Way of the Quality Warrior
The tools and concepts of Quality are powerful instruments to make things better--products, processes, and services. This podcast explores those ideas plus concepts of psychology, social and cultural norms, strategy, and business to strengthen the capability of professionals motivated to make things better--the Quality Warriors. The host is Keith Fong who is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Shainin Red X Master, and Robust Engineering Coach. He has over 20 years as a quality and continuous improvement practitioner, teacher, and coach. He has supported functions ranging from Engineering and Manufacturing to Finance and Human Resources internal to his employer and at suppliers and customers.
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Two Obstacles to Continuous Improvement
03/08/2024
Two Obstacles to Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is predicated on problem solving, you're closing a gap between the current state and an ideal state. However, problem solving, thus continuous improvement, is often not that successful, especially if you are attempting to reach the ideal state. I believe that there are two fundamental reasons that I share in this episode of Way of the Quality Warrior podcast: lack of imagination and lack of alignment. There is a reference to the book by Dr. Glenn Latham. It's not just for parents—authority figures can use this, too. I talk about GE and Jack Welch. Much of what I think is expressed by David Gelles in his book . Gelles was interviewed by Jeffrey Pfeffer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2022. Here's the link: I also talk about Boeing (a company that has had multiple leaders from GE who worked under Jack Welch). John Oliver's about Boeing's history and decline is entertaining, thorough, and sound. You can contact the podcast host, Keith Fong, at the website
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Poor Quality Crashes Companies
11/06/2023
Poor Quality Crashes Companies
Your company is called the Tesla or Apple of your market. You've gotten more investment capital than any other company in your market. The product you sell has a long waiting list of customers. You must be making money hand over fist, right? Actually, you are declared bankrupt. One important element of your company going bankrupt is poor quality in the product and services your company provides. This episode looks at just such a company. This episode discusses the appeal of the product, the quality problems experienced by customers, and what improvements could have been made to prevent the quality problems. Here is a video review of the 2020 VanMoof S3 bike—why the bike was so desireable: The August, 2023 National Public Radio (NPR) article that introduced me to VanMoof and their bankruptcy: A September, 2023 article in The Verge where the VanMoof founders discuss their funding and customer support challenges: A January, 2023 article on the website E-bike Tips where the precarious business state is reported, including comments on the cost to produce VanMoof bikes compared to the sale price: A video from a VanMoof customer from New York who shared the many problems he faced purchasing and owning a VanMoof bike: The VanMoof S5 and A5 bikes Reveal video on April 5, 2022 from the VanMoof YouTube channel. VanMoof videos are really compelling, but pay attention to the explanation of the product development: The Trustpilot website reviews where there are many unhappy customers sharing their experiences: A discussion on the YouTube channel eBike Inspection about the VanMoof bankruptcy: In each of the videos shared here, you can find plenty of comments where people share their experiences, good and bad, with their VanMoof bikes. You can contact the podcast host, Keith Fong, through the website
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Where are the X-ray Glasses?
10/12/2023
Where are the X-ray Glasses?
In the previous episode, I proposed that seeing the world through the lens of process is a superpower. However, you have to develop the superpower—it's not like Spiderman getting bitten by a radioactive spider. In this episode, we'll talk in more detail about process and how to develop the skills in analyzing processes in order to see through the lens of process. I refer to a YouTube video about making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Here's the link: You can contact the host Keith Fong through the website
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Everything is a process
08/31/2023
Everything is a process
Attending a high school honor society induction ceremony for my niece, I was witness to how a group of students organized and executed a process. Something they had experienced themselves and which they took ownership for the next generation of students. There was nothing remarkable about the ceremony, but I think it gives us a window into process. Dr. W. Edwards Deming said "If you can't describe what you're doing as a process, you don't know what you're doing." (For more information about Dr. Deming: ) Seeing the world through the lens of process is a superpower for making things better. In this episode, we discuss what a process is, some types of outputs and inputs, and how I would have coached the organizers. I make reference to aviation safety so here are a couple of relevant links: You can contact the host Keith Fong through the website
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The Fundamental Defects In Quality Methods Training
07/27/2023
The Fundamental Defects In Quality Methods Training
What if the most common training practices in your field actually undermine the topic you're teaching? In Quality, we have exactly that situation in training the tools and methods of Quality. In this episode of the Way of the Quality Warrior podcast, we consider 4 common problems in the deployment of Quality tools and methods: the sink or swim school, overselling benefits and under-teaching weaknesses, using report formats as the procedure, and lack of teaching expertise. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is referenced in the episode. Two excellent FMEA reference books are Carl Carlson's and Michael Anleitner's . You can contact the host Keith Fong via the website
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Parallels of Addiction Treatment and Continuous Improvement
06/29/2023
Parallels of Addiction Treatment and Continuous Improvement
The work of a Quality Warrior is much more than the Quality and Continuous Improvement tools like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, Design of Experiments, process behavior charting, and problem solving, to list a few. The Stages of Change model developed by James Prochaska, John Norcross, and Carlo DiClemente for the treatment of addictions provides a very useful guide for those of us in Quality and Continuous Improvement. We are attempting to guide change efforts constantly. Books and Blogs referenced in the episode: Harvard Health Blog Published September 12, 2021 "Changing for Good" book ISBN-10 : 038072572X ISBN-13 : 978-0380725724 Authors: , , This book is for a general audience to explain the Stages of Change model that the authors developed. It is very easy to read and filled with useful information. "The High Velocity Edge" book ISBN-13: 978-0-07-174141-5 Author: This book explores the traits and practices of organizations that outperform their peers. He looks at for-profit companies as well as non-profit and government organizations. This is a well-written book and is also easy to read. Betty Ford is referenced in the episode. Below is a link to the Wikipedia page about her. You can contact the host Keith Fong at the website
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Waste Is Not The Enemy
05/17/2023
Waste Is Not The Enemy
In the Quality and Continuous Improvement world, it's common to focus on waste reduction as the enemy to success. However, I don't think that waste is the enemy of the Quality Warrior. Not that waste is good, but the obviousness of waste as a bad thing actually blinds those of us teaching and coaching continuous improvement to the genius of the Toyota Production System. Looking at the role of waste as it affects profit, other ways to reduce cost and some of the consequences are discussed. I reference plastic injection molding in the discussion. In case you are not familiar with the process, here's a link to a good overview video on YouTube: All episodes and episode notes are at You can also contact the host Keith Fong there or on LinkedIn
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Quality Is Expectation
04/05/2023
Quality Is Expectation
Quality as a feature or characteristic is fulfilling expectations. In this episode of Way of the Quality Warrior podcast, I share some of the lessons I learned about creating quality in providing services as a product design engineer at the beginning of my career. There is no magic, but there is a need for perceptiveness.
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Counting In Action
03/17/2023
Counting In Action
In the previous episode, "Managers Can Count Better Than They Can Think," that premise was presented. This episode adds some examples to develop that idea. In a world where too many problems are described and explained more by opinion and emotion rather than by meaningful data and information, this episode provides a couple of examples of how to leverage managers need for numbers. Also, there are a couple of examples where using the wrong numbers or using numbers wrong is self-defeating. There is a reference to Paul O'Neill, CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999. The YouTube video where he talks about improving the financial book closing process in 1991 is . The comments specific to the financial book closing happen at 27:38 in the video. I highly recommend watching the entire video. O'Neill is one of the greatest corporate leaders ever. All episodes are at . There are also downloadable copies of the annotated slide decks of presentations made by Keith Fong in the last couple of years. There is also a contact form if you'd like to get in touch.
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Managers can count better than they can think
02/27/2023
Managers can count better than they can think
There's a premise that I think can help Quality Warriors become more influential in their organization: Managers can count better than they can think. Is this an attack on managers? No, it is not. It is a call for understanding and a challenge. People who are not managers often don't understand what challenges managers are facing. Their expectations of the managers can be unrealistic which undercuts their effectiveness and influence. This episode explores what managers are facing. Of course, there are two sides to the issue. Many of the challenges managers face with their people are related to things that the managers are capable of controlling. That is also discussed. Guy Kawasaki's book "The Macintosh Way" is referenced in this episode. Guy has made a PDF version available for free at this link: Guy's website is Edward R. Tufte's book "Visual Explanations" is also referenced in this episode. His website is . The book's webpage is . The specific chapter referenced in this episode was published as a booklet. It's webpage is You can contact me via the website or on LinkedIn
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JiuJitsu Style Quality
12/19/2022
JiuJitsu Style Quality
The names of Six Sigma certifications were taken from martial arts. Green Belt and Black Belt sound sexy. But there are other things in the martial arts that could be adopted to drive continuous improvement. In particular, the idea of the "yielding art" of Jiu Jitsu where the opponents' energy is used to defeat them. This episode discusses applying that idea in several contexts when solving problems. Paul O'Neill, CEO of Alcoa from 1981 to 1999 is referenced. After listening to this episode, check out these videos on YouTube. This is a leader who demonstrates how to use organizational energy to overcome obstacles and attain excellence.
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Is the Ishikawa Diagram a bad guy sidekick to the 5 Whys?
11/10/2022
Is the Ishikawa Diagram a bad guy sidekick to the 5 Whys?
The Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagram is often coupled with the 5 Whys tool for root cause analysis. In the previous episode, I argued that the deficiencies of 5 Whys makes it an anti-quality tool. Does that mean that the Ishikawa Diagram is also a poor tool? This episode talks about what the Ishikawa Diagram really is and better practices to leverage its use.
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The Anti-Quality Tool: 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis
10/31/2022
The Anti-Quality Tool: 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis
The 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis tool is very popular in continuous improvement and quality. The 5 Whys concept is very easy to understand and it's easy to teach. However, that simplicity leads to problems that undermine the quality profession. This episodes dives into the 5 Whys and the issues it creates. It ends with possible ways to improve the situation. Way of the Quality Warrior podcast is hosted by Keith Fong, a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Shainin Red X Master, and Robust Engineering Coach who has over 20 years as a continuous improvement practitioner, trainer, and coach.
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The Violin Shaped Object and Quality
09/19/2022
The Violin Shaped Object and Quality
If you are looking to purchase a violin through an online vendor, reading reviews will quickly introduce you to the VSO--the Violin Shaped Object. It looks like a violin, but it doesn't produce the sounds you expect from a violin. In Quality, we have plenty of our own examples of the VSO phenomena—where there is the promise of Quality tools and initiatives leading to improved performance and then the reality of little to no sustained improvements or benefits. This podcast episode explores some of the possible explanations for why quality initiatives and tools are failing when they are implemented. Here is a link to an music store's description of a Violin Shaped Object: The famed pianist Keith Jarrett also comes up in the episode. Here's a link to a fan website that has links to many, many resources about Keith Jarrett:
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Diet Fads and Quality Initiatives—Two of a Kind
08/16/2022
Diet Fads and Quality Initiatives—Two of a Kind
Diet Fads and Quality Initiatives seem to share a number of traits. This episode discusses those traits and introduces an idea that may explain why so often diets and quality initiatives fail. Go to the Way of the Quality Warrior podcast page for all episodes, extra information, and to contact the host Keith Fong: Referenced paper: Fothergill, E., Guo, J., Howard, L., Kerns, J.C., Knuth, N.D., Brychta, R., Chen, K.Y., Skarulis, M.C., Walter, M., Walter, P.J. and Hall, K.D. (2016), Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after “The Biggest Loser” competition. Obesity, 24: 1612-1619.
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Problem Solving Bankruptcy—Gradually And Then Suddenly
07/27/2022
Problem Solving Bankruptcy—Gradually And Then Suddenly
Big problems and crises happen suddenly after they have been developing gradually. This is a consequence of problem solving bankruptcy. Problem solving bankruptcy is when attempts to solve a problem have been unsuccessful and the team is out of ideas and tools. Then come desperate acts using random ideas. It's a bad place to be. This episode of the Way of the Quality Warrior podcast defines problem solving bankruptcy, what are creditors and false friends as well as what are true friends to the problem solving Quality Warrior. To enjoy other episodes, see additional resources, and/or contact the host Keith Fong, go to www.wayofthequalitywarrior.com Link to video of presentation to ASQ1401 Greater El Paso Section on July 19, 2022:
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Building the Quality Army
06/27/2022
Building the Quality Army
In Episode 1, quality for products and services was defined as "Presence of desired features and the degree of excellence of those features." How do we develop the capability of the team so that our company delivers the quality that makes us the first choice of our customers? Key Points in this episode: •Customers have choices and not just between you and competitors who sell the same things •Customer expectations are constantly increasing •Competitors can buy the same things as you •If you have an advantage, it will be in your people's performance •Everyone has to know what is known •Excellence has to be cultivated •There's no end to the quality journey
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Who's the Quality Enemy?
05/28/2022
Who's the Quality Enemy?
A Quality Warrior is fighting against someone or something--who or what is the enemy? There are a couple of reasons that an organization will launch quality and continuous improvement initiatives. One of those reasons drives most of the focus. What looks like one enemy is actually several. The Quality Warrior doesn't just fight the enemy but also must build the army.
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Where to start?
05/17/2022
Where to start?
In this inaugural episode of Way of the Quality Warrior, host Keith Fong introduces himself and then shares the origin story of the podcast which takes us directly to the question: How can we define Quality? The organization you'd expect to offer an authoritative definition of Quality lets us down. While disappointing, we continue our journey. Listen to see where we end up.
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Blazing the Path to Better
05/14/2022
Blazing the Path to Better
Does making things better motivate you? The tools and concepts of quality are powerful weapons for improvement, but they require understanding a wide range of topics for effective use. This podcast "Way of the Quality Warrior" will explore those ideas and use lessons from actual situations to gain the understanding we seek as professionals in business, engineering, and manufacturing. The host is Keith Fong, a consultant, teacher, and coach with over 20 years of experience in quality and continuous improvement.
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