The economic crisis we are facing is the worst I have seen in my lifetime.  For a business to survive and thrive in this environment it will take a complete transformation from American style management to something better.  Do not think you will survive otherwise.  It may get worse, much worse.

In the 1950’s an American, W. Edwards Deming, taught some 200 Japanese managers his then radical theories on control of quality.  Within twenty short years, Japan, which lay in ruins in 1950, was producing some of the world’s finest products.  Dr. Deming passed away in 1993 but what he taught lives on in great companies like Toyota, Campbell’s Soup, and Harley Davidson Motorcycles.  The Ritz Carlton Hotels, as well as Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne benefit in no small part from the power of Deming’s philosophy.  This same power to transform your business is available today.  Once adopted, Dr. Deming’s teachings will aid you as you improve every process, improving quality, reducing waste, building teamwork.  Dr. Deming’s theories are transforming segments of education and healthcare, and will work wherever they are applied.  Quality goes up, costs go down, your position in the market is improved.  And what is best of all, it never stops.  This is not a one time effort but a philosophy of life.  See Deming’s 14 Points here.