Dr. W. Edward Deming, one of the founders of Quality Control, is most well-known for the transformation of Japanese industry. However, he is also known for his love of learning and teaching. At 92, he was still putting in 16 hour days to teach quality management principles to American companies. For 40 years, he tried to warn Americans of the Japanese climb to the top of the industrial ladder.
W. E. Deming, born in 1900 and raised in Cody, Wyoming, loved teaching the things he had learned. This is evident from the beginning of his career. Graduating from Yale, in 1928, with a Ph.D. in Physics, Deming began publishing papers on the properties of industrial gases. By 1934, he was publishing papers on physical chemistry and statistics. In 1939, Deming convinced the Census Bureau to begin sampling the population to gain the data needed to make an informed analysis of the population of the United States. Although he met with great resistance because sampling had never been done before, it continues as standard practice today. By 1945, people began to think of Deming as a statistician.
When General MacArthur needed someone to make a population survey of Japan, Dr. Deming was chosen. Much of Deming's success in Japan could be attributed to the fact that they were desperate and had nowhere to go but up. More importantly, his belief in management responsibility led him to those who could make things happen - management. Managers in Japan listened, because they were influenced by the fact that he cared about their plight. As a result Japanese firms have surpassed American firms in quality, innovation, and design.
Beginning in 1953, Deming began his crusade to bring quality management principles to America. Unfortunately, at this time, the United States was in such a state of growth just to meet demand, anyone could be successful and much of his teachings lit sparks which did not build into fires. His management theories reveal much about the man behind the philosophy. The following are main points of his philosophy: management must recognize and define continuous improvement; management must work with subordinates to improve the system; to improve quality, it must be measured; and one must tell others about the lessons learned and the benefits to mankind. As his theories clearly indicate, his philosophies are based upon personal responsibility. In fact, Deming followers apply his philosophy to all aspects of their lives - their marriages, families, studies, etc.
Often Deming seemed abrupt and impatient. In reality, he was willing to teach anyone who cared to learn, but he expected the trainee to take the responsibility for learning. If it took being abrupt and impatient to get through to managers that there was a better way to run a company, then he would do it. The important thing was that managers not only measure their systems, but also look for the root causes of the problems and then fix the system before the system died. Therefore, the manager must be a leader for his organization and not just one who supervises the work of others.
Deming is remembered for his teaching style. Questioning those who sought his advice caused them to go back and search for answers to why they were doing what they were doing. He also taught by example. Seminars were like favorite old movies with familiar stories being retold and retold. Those that follow Deming's philosophy did not seem to mind, they were learning something new each time. For some, it became almost a religious experience. Deming was on a mission to get the word out and his followers were and still are faithful to that mission.
Not only was Deming a teacher, but he was also a life-long learner. Although he taught for universities and governments around the world, he did not become one of those professors who developed a fixed lesson and then not allow his students to disagree with him. He believed every student could teach him something. As a result, many notes from conversations and readings became references in his many lectures and writings.
Today, large American companies are beginning to see the wisdom in Dr. Deming's advice. Although he died on December 20, 1996, his legacy lives on through his books and video tapes. Fortunately, it is never too late to learn a new idea or philosophy.
Aguayo, Rafael. Dr. Deming, The American Who Taught the Japanese About Quality. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
Gingrich, Newt. "Renewing American Civilization." Lecture Reinhardt College, Atlanta 1995.
Tetzeli, Rick. "A Day in the Life of Ed Deming." Fortune, January 11, 1993, pp. 74-75.
Voehl, Frank. Deming, The Way We Knew Him. Del Ray, Florida:
St. Lucie Press, 1995.
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