I. M. Wright's "Hard Code"

Chapter 2. Process Improvement, Sans Magic

In this chapter:

September 2, 2002: "Six Sigma? Oh please!"

October 1, 2004: "Lean: More than good pastrami"

April 1, 2005: "Customer dissatisfaction"

March 1, 2006: "The Agile bullet"

I’m wrong, okay? I know nothing. Now calm yourself! Some people raise process dogma to the level of religious fanaticism. My own pet theory about why relates to superstition. B. F. Skinner noted that superstition arises when animals, like pigeons, associate chance behaviors with desired results. People get locked into very particular practices when by a combination of chance and skill they achieve great outcomes.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I enjoy superstitious behavior as much as anyone. But when people ...