John Seddon
@JohnWSeddon
Management thinker, inventor of the Vanguard Method. A unique approach to systems thinking. Podcasts for the curious mind
I’m doing an interactive event: The Deming philosophy in service organisations. Sept 9th. Deming inspired my work. I’m hoping it will inspire others. Early-bird offer expires Friday. Info here: tinyurl.com/549mzt63
Deming: “As quality improves, productivity improves” Why? Less (costly) rework. Easy to see in manufacturing. The same occurs in service organisations but it is invisible, hidden by current ‘controls’. Learn how to make it visible. tinyurl.com/549mzt63
That managing costs creates cost.
What's something that you know for an absolute fact to be 100% true but most people don't believe?
I asked @cabinetofficeuk how using AI to do meetings admin improves productivity. Answer came there none. Am I the only one perplexed?
"Dependence on protection by tariffs and laws to 'buy American' only encourages incompetence" [in management]. W Edwards Deming.
Benefits from massive expansion of AI in public services constitute a vain hope.
Well Roy, I did some system thinking on health in my Mike Jackson annual lecture: youtube.com/watch?v=Z9psxh… Apologies for the poor quality video, beyond my control.
The health system is a system. Instead of the usual stinkin' thinkin', we need some system-thinking. myemail.constantcontact.com/Thinking.html?…
The nice folk at the Deming Alliance made a 3-minute promo for our meeting: youtu.be/cU9SI3kNTzg
On June 3rd, pm, I’ll be with the Deming Alliance (near Coventry) to talk about how Deming influenced the creation of the Vanguard Method and to discuss whatever the audience wants. Info here: demingalliance.org/events/
Angela Rayner believes in economies of scale. The evidence shows smaller, localised services are better quality and lower cost. (This is the kind of folly that occurs when people live in the Westminster bubble.)
Angela Rayner orders councils to merge. Council leaders plan structures and budgets, some seeking the ‘bigger’ positions. They are distracted from the need and scope for improvement; the plan will only obfuscate.
I'll be describing how the system impedes performance, the truth about demand (shocking) and what Streeting needs to do to foster innovation next week: tinyurl.com/32627v52 Free to join online.
The guru’s guru, Edwards Deming argued; variation in performance is largely due to systemic issues rather than individual performance. myemail.constantcontact.com/Fly.html?soid=…
Giving the Annual Mike Jackson lecture on April 10th, I will talk about what I have learned about the NHS and how Wes Streeting could achieve his ambition. Free in person and online: Register: tinyurl.com/32627v52
6pm April 10th, annual Mike Jackson lecture in Hull. I’m going to talk about re-thinking regulation as a means to foster public-sector productivity and what I’d do to radically improve health and care if I were Wes Streeting. Free, live or online: tinyurl.com/32627v52
Tickets are now available for CSS Annual Mike Jackson Lecture 2025 with guest speaker Professor John Seddon at Middleton Hall, Hull on Thursday 10th April 2025 at 6:00PM. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now! ticketsource.co.uk/university-of-…
Absolutely the big lever. In every service studied we find a small proportion of patients consuming a disproportionate amount of capacity - it's failure demand at scale.
When people say to me that the "NHS has more staff than ever before but is less productive" I tell them about failure demand and how much labour is consumed by not employing a skilled workforce or addressing systemic issues
If you're thinking cutting regulation, don't! You would get innovation and growth by changing the method of regulation. See this: tinyurl.com/3hw9h3s2
Growth is the defining mission of my government. It’s the only way to deliver our Plan for Change and put more money in your pocket. For too long, regulation has stopped Britain building its future. That ends now. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…
Kier Starmer wants public-sector productivity to improve. I sent my manifesto. It explains how regulation impedes productivity and how to change regulation to drive productivity up. No reply. Read it here: tinyurl.com/3hw9h3s2
Yes, bonkers. And kicking social care 3 yrs down the road when so many of us know care can be massively improved saving loads of money across the NHS. Could be tackled straight away.
Happy New Year @JohnWSeddon - the madness continues! NHS patients must have choice of five hospitals, says Wes Streeting thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…
Prof. @JohnWSeddon from beyondcommandandcontrol.com discusses system thinking and its role in transforming care processes. 🌟 Explore the possibilities. Visit livesthroughfriends.org