Competition should not be for a share of the market-but to expand the market.
W. Edwards DemingRead
The prevailing - and foolish - attitude is that a good manager can be a good manager anywhere, with no special knowledge of the production process he's managing. A man with a financial background may know nothing about manufacturing shoes or cars, but he's put in charge anyway.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Effective management requires specific knowledge of the field being managed, rather than just generic skills.
W. Edwards Deming emphasizes the importance of understanding the specific processes related to the field of management. He critiques the common belief that anyone can manage a team or project effectively without specialized knowledge, highlighting the foolishness of assigning managers without relevant expertise, such as in manufacturing, where technical understanding is crucial for success.
Themes
ManagementLeadershipKnowledgeExpertiseProduction
In practice
Example use cases
In a training seminar for new managers, this quote can be used to stress the importance of specialized knowledge in leadership.
More from W. Edwards Deming
All quotes →The job can't be finished only improved to please the customer.
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Learn the basics of analytics and people will love you. If you don't have time to learn, hire someone.
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Just because you can measure everything doesn't mean that you should.
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