded and posted as mp3 files on a PWR OD website that is being created.
Option - Date/Time (Pacific Time), with Debra Lewis and Doug Adams;
1 - Thursday, December 15th - 12:00-1:00pm
2 - Thursday, December 15th - 1:00-2:00pm
3 - Friday, December 16th - 12:00-1:00pm
4 - Friday, December 16th - 1:00-2:00pm
The agenda for each option will be:
Timing: Topic
Opening 10 minutes: Call in & Introductions
Next 45 minutes: Ongoing Discussion
Last 5 minutes: Farewells and Close
Please reply to this note by noon Pacific Time on Wednesday,
December 14th to confirm your plans to participate in one (or more) of these options. If you do plan to attend, please complete the OD PARTICIPATION SURVEY by using the link below...
PARTICIPANT SURVEY
Those of you connecting in Canoga Park can join in at our Canoga facility (6633 Canoga Avenue in Canoga Park) on Thursday (Conference Room - Canoga Main 4) and Friday (in the Leadership & Learning Center).
Telecon lines (including a pass code and a security code) have been arranged for those who cannot join us at our Canoga facility and are provided upon completion of the participant survey.
As always, please forward this announcement to anyone we missed who would also like to participate.
Regards...
Bill
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International Participants
Our conference call sessions are toll-free within the U.S. and Canada. Several international participants have been able to connect toll-free using Skype for a VOIP connection, which we now recommend to others calling in from outside (or inside) the U.S. and Canada.
First, you'll need to establish a Skype account at www.skype.com. Once Skype is set up and functioning correctly the only thing that is different when connecting with our "InThinking Roadmap" conference call sessions ("OD" or "The New Economics Study Sessions") is the use of a pass code and security code. For our "OD" sessions, these numbers are provided once the "participant survey" is completed. For the "The New Economics Study Sessions," these numbers are provided in an email from Tim Higgins, who hosts these calls. In either case, when prompted by Skype to enter these codes, use the keyboard not voice option and be sure to turn off the computer's microphone, otherwise the numeric keys don't function. If the microphone is left on when the codes are entered, Skype's automated operator will reply with "number not recognized," as no number has been transmitted. Also, please note that the "pound key" in the U.S. (#) translates to the "hash key" in the U.K.
New users of Skype are encouraged to perform a conference call test in advance of the scheduled "InThinking Roadmap" conference call. Contact Bill Bellows to arrange for a test call. |
Future OD Dates
Mark your calendars - future Ongoing Discussion sessions will be held on the following dates (subject to slight changes), from 12-1pm and 1-2pm Pacific Time.
Month, Dates and Thought Leader(s):
January 26-27, Gipsie Ranney
February 27-28, Ilene Val-Essen
March 22-23, Pauline Arneberg
Note that the "OD" home page on the In2:InThinking Network web site is being moved to a PWR website. Stay tuned for the new address. |
Future Better Thinking About... Dates
Mark your calendars - future Better Thinking About... webinars will be held on the following dates, from 11:30-1pm Pacific Time. Details for how to participate in this webinar series are provided upon registering using the participant survey for each event.
Date, Presenter, and Topic (link on each topic to register)
March 8, Paul Hollingworth, Introduction to Systems Thinking
April 12, Presenter and Topic to be determined
May 10, Graham Rawlinson, Thinking About Thinking
June 14, Presenter and Topic to be determined
July 12, Presenter and Topic to be determined
August 9, Presenter and Topic to be determined
September 13, Gipsie Ranney, Cause(s) of Concern
October 11, Presenter and Topic to be determined
November 8, Presenter and Topic to be determined
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Systems Thinking Newsletter
Available online for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne employees...
The Systems Thinker is an electronic newsletter made available monthly (on a subscription basis) by Pegasus Communications. Each issue provides articles and case studies on systems thinking concepts and is available only electronically (as a pdf file). Tools and techniques for use in the Learning Organization are regularly included in this valuable publication. Featured authors include thought leaders and consultants well known in organizational learning and change management circles.
The current edition of the SYSTEMS THINKER, as well as archived issues from December 2002 through November 2011, is available for reading and printing by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne employees here.
Network friends outside of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne can learn more about this newsletter AND read a variety of sample issues
and articles online. Individual and site licenses are available. |
InThinking Roadmap Seminars and Workshops
The following in-house "InThinking Roadmap" seminars and workshops are open to employees of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), as well as suppliers, customers, family members, and "Members of the Community." "Members of the Community" are individuals who are involved full or part time, or in a volunteer capacity, in community related work.
The schedule below includes the next available offerings for the listed seminars in Canoga Park, California. Contact Bill Bellows to request additional information.
Background information on PWR's InThinking Roadmap, in addition to seminar and workshop descriptions and upcoming schedules, are being added to a new PWR website, to be announced.
Note that the dates listed below are subject to change. All times listed are Pacific Time.
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InThinking Together (formerly "ET")
Description: This seminar explores the philosophies of a variety of management theorist, including but not limited to Russell Ackoff, W. Edwards Deming, Edward de Bono, Tom Johnson, and Genichi Taguchi, among many others; as they apply to the management of organizational resources, including ideas, innovation, knowledge, money, equipment, and space. Among the topics of discussion will be the concepts of "better thinking about thinking" (InThinking) and "Purposeful Resource Management." The seminar will introduce you to these ideas through a series of questions that are specially selected to create awareness of a new approach to working together, learning together, and thinking together.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend
Prerequisites - there are NO prerequisites
Format - two 4.5-hour sessions over two days, presented as an in-person event
Presented by: Bill Bellows
Schedule for InThinking Together classes in Canoga Park, CA for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Class #CP-2011-12
Part 1 - 15-Dec-11 - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 16-Dec-11 - 7:00-11:30am
Class #CP-2012-01
Part 1 - 26-Jan-12 - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 27-Jan-12 - 7:00-11:30am
Class #CP-2012-02
Part 1 - 27-Feb-12 - 7:00-11:30am
Part 2 - 28-Feb-12 - 7:00-11:30am
Register to attend InThinking Together
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Six Thinking Hats
Description: This seminar is designed to present a more structured approach to thinking, for individuals and teams. We have developed many excellent thinking tools for argument and analysis. Our information technology methods are constantly improving. We have, however, developed few tools to deal with our ordinary everyday thinking - the sort of thinking we do in conversations and in meetings. What is needed is Parallel Thinking or Thinking Together, where each thinker puts forward his or her thoughts in parallel with the thoughts of others. The Six Thinking Hats method is a practical way of carrying out Parallel Thinking. This seminar explores Edward de Bono's concept of Six Thinking Hats as a way to unbundle thinking, separating out its different aspects. Use of the Six Thinking Hats can result in more productive meetings on the road to better resource management within a growing environment of "InThinking Together."
Registration Fee - there is no fee for PWR employees to attend. For visitors, we charge $165, payable to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - one 8-hour session offered over one day (or, two 4-hour sessions offered over two days), presented as an in-person event, or through web meeting for attendees within United Technologies.
Presented by: Tim Higgins
Schedule for Six Thinking Hats classes in Canoga Park, CA for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Class #CP-2012-01
21-Feb-12 (7:00am-3:30pm)
Class #CP-2012-02
08-May-12 (7:00am-3:30pm)
Class #CP-2012-03
07-Aug-12 (7:00am-3:30pm)
Class #CP-2012-04 (InThinking Roadmap Seminar Week)
16-Oct-12 (11:30am-3:30pm)
17-Oct-12 (11:30am-3:30pm)
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Lateral Thinking
Description: This seminar provides participants with a number of deliberate, formal tools for creative thinking followed with opportunities to practice building usable skills. Seminar content is based on the work of Edward de Bono, an international authority on creative thinking and the direct teaching of thinking skills. Edward de Bono's Lateral Thinking tools are based directly on how the brain functions as a self-organizing information system. Here are some notes from Edward de Bono on the definition of Lateral Thinking:
1. You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.
2. Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perceptions instead of trying harder with the same concepts and perceptions.
3. In self-organizing information systems, asymmetric patterns are formed.
Lateral Thinking is a method for cutting across from one pattern to another. This course develops skill in the use of the Lateral Thinking tools by means of practice exercises. Skills learned will build upon concepts covered in other classes on our InThinking Roadmap.
Registration Fee - there is no fee for PWR employees to attend. For visitors, we charge $120, payable to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
Prerequisite - Six Thinking Hats
Format - two 8-hour sessions, presented as an in-person event
Presented by: Tim Higgins
Schedule for Lateral Thinking classes in Canoga Park, CA for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Class #CP-2012-01
Class #CP-2012-02
Register to attend Lateral Thinking |
Managing Variation as a System
Description: This seminar continues to explore the prospects of better thinking as defined by the management and leadership philosophies of Russell Ackoff, W. Edwards Deming and Genichi Taguchi and other like-minded systemic thinkers. The topics of discussion will be "Resource Management" (the systemic application of resources, including activities without problems, but featuring opportunities for investment) and it's applicability to variation management and systems thinking. This seminar will introduce you to these ideas through a series of questions specially selected to reveal a refreshing perspective when managing variation as a system.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee for employees to attend. Visitors are asked to bring a copy of the course textbook (Donald Wheeler's
Understanding Variation), which can be purchased online for as low as $25. Follow this link to Amazon for one purchase option.
Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - three 3-hour sessions over three days, presented as an in-person event
Presented by: Joe Onstott
Class #CP-2012-01 (InThinking Roadmap Seminar Week)
15-Oct-12, 17-Oct-12, 18-Oct-12 8:00-11:00am
Register to attend Managing Variation as a System
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Resource Leadership - Part 2
Description: This 2-part seminar explores the prospects of better thinking as defined by the management and leadership philosophies of W. Edwards Deming, Genichi Taguchi, Russell Ackoff, Tom Johnson, and others. Among the topics of discussion will be the "resource management" and it's applicability to variation management, systems thinking, and working together. Blue Pen Companies represent environments of growing levels of team work, wherein "acting locally and thinking globally" is more than a thoughtful expression. By contrast to Red Pen Companies, where team work inevitably translates to "local sub-optimization", Blue Pen Companies offer the prospect of "working together through thinking together." The seminar will introduce you to these ideas through two experiential sessions which were designed to allow participants to "feel the difference" between Red Pen (Reflexive) and Blue Pen (InThinking) Companies.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend.
Format - part 2 is presented in one 3-hour session as an in-person event. Part 1 is covered in Part 2 of the Managing Variation as a System seminar.
Presented by: Joe Onstott, Tim Higgins, and Bill Bellows
Class #CP-2012-01 (InThinking Roadmap Seminar Week)
19-Oct-12 8:00-11:00am
Register to attend Resource Leadership
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Kepner-Tregoe Problem Solving and Decision Making
Description: The seminar presents more rational approaches to problem solving, decision making, and successful planning. The seminar content is based on the work of Charles Kepner and Ben Tregoe who studied the methodology of "successful" managers and concluded that better skills in problem solving, decision-making and planning were a key distinction.
Registration Fee - there is no fee for PWR employees to attend. For visitors, we charge $330, payable to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.
Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - three 7-hour sessions over three weeks, presented as an in-person event
Presented by: Tim Higgins
Suggestion: If you are unable to attend all three sessions in a given monthly series, we encourage you to attend the first session and then attend the second and third in any order during a future monthly series.
Schedule for Kepner-Tregoe classes in Canoga Park, CA for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
Class #CP-2012-01
6-Mar-12, 13-Mar-12, and 20-Mar-12 7:00am-4:00pm
Class #CP-2012-02
11-Sep-12, 18-Sep-12, and 25-Sep-12 7:00am-4:00pm
Register to attend Kepner-Tregoe
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The New Economics Study Session
Description: A group of participants assembles, some in-person and some via teleconference, for this 14-hour series. Participants discuss W. Edwards Deming's last book, The New Economics, in which he introduced his concept of a "System of Profound Knowledge." The group reads specified chapters before each session and discusses the meaning and application of the ideas, as well as personal reactions to the ideas. Supplemental reading material become part of the conversations, as do reactions to video tapes of Dr. Deming.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend. In addition, this is a toll-free call from the United States and Canada. International participants are welcome to join in as well, provided they do so at their own expense for the conference call.
Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - seven 2-hour sessions over three and a half weeks, presented as a teleconference event
Presented by: Tim Higgins
Class #CP-2012-01
To be determined
Register to attend the TNE Study Session |
Design of Experiments & Taguchi Methods -An Overview
Description: This seminar introduces the fundamentals of both Design of Experiments (DOE) and Taguchi Methods and also serves to relate both bodies of knowledge to PWR's InThinking Network efforts. This course is a condensed version of two extensive 40-hour Taguchi Methods seminars. The shorter overview is designed to provide a strong foundation in the thinking and applicability of DOE and Taguchi Methods for both process and product improvement.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend Prerequisite - there are NO prerequisites
Format - eight 2-hour sessions over four weeks, presented both as an in-person event and through web meeting for off-site participants, both inside and outside of United Technologies.
Presented by: Bill Bellows
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