Process is defined in Webster's dictionary as "a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result". Another way of saying it is that it's an aggregation of marginal gains which I'll discuss another day.
W. Edwards Deming was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer and management consultant who was instrumental in the study of the Japanese post-war economic miracle which in itself is a terrific story not to be covered here but suffice it to say that in the 60's and 70's, Japanese cars were preferred over American cars in the United States allowing Japan to emerge from the ashes of war to the worlds second biggest economy. Deming contributed to the miracle and instilled the same philosophy in American car manufacturing.
Deming said: "If you can't describe what you're doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing."
I've made no secret of the fact that because of a recent injury I've suffered my entire vocational landscape has changed. Unable to perform at what I was doing, my focus has now shifted to what is available for me to do which, ironically, is what I'm more adept at doing and is something I've been eager to do for many years. However, to make it a truly successful endeavor that I can rely on for many years to come I need to take Mr. Deming's philosophy to heart and take it very seriously otherwise my newest undertaking will end up an exercise in frustration as was my previous enterprise.
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