Four Days With Dr. Deming: A Strategy for Modern Methods of Management

by William J. Latzko, David M. Saunders, W. Edwards Deming

Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the legendary master of managing for quality whose techniques helped propel Japan into its postwar economic boom, delivered his management message in the form of four-day seminars. Now you can experience the wisdom of his seminars with this unique book.
Reviewed in detail by Dr. Deming himself before his recent death, Four Days with Dr. Deming compiles and summarizes the essence of his seminars in a remarkably entertaining and easy-to-absorb style. Through the voices of Dr. Deming, the authors, and a company executive, you will learn about the problems with prevailing management systems that focus on such short-term strategies as quotas and management by results. You will discover how to move beyond these counterproductive strategies to achieve true cooperation, process improvement, and long-term productivity.
The book includes Dr. Deming's most recent thinking on the System of Profound Knowledge, as well as purchasing strategies, cross-functional teams, alternatives to quotas, operational definitions, and systems of measurement. The unique one-concept-per-page visual format allows you to absorb complex material quickly, and the real-life examples make Dr. Deming's message concrete and usable.

Genres: Management, Business

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 1995

Reviews

[Olaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent, I'm not sure if I've ever read something that gives you such a thorough overview on anything (of similar depth) with such a short amount of time needed. Very "effective" read!
The book replays a four day training that Deming ran multiple times with large groups of senior executives in the early 90s.
It was published the year he died, and it claims to be thoroughly reviewed and improved by himself, so it's afaik the "latest account" of his thinking.
You definitely get a very clear message of how he saw the world of management and leadership, and his analysis of the dysfunctions in typical current (analytical) organisations is still valid today.
What makes it so effective both as a "read through" experience as well as a reference is that it's written in three voices:
- Deming's original texts (distilled, and with good quotes) from the workshop, with lots of exercises and pictures
- a "CEO" participant who records his "inner monologue of learning" during the course and
- the authors own voice (I guess less than 10% of the text) to connect the other two, give the timeline etc.
You need about two hours to read through "one day" of the course, so in about 8h you will have been introduced to "all you ever wanted to know about Deming's management theory"...
Highly recommended, and you can get a used copy very cheap.

Thanks to @flowchainsensei who recommended this book to me :-)

[Torbjörn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a distilled version of much of Deming's thinking and a handy introduction.
At 256 pages it's a light read and won't scare anyone off, which is a plus I suppose.
The conversational style and fictitious CEO sadly gives the impression that this is a book written about what *ought* to happen in the seminar, not what actually took place, if it was, as described "typical" for attendees one would think the world of business would be very different from what it is.

It gives the impression that if we present the facts epiphanies will arise and the truth be seen clearly. While I'd like to believe that's the case I'm fairly certain that such assumptions will lead to grave disappointment.

Read it to get a taste of Deming and an insight into his views. Just don't go out thinking you'll convince any one to see things the same way.

[Srikanth Ramanujam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this 25 year old used book which takes you through a four day course on "A Strategy for Modern Methods of Management". This book was like literally being there with Dr. Edward Deming in his workshop for four days.

Relating to my organizational Agile change work that I do, most aspects of a systemic approach to change is still valid, and sadly relevant and unpracticed in the corporate change world that I work in.

It was and is an eye-opener to the art of ardent simplification. The 14 obligations and the 7 Deadly diseases are totally relevant still 3 decades on from those ideas.

[Ian Kloester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read on a statistical giant of the last century, credited with promoting concepts that contributed to turning around Japanese industry after the war. Lessons for anyone who wants to use numbers to sort out what needs actioning and what doesn't.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top book. See Olaf's review for more details.

[Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Landscape format supposed to make for easy reading. With over 200 pages this book covers many many topics; best tackled in small chunks.

Included many from Deming short funny stories and sayings.