It has been 35 years since Dr. Deming shared his 14 Points in Out of the Crisis. In Chapter 3, he covers Point 8: “Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.” How is that working for your company?
I have worked in a fear-based, ”command and control” environment and also in workplaces that were inclusive and inspiring. There is no comparison when it comes to morale, productivity, and innovation. People can’t be their best when they’re afraid of retribution.
I can't say the company I worked for (on my day job) did much to drive out fear, mostly tried to drive in fear. But since “retiring” and concentrating on teaching college courses, I've been working on driving out fear in the traditional “STATS 101” course. I do teach for the college of computing at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. I've now have students that have actually liked, if not loved, their STATS 101 course. The course does include the Red Bead Experiment, the 14 Points, and SOPK (system of profound knowledge) from Dr. Deming. This is an on-line course, so many students have day jobs, and have worked to incorporate Dr. Deming's work into their jobs. I've been pleased to hear stories from the students, running the gamet from - my boss is a Red Bead Foreman, to - I have been able to implement Deming ideas in the workplace. Of the 14 Points, “drive out fear” is a very strong one for the students.
