The Scientific Mindset

The Scientific Mindset, How Thinking Scientifically Drives Better Business Decisions, by Stefan Thomke, Harvard Business Review Press 2027

When we think about changing business strategies, we can be overcome by the emotional exhaustion that accompanies competitive change, the internal stress from looking over one's shoulder at competitors - or new methodologies - nipping at our heels.  It's overwhelming, and it happens daily.  And although we are "benefitted" by the overpowering availability of data - Dorian Shainin said "Let the data lead you" -  if only he could see the blinding piles of data we now have access to! - we believe and hope that all the bits and bytes will somehow be managed by humanoids into good decisions.  An enormous assumption, you might say?

But there is hope, says author Stefan Thomke, who shows us powerful examples of The Next Step, smart innovation stories that illustrate how scientific thinking - working with data, numbers, innovation and experimentation and review - can actually benefit organizations that need a change.  Have you been working Lean Thinking for too long, with limited measurable results?  Have robots interfered with your traditional human operations?  Or have your managers been snowed under with market demands that far exceed your current operation's capabilities?

   What is an Experimentation Culture, and Have You Had Enough of   Lean?

It's all approachable says Thomke, but we must be willing to try something different, to skeptically examine what's really going on, to improve decision-making by first setting up testable hypotheses, and by finally reviewing the hard evidence.  Further, the author does not simply recommend a few interesting experiments here and there, but instead he recommends working toward, even building an experimentation culture!  Think of it - try an idea, test it off the main production line, gather the data, and do it again until everyone sees what's happening, the real cause and effect elements.  Finally, an opportunity to think rather than move, to review the numbers rather than push...

Thomke illustrates with numerous great examples of experimentation culture from Lego, the WWII CIA, Amazon and a selected few other leaders.  Further, the author offers us solid examples of destructive misinformation - he cautions that we need to post on the wall to prevent us from killing this very new methodology at its beginnings.  Steve Jobs said if he had had 35,000 more engineers (in the US), he would have kept Apple production in California instead of exporting wayyyy overseas, and look what happened!  It makes sense with our increasingly powerful data methods and bigger robot populations replacing production line humans, that we are now equipped to take it up more than a couple notches.  Mr. Jobs would be so pleased!

And here's my favorite Thomke example:   

In WWII Wild Bill Donovan, head of the OSS, predecessor of the CIA,  assembled a secret field manual for sabotaging enemy organizations,       essentially a method to kill innovation moves.  And the manual required no special training,  no certification or tools!  Its destructive moves could be  executed by ordinary citizens, and as you know from your own experience, it worked.  The title is "The CIA Manual's Ten Sabotage Recommendations,(page 140)" and it started like so:

1.  Insist on doing everything through "channels."   Never permit short cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions. 

2.  Make "speeches."  Talk as frequently as possible and at great length...

3.  When possible, refer all matters to committees, for "further study and consideration."...

4.  Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

5. Haggle over precise wordings of communications...

6.  Refer back to matters decided...at the last meeting and attempt to reopen...

7.  Advocate "caution"...

8.  Be worried about the propriety of any decision...

9.  To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers...

10.  Hold conferences when there is more critical work to be done.

    Makes sense to me - you too?

Patricia E. Moody, FORTUNE magazine  "Pioneering Woman in Mfg", IndustryWeek IdeaXchange Xpert. A Mill Girl at Blue Heron Journal, on-line resource for business thought-leaders and decision-makers,  patriciaemoody@gmail.com