Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

Bill Waddell … over at Evolving Excellence…  made a great point about math's place in business approaches in You Do The Math. Bill quoted from  the two Williams - Trudell and Carreira – who recently wrote a new lean book called "Lean Six Sigma That Works" ... where the authors claimed "six sigma can be awfully complex with formulas that might resemble those used to make rocket fuel.  However, Trudell noted proudly, their upcoming book does not have a single equation in it."

Bill admitted he had no idea what the mathematical equations for rocket fuel look like, but that he had a passing familiarity with those underlying six sigma.  He explained how since “six sigma is just another term for six standard deviations - three to each side of the mean, actually - it is a little difficult for me to fathom how they can explain six sigma without any math.”

According to Bill…”It seems a little bit like publishing a cookbook with no recipes in it because they would only confuse the readers.”

For that reason he concluded…”Both sides need to go back to arithmetic class for it to work.  Senior management has to stop reading books that "have not have a single equation".  Lean folks need to revisit Cost Accounting 101 and understand how the money system works”

I’d suggest that Einstein would have trouble with the way math is being touted as a guide to people and progress in both Lean and Six Sigma. What about the individual differences of people who come to work with strengths other can numeric capability? Some of the most spatially brilliant leaders out there see math in pictures … for instance… and others use stories to show and track data. I am thrilled to see new angles … those that draw from the strengths of multiple intelligences… and look for ways to honor humanity as part of building business.

Much of what I am hearing of Lean and Six Sigma is leaving behind some of the best minds in the field… in favor of formulas … created by a few to let in a few…. It looks to me that I just found a new book that I can find a possibility for Excellence in… when I consider brain based strategies and mind-bending profitability. What do you think?