Software Defined Talk Episode 406: John Willis on Deming, DevOps, Platform Engineering, and DevSecOps
4 snips
Mar 17, 2023 AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Deming Prioritized Humanity Over Control
- W. Edwards Deming centered management on human dignity and the joy of work rather than pure command-and-control metrics.
- John Willis argues Deming's humanist approach drove learning, reduced fear, and eliminated pointless toil in organizations.
Deming's Japan Story And Personal Warmth
- Deming taught wartime statisticians in Japan and connected with them culturally, which amplified his influence there.
- John Willis recounts Deming sneaking to Kabuki and giving PX food, showing his personal warmth and cultural affinity.
Quality Through Reducing Variation
- Continuous improvement reduces variation and drives quality, which in turn increases profitability over time.
- Willis uses the Ford–Mazda transmission story to show tighter variation, not single-step fixes, produces superior results.