PDCA and beyond

Hand-out

Jos Van ThienenAlmada, PortugalMay 2012

Fathers of the quality revolution

30s: Walter A. Shewhart 50s: W. Edward Deming

Discussed the concept of the continuous improvement cycle (PDCA) in his 1939 book, "Statistical Method From the Viewpoint of Quality Control“

Modified and popularized the Shewart cycle in the 50s to what is now referred to as the Deming Cycle.

Two tools

IMARSoft Human Strategy

focus

PDCAHardInstrumentalStrategy

Teach as you preach

PDCA as a scaffold for today’s session

Plan

Do

Check

Act

Learning objective: learn about quality cycle methodology

Plan

(1)Understand the basic principles of quality cycles, i.e. the how and the when, the why and the what

(2)Learn how to implement a rapid cycle or PDCA improvement process

(3)Exchange experiences (learn from and with each other)

PDCA and beyond

Part One

PDCA for continuous development

Do

Check

Plan

Act

PDCA as a way of monitoring quality

(1) A simple tool, particularly suited for day-to-day usage on different levels and for different purposes.

(2) As a learning cycle it fits perfectly well in the frame of Demings TQMP.

(3) It puts into practice the general principles of quality development.

Quality development: general principles

ContextualSystematicCyclicalGoaldirectedTimebound

P D C A : S T E P S 2

Cases

TOGETHERInvolve other

team members

PROCESSPass through

different stages

GOALDefine a goal and keep the

scope

CHALLENGEBe positive.

Turn problems into

challenges

ANALYTICIdentify the

problem

Hopping into PDCA: how well did you perform?

• Is the goal or the project scope clearly defined? (Mrs G)

• Did you reframe or restate the problem in terms of a challenge? (Mrs C)

• Did you plan to collect data and analyse them before you start looking for possible solutions?(Mrs A)

• Did you look for more than one solution (alternatieve solutions)? (Mrs A)

• Did you plan to run through more than one cycle?

• Did you plan to include other team members into the process? (Mr T)• Was it your intention to celebrate successes? (Mrs C)

• Did you plan occasions to communicate about your project ? (Mr T)• Will the process you set up pass through different stages (check, act,

…)? (Mr P)• Did you plan to measure the results in other ways than by using written

inquiries only? (Mr P)

PLAN Define the problem (turn into a

challenge) and set goals Collect data and analyse them Come up with alternative solutions

and select them Plan the project milestones and

incorporate actions in a plan of action

DO Do changes to solve the problems Do them on a small or experimental scale

You can test whether they work or not, and easily adjust course

You don’t disrupt day-to-day routine activities

You don’t worry people (fear for change!) Communicate what you are doing (and

why)

CHECK Gather relevant information (formal and

informal, qualitative and quantitative assessments)

Deming renamed this step: study. Study what worked or what did not work.

Report your results and communicate them (make it a ‘common’ project)

ACT Re-act

Standardize successful solutions Pre-act

Find opportunities for furthter improvements

Provide safeguards to prevent relapse into the previous stage

Check

PDCA and beyond

Part two Empowerment

by means of IMAR

Inspire

Reflect

Mobilize

Appreciate

Learning objective

Plan

(1)Learn about how we can empower people (i.e. bring in the human factor). Empowerment through

Inspiration Motivation/mobilization Appreciation Reflection (reflective practice)

(2)Exchange experiences (learn from and with each other)

INSPIRELeadership pepper1

Inspire Give incentivesFind new ideasCreate challengesDiscover new possibilities

Show people what works well and keep

them informed

Listen to what people are occupied with and what they

are engaged in

Open communication

Find and spread information about

new developments in education

Find topics which have a positive

effect on student learning or which respond to student

needs

Start from a mission or a vision which is

known and supported

Create room for personal growth and

opportunities to gain new ideas or

insights

Find opportunities for staff members to

express their personal ambitions and to discuss new

ideas

Trust your people (collegial trust)

Define common goals, shared

values, accepted priorities. Create a

sense of togetherness (connectivity)

Install a challenging context and

introduce a forward-looking glance

Organize learning opportunities

Inspire

Inspire (2)

MOTIVATELeadership pepper 2

MobilizeSpread enthousiasmGet people goingMake them express their inspirationMake them use their competences in order to do this

Create a sense of urgency Make things fun Convince people to try

and to experiment

Encourage people to take

risks and to colour outside

the lines.Take the fear

out of the future (niet

problematiseren maar

kapstokken aanreiken)

Make people believe in their

abilities.

Show people that you believe

in their competences

(i.e. seek their advice )

Organize opportunities to apply what they

have learned

Be a leader in learning

(‘They’re always watching. What they see is what

you’ll get’)

Stimulate people to use

what they have learned in practice

Mobilize/Motivate

Mobilize/Motivate (2)

APPRECIATELeadership pepper 3

AppreciateExpress what’s of a certain value in your organisation Appreciate efforts and resultsPay attention to each other’s contributions

Appreciative inquiry: what?

Attitude or perspective

Method or strategy

Discovery

Dream

Design

Destiny

Pay attention to each other’s efforts, listen

to each other

Turn problems into challenges, reframe

problems

Take positive experiences as a

starting point, start from things that are

already completed or from strong moments

in the past

Create a positive atmosphere, express

appreciationGive complements

and rewards Celebrate successes

Discover the positive core in your personal

life or in your organisation (that which gives you

energy)

Appreciate

Discovery

• Find out what you have already done in order to realize your goals. Discover the positive core. What are already positive examples?

Dream

• What can you do to create more such examples? Find new possibilities or solutions, rethink problems, see new connections.

Design• Use the positive elements (building stones) of

stages 1 and 2 to develop scenario’s for the future. Desing a srategy and plans.

Destiny• Start shaping the future. Execute the plans.

Appreciative inquiry as a strategy

REFLECTLeadership pepper 4

ReflectLook back upon the process and its resultsTry to define problems and successesTalk with others about the heart of the matter Look ahead for new challenges

Think and talk about things that give you energy

Coach (new) colleagues

Create an open culture:

opportunities to learn and to

discuss things, to express

experiences and feelings

Provide deep and systematic

reflection on the goal and

implications of changes.

Think and talk about student

results (are they proceeding towards the

goals?)

Reflect

x•Goal

Discovery

•Reality (story-telling)

Dream•Options (opportunities)

Design •Will (actions) Destiny

•Start shaping the future The GROW model for personal growth