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Aim and Stats Now in our sixteenth year of operation for our "OD" sessions and the fourth year for our "TTA" sessions, the aim of both is to continue to foster an appreciation of InThinking within an emerging network that is developing inside Aerojet Rocketdyne and beyond. Dates for future "OD" and "TTA" sessions along with additional "thinking" opportunities for 2015 can be found in this announcement. OD + TTA Stats
For an update on OD and TTA statistics, this month's invitation is going out to 2,000+ 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, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, 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 GenCorp, United Technologies, GM, IBM, General Electric, NASA, Bechtel, Kuwait Energy Company, Philips Electronics, and The Boeing Company. |
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 Aerojet 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 |
Meeting Notice Service - OD and TTA If you'd like to receive meeting notices on your Microsoft Outlook schedule for upcoming Ongoing Discussion conference calls and Thinking Together About... webinars, reply to Bill Bellows at william.bellows@rocket.com and your name will be added to our meeting notice list. |
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. |
Additional Reading Beginning in 2009, a series of articles have been prepared for the Lean Management Journal (LMJ) to share InThinking insights with the Lean community. Contact Bill Bellows with questions, comments, or observations about this article. |
| Good afternoon from the Los Angeles campus of Aerojet Rocketdyne, located in Canoga Park, California, on the western end of the San Fernando Valley. Aerojet Rocketdyne's InThinking Network welcomes Phil Monroe, from Coronado, California, to lead our second Ongoing Discussion conference call of 2015 on February 26th and 27th and also our 182nd session since we began in January 2000. As for a topic, Phil has selected W. Edwards Deming - What I Heard in his second time with us as a Thought Leader. 
I first heard of Phil while reading about Dr. Deming in Mary Walton's 1986 book, The Deming Management Method. He was referenced for his role in co-leading the infusion of Dr. Deming's ideas within the US Navy's Naval Air Rework Facility in North Island, San Diego, where he was the Navy's commanding officer. Along with Bill Cooper, his senior civilian counterpart, they partnered to apply lessons about management and leadership they learned from a close relationship with Dr. Deming. When the In2:InThinking Network was formed in 2001, Phil and Bill volunteered to join the board of directors of this non-profit and share their wisdom about Dr. Deming, hosting conferences, leadership, and the operation of a non-profit organization. He's been a dedicated and passionate ally to these efforts for 15 years. In addition to serving as our February Thought Leader, Phil is confirmed to deliver a 3-hour Pre-Conference session at the In2:InThinking Network's 2015 Forum in June (10-14) Phil's session will be held on the afternoon of Friday, June 12th. Phil begins his Thought Piece with these words, For me, since my first meeting with Dr. Deming back in 1983, I have followed and taught Dr. Deming's Theory of Management as best I could. The title of this thought piece, "What I Heard" is derived from conversations that some of my friends had with Dr. Deming over the years. I think it was Gipsie Ranney who asked Dr. Deming what he thought people heard of what he presented. His reply was "I know what I said. I don't know what they heard." My friend Bill Cooper asked Dr. Deming a similar question phrased something like, "Of all the people you meet through your seminars every year, how many do you think walk away having heard what you presented?" "Very few," was Dr. Deming's response. One night during a roundtable interaction with Dr. Deming, Bill Cooper told Dr. Deming, "You said we need a statistician." "I didn't say any such thing," was Dr. Deming's immediate reply. Again, there was a gap between what Bill thought he heard, and what Dr. Deming believes he said. Phil's Thought Piece continues with these ideas, In The New Economics, (Page 94) Dr. Deming writes: "A manager of people has to understand that all people are different. This is not ranking of people. He needs to understand that the performance of anyone is governed largely by the system he works in. the responsibility of management. A psychologist that possesses even a crude understanding of variation as will be learned in the experiment with the Red Beads could no longer participate in refinement of a plan for ranking people." My conclusion is that the system contributes more to the outcome of any process than the people working in the system. That being true, we should eliminate the annual review because it is UNFAIR to rate and rank the people. It is not because you will make the people feel bad. Lastly, during our phone conversation I want to solicit from the folks who participate any improvement strategies they are undertaken in their organizations. I hope they will share what they did, how they did it, and what tools for quality improvement were used to effect the change.
Link here to download Phil's Thought Piece. Link here to register to attend.
Biography Phil Monroe served eight years on the Coronado City Council. Prior to that, he served five years on the Coronado Planning Commission, the last two years as Chairman. Phil represented Coronado on the SANDAG Board and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Board for six years. For thirty years he was an Officer in the U.S. Navy where he held positions in engineering, logistics, and direct fleet support areas. When Phil was Commanding Officer at the Naval Air Rework Facility, North Island, he introduced the Deming management theory to that organization which employed 5,500 personnel and managed an annual budget of over $400 million dollars. After leaving the Navy, Phil consulted with major companies, helping them develop their Quality Improvement and Performance Measurement implementation strategy. Phil has a unique talent that helps organizations connect their strategic plans to a meaningful measurement strategy. His friendly style and "How to" approach clarify key points to promote learning. Phil was a founding member of the In2:InThinking Network's Board of Directors. He currently serves on the board of the Coronado Historical Association, the Coronado Tennis Association and is a member of the Board of Full Access Coordinated Transportation (FACT) that works to meet the transportation needs of Seniors, the disabled, and people in Social Service Programs. Phil's degrees include a BA (Mathematics) from Cornell University and an Engineers Degree in Aeronautical Engineering (AeE) from the Naval Postgraduate School. Hobbies include tennis, golf, and rollerblading. Looking ahead, our next OD session is set for March 26-27, with Mike Beck as our Thought Leader on the topic of "By What Method?" Link here to register to attend this conference call in advance of the announcement in mid-March. Coming next is our Thinking Together About... (formerly known as Better Thinking About...) webinars next month, with a focus on Systems Thinking - Part 1, hosted by Paul Hollingworth on Thursday, March 12th, from 11:30-1pm Pacific Time. Link here to register to attend in advance of the announcement, coming the first week in March.Cheers...
Bill |
| In2:InThinking Network 2015 Forum
June 10-14, Los Angeles
The 14th annual Forum is themed Break the Mold: Inspire, Aspire, Achieve, which translates into breaking the "driving change" mold within organizations and replacing it with "leadership," the abilty for anyone to create paths of innovation for others to follow.
The aim of the five-day Forum is to continue to elevate the consciousness of individual and collective thinking, with a focus on managing interactions through inspired leadership. Registration fee: $400, with a $50 discount for registering on or before April 29. Registration opens in March. This year's Forum will be hosted by Woodbury University in Burbank.
The Network was formed in 2001 by a group of students of W. Edwards Deming and related theorists, including Russell Ackoff, Edward de Bono, Tom Johnson, Peter Senge, and Genichi Taguchi.
While details for the 2015 Forum are being finalized, explore the details of previous Forums at this link.
If you are considering attending, link here to find an RSVP Survey. Find more information about this Network at www.in2in.org |
The W. Edwards Deming Institute's 2015 Research Seminar, March 23-24 This year the Deming Research Seminar moves to a new venue at the Georgetown University Conference Center* in Washington, DC.
Hear innovative new approaches and concepts being tested by others to enhance operations, build trust, foster leadership, promote commerce, create ethical business cultures, and sustain success. The Seminar will present a diverse group of more than 30 presenters from the US, Canada, Australia, China, Mexico, Norway, Poland and Spain, representing a variety of industries, including healthcare, information technology, government, manufacturing, education, and small business. Their research will extend and illustrate Dr. Deming's theories through topics such as leadership, motivation, change process, optimization, personal transformation, sales and marketing, and organizations as a system. Presentation formats will vary, from 18-minute TED type talks, to more in-depth 30 and 50-minute sessions with Q & A. Scholarships Student Scholarships Research Seminar scholarships are available for active students. The scholarships cover $150 of the $200 student registration fee. The application deadline is Monday, March 9. Student Scholarship Application
Military Scholarships
A limited number of Research Seminar scholarships are available for active duty military and veterans. The scholarships cover $225 of the $425 registration fee. The application deadline is Monday, March 9. Military Scholarship Application
Scholarship Application Process
To apply for a scholarship, complete and submit the online application form. You will receive an email advising you of the status of your request once the Scholarship Committee has reviewed your application. Link here for seminar details.
*While the Deming Research Seminar will be held at the Georgetown University Conference Center, the event is not affiliated with Georgetown University. |
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. To view a 10-minute video of John Pourdehnad's fond memories of Russ, follow this link on YouTube. Link here to download a 90-page transcript of a video with Russ Ackoff and W. Edwards Deming. The conversation took place in l992 and was edited and released as Volume 21 of The Deming Library series in l993. It is called "A Theory of a System for Educators and Managers" and is available from the W. Edwards Deming Institute at this link. |
Podcasts from The W. Edwards Deming Institute Beginning this year, The W. Edwards Deming Institute has recorded podcasts on a monthly basis, featuring 20 to 30-minute interviews by Tripp Babbitt with members of the Deming Community who are advancing the use and explanations of Dr. Deming's ideas. This week's podcast features David Langford, CEO and founder of Langford International, Inc. and Deming Institute Advisory Board member. David discusses "Education as a System" and using the four parts of Deming's "System of Profound Knowledge" to make a systemic change to the current education system. He talks about the "aim" and "product" of the education system. "What are we trying to accomplish?" "Are we just trying to improve test scores or are we trying to teach kids to think?" David talks about the difference between studying and learning and the diminishing returns you receive when you have a whole system based on memorization. And why attempts to improve the system through programs such as "No Child Left Behind" and "Race to the Top" do not work. Listen as David explores "what is good learning" and how changing the education system through "continual improvement thinking" (rather than just adding programs) will lead to better results for students and teachers; a win-win for all. Link here to find the podcast with David. Link here to find the previous podcasts, featuring Keith Sparkjoy, Monta Akins, Bob Mason and Clare Crawford-Mason, Paula Marshall, Bill Bellows, Bob Browne, Kelly Allan, Kevin Cahill, Andrea Gabor, Steven Haedrich, David Langford, and Dan Robertson. Link here to find these podcasts on iTunes. |
Leader of One, by Gerald Suarez "Endorsements like these are seldom needed. Heed this one, read, study, and learn. Gerald Suarez is the future." Russ Ackoff 
Gerald Suarez, our inaugural "Better Thinking About..." in February 2012 on the topic of Leadership, has released his first book, titled "Leader of One: Shaping Your Future through Imagination and Design." Find it on Amazon at this link. Link on the book image to learn more about Gerald.
With endorsements from two of his mentors, Stephen Covey and Russ Ackoff, Gerald has fulfilled his dream of "writing a book that reflects my philosophy and experiences in the White House, the boardroom, and the classroom and to pay tribute to the major influences in my thinking." This 18-chapter book offers a 4-phase "methodology" that consists of a cycle of activities that "work together in a holistic fashion"; Contemplation, Desire, Design, and Creation.
Gerald offers this advice at the outset:
Becoming a "Leader of One" and taking on the challenge of shaping your future is not easy. Transformative efforts never are. The task ahead will feel overwhelming, but commitment to initiate and sustain action, no matter how small, will move you closer to a new and desired reality.
There are no short cuts. Every building begins its steps upward with a single brick, every marathon race with a single step, and every book with a single word. The same can be said for every minute of your life, so seconds count. The first steps are always the most difficult, but each one will bring you closer to "there." |
Febuary 26th - 27th OD Details Please join us for one or all of this month's series of OD conference calls. As always, you are invited to participate for as long, or as short, as you can in one or more of these sessions, Options 1-4. Note that these conference calls are "conversations, not presentations," which vary from session to session, due to a variety of causes, such as who participates, what questions are asked, and what learning transpires. This diversity is captured every month, as the calls are recorded, with links to these audio files shared with all who register to attend. Option - Date/Time (Pacific Time); 1 - Thursday, February 26th, 12:00-1:00pm 2 - Thursday, February 26th, 1:00-2:00pm
3 - Friday, February 27th - 12:00-1:00pm
4 - Friday, February 27th - 1:00-2:00pm The agenda for each option will be: Opening 15 minutes: Call in and Introductions Next 40 minutes: Ongoing Discussion Last 5 minutes: Farewells and Close
Please reply to this note by noon, Pacific Time on Wednesday, February 25th 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 Telecon lines (including a pass code and a security code) have been arranged for those who cannot join us in a conference room at our Canoga Park 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 |
Future Ongoing Discussion Conference Calls Mark your calendars - future Ongoing Discussion conference calls will be held on the following dates (subject to slight changes), from 12-1pm and 1-2pm Pacific Time.
Month, Dates, Thought Leader(s), Topics (link on each session to register): |
Future Thinking Together About... Webinars
Mark your calendars - future Thinking Together About... (formerly 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 session to register): |
InThinking Together Seminar 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 as well as Purposeful Resource Leadership. 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, offered as an in-person event Presented by: Bill Bellows Schedule for InThinking Together classes in Canoga Park, CA for Aerojet Rocketdyne Class #CP-2015-02 Part 1 - 26-Feb - 7:00-11:30am (Pacific Time) Part 2 - 27-Feb - 7:00-11:30am Class #CP-2015-03 (location to be determined) Part 1 - 26-Mar - 7:00-11:30am (Pacific Time) Part 2 - 27-Mar - 7:00-11:30am Class #CP-2015-04 (location to be determined) Part 1 - 16-Apr - 7:00-11:30am (Pacific Time) Part 2 - 17-Apr - 7:00-11:30am Class #CP-2015-05 (location to be determined) Part 1 - 14-May - 7:00-11:30am (Pacific Time) Part 2 - 15-May - 7:00-11:30am
Register to attend InThinking Together |
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. Aerojet Rocketdyne attendees will be given copies of The New Economics. Non-Aerojet Rocketdyne attendees can purchase copies on Amazon at this link, with used copies selling for $15 and Kindle copies available for $15.95. 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 Schedule for The New Economics Study Session Class #CP-2015-02 Starting on 11-May, seven sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 3:00-5:00pm, Pacific Time (ending on 3-Jun) Class #CP-2015-03 Starting on 14-Sep, seven sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 3:00-5:00pm, Pacific Time (ending on 5-Oct) |
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