Imagine living at a time in history when everyone just knew the world was flat. When it was proven by the early pioneers that it was not, the reactions may have varied from who cares, so what, where can I buy a ticket to see the new continents, to let’s hang the messengers.  It may have taken over 100 years for the discovery to be considered common knowledge.

• The modern-day equivalent of a discovery that can open up new worlds is the awareness and understanding that all things vary, no two people or things are ever exactly alike, and that groups of things from a constant system of causes tend to be predictable, e.g., If you, a group, an industry, a county, a nation, always do what you always did, on average, you will usually get what you always got. This discovery (1924) was classified during WWII, and although de-classified after the war, remains a well-kept secret and hidden in plain sight. Estimates are that this knowledge will not be more common until around 2036.

• So what? Outcomes are the result of actions that are accomplished through processes and systems. Systems determine the majority if not all of the results. To increase the probability that any changes will result in “systemic” improvement requires that variation is reduced. This requires a basic knowledge of common and special causes of variation and tampering.
• Within the county, examples of “tampering” include discussions and complaints about roads and bridges, taxes, spending, human rights, quality of government, drug abuse and overdoses, suicides, poverty, food security, et.al., that lead to solutions that do not result in systemic improvements.
• A community approach to supporting the application of better methods is provided through the Brown County Leader Network (BCLN).

Link to more background information and context – Success Through Quality