Rating

★★★☆☆

Category

non-fiction

Read

2017-11-04

Pages

485

probably should be mandatory reading for managers - I got a lot out of it despite being very oriented towards factory work, refreshing alternative to “management by numbers” predominant in western culture - but wow it took me a long time to get through. The prose is pretty tight, but it’s long and feels repetitive, and particularly the later chapters are only relevant if you’re actually managing factory work.

tl;dr systems fall into states of statistical control and the job of management is to change that. (Or to get statistical control if it’s lacking.)

“He that possesses even a fuzzy understanding of the contents of this chapter would understand the futility of the annual rating of performance of people as a basis for raises or for promotion.”

“The usual explanation offered by the man on the street for recall of automobiles is careless workmanship. This is entirely wrong. The fault, where there is any, lies with management.”

“Shewhart (about 1925) recognized the fact that good management consists of making one mistake now and then, and the other one now and then.”