Our Aim
The aim of the In2:InThinking Network is to promote study, insight, and application of individual and collective awareness of systems, psychology, variation, knowledge, and their interactions - elements recognized as the basis of W. Edwards Deming's “System of Profound Knowledge” (SoPK).
The concept of “InThinking” derives from “awareness of our own thinking and the assumptions" we make in how we act when we allocate resources (time, money, space, materials, inventory, equipment, ideas, etc.) where thinking is defined as “a way of reasoning.” Fundamental to resource allocation is whether our activities are deliberately (by choice) proactive or reactive, and whether the resources involved belong to the enterprise ("ours") or to one's own department, function, district, part, etc. ("mine"). InThinking invites an individual to learn to perceive the patterns of interdependencies surrounding him or her and to reason and judge with new insight and thereby engage in the activities of Purposeful Resource Management and Purposeful Resource Leadership across their enterprise. Such efforts would be commonplace in an "Organization as Unusual" environment.
The In2:InThinking Network is a 501(c)(3) approved educational entity. Your donations and any other financial support are tax deductible.
Scroll down for information on Events and 2026 Forum.
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This section is a place holder for our 19th forum.
July 16-18, 2027 in Santa Clarita California
July 16 to 18, 2027
Santa Clarita, California
Join us at the In2:InThinking Network 2026 Forum for 2.5 days of innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking conversations!
Service charge included in fee. Thank you for your support of the In2:InThinking Network
Basic Forum Schedule
17-July
8-9 AM Breakfast
9 AM-12 PM Sessions
12-1 PM Lunch
1:30-4:30 PM Sessions
5-6 PM Happy Hour
6-9 PM Dinner & Entertainment
18 July
8-9 AM Breakfast
9 AM - 12 PM Sessions
12-1 PM Lunch
1:30-2:30 PM Sessions
3-4:30 PM Networking session
5-6 PM Happy Hour
6-9 PM Dinner & Entertainment
19-July
8-9 AM Breakfast
9-11:30 AM Open Conversations / Forum Café
Leading with Better Questions
Scroll down for information on 2025 Forum details
On the third Tuesday of each month (skipping July and December), we will host a webinar titled our “Monthly Speaker Series.” Please review our Events page for details. Registration is required to attend monthly webinars.
Our Monthly Speaker Series
Our October 20, 2026 session is with Mike Meyers
10-11 AM Pacific Time (7-8 pm Central European Time)
Title: Deming and Hartman; An Initial Exploration of Synergy
Abstract
W. Edwards Deming and Robert S. Hartman were two giants in the application of science. They were contemporaries and yet never met. Deming showed how our organizational systems are flawed and how to improve them instead of blaming individuals for systemic failures. Hartman’s study of Good (or value) proves that every person has infinite potential and how each can better understand their own thinking and use their best thinking to create value in the world.
It seems that Hartman’s Hierarchy of Value (Intrinsic > Extrinsic > Systemic) supports implementation of Deming's principles through better decisions at the individual and team level.
So, the integration of Hartman’s focus (the human in the system context) and Deming's focus (how the system can be better and not hold people back) could help business leaders get better results systemically, extrinsically and intrinsically. Hartman’s Hierarchy of Value fits into the Psychology element of the System of Profound Knowledge. Further study and application will be suggested.
If possible (yes, I’m asking for help), some past cases and future scenarios will illustrate how the two practices are synergistically supportive.
Biography
Mike Myers is a coach, trainer, and consultant specializing in self-leadership and team leadership. Adding to his technical and leadership experience in Aerospace, he uses precise methodology to train and coach individuals and teams how to use their best thinking to reach their goals, short and long term.
He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech. Before getting serious about work and life, he took a year for exploration (“gap year”) in farming, over the road trucking, and warehousing. A 42 year technical and leadership career took him from Georgia to California with a few temporary stints along the way. Graduating from Lockheed Martin, he wandered into consulting and then into coaching specializing in formal axiology.
As a side note, he grew up in several different countries and studied in Spain and France. He is still pretty fluent in Spanish.
Platform: Zoom
Register using oval link to the right to receive the Zoom link to join
And, go to our YouTube channel to find recordings of our previous webinars, plus presentations at our 2025 and 2026 Forums, and our “Study Sessions” for Dr. Deming’s “The New Economics,” hosted by Tim Higgins and “The Leader’s Handbook,” hosted by Fazel Hayati, as well as the “Understanding Variation Study Session,” also hosted by Fazel Hayati.
Understanding Variation Study Sessions
Understanding variation is one of the pillars of W. Edwards Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge.
Man's search for uniformity, reproducibility, and consistency—whether dealing with interchangeable parts or analyzing repeated measurements—spans millennia. However, it was not until the early twentieth century that the challenges of consistency and uniformity in repeated measurements were systematically addressed. In 1924, Walter Shewhart invented the Quality Control Chart, a new way to think about variation and uniformity.
Building on Shewhart’s pioneering work, W. Edwards Deming expanded the concept of variation into an indispensable element of his management philosophy. Deming demonstrated that understanding variation is critical for leadership, managing people, continuous improvement, purchasing, and elevating the quality of work itself.
In this Understanding Variation Study Group, we will explore the foundational works of Shewhart and Deming, alongside the significant contributions of others. Through various case studies and cross-disciplinary applications, we will examine how managing variation is one of the keys to organizational success. The framework for these sessions is anchored by the following quotes:
“Life is variation. Variation there will always be, between people, output, in service, in product. What is the variation trying to tell us about a process, and about the people that work in it?”
“Understanding variation is the key to success in quality and business.”
"If I had to reduce my message for management to just a few words, I'd say it all had to do with reducing variation."
W, Edwards Deming
“The central problem of management in all its aspects, including planning, procurement, manufacturing, research, sales, personnel, accounting, [medicine] and law, is to understand better the meaning of variation, and to extract information contained in variation.”
Lloyd S. Nelson (quoted by Deming)
Time:
Thursdays 12:00 Noon – 1:30 PM Pacific Time, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Central Time
Dates:
7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 (no session), 8/27, 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24
The New Economics Study Sessions
It begins with Dr. Edward Deming’s book, “The New Economics.” Tim Higgins is conducting a 2 month series on this book in 8 weekly 1.5-hour conversations.
Our fourth “study session” cohort with Tim starts on Thursday, October 8 and runs through December 3, 2026 with sessions from 10:00-11:30am Pacific Time
Note: no session on November 26, 2026.
Description: A group of participants assembles, via Zoom, for this 8-part, 12-hour series. Participants study 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 through facilitation guided by Tim explore the meaning and application of the ideas, as well as personal reactions to the ideas.
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend.
Prerequisite: there are NO prerequisites
Format: 8 1.5-hour sessions, meeting weekly over 8 weeks
Planned session start dates:
2027 Dates are to be determined
The Leader's Handbook Study Sessions
Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done 1st Edition
Description: In The Leader’s Handbook, Peter Scholtes offers a comprehensive expansion of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge. Drawing from his deep expertise in organizational development, adult learning, people and intrinsic motivation, Scholtes operationalizes Deming’s teachings into six core competencies for leading organizations, inspiring people, and managing daily workflows.
Format: In his forward to the Leader’s Handbook Ackoff offers a format to study the book which we will follow in these sessions:
“I suggest a small group of managers or students of management read each chapter separately but simultaneously, and then gather to discuss what they have read. They should discuss what they agree with, what they disagree with, and, most important, how what they have read will affect their behavior. Discussion should also follow up on previous statements about what will be done differently as a result of reading the book. The format and the clarity of the presentation encourage such discussions.” [emphasis added]
Registration Fee - there is NO fee to attend.
Prerequisite: there are NO prerequisites
Format: 8, 1.5-hour sessions, meeting weekly over 8 weeks
(session will be held on Wednesdays, from 12:00-1:30pm Pacific Time)
Planned session start date(s):
April 2 - May 21, 2026
Contact Us
Interested in working, learning, and thinking together with us? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!