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Thank you for the excellent insights on Dr. Deming's 123rd birthday.

For almost two decades I have been trying to use Deming's ideas in my various workplaces. As you mention, the transformation has to begin with yourself and then try to model and teach to others.

Currently, I'm in a Business Architect role at a university. I became attracted to business architecture because I believe it supports one leg of the System of Profound Knowledge (SOPK), an Appreciation for a System.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_architecture

As to why there has been not really been widespread adoption of the SOPK in the U.S. in particular, I believe the ideas run opposite of our insular, individualistic, Not Invented Here (NIH), hero culture which produces more quick flashes that die out quickly. It is the long slow work to improve the system that we seem to have little appetite for. At our peril, we have neglected working on our systems.

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Thanks for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts and observations. As Deming himself might say to you, "I think you're on to something." His ideas do run in the opposite direction of the expectations set in our culture. What I've found over my career (as I'm sure you have) is that when it comes to complex systems like organizations, problems and issues require running towards the counterintuitive solutions when your instinct is to run away. Almost every single time!

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I need to build counterintuitive muscles!

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