March Lean Six Sigma SIG Meeting  

Topic: Systems Thinking Concepts
 
Speaker:  Mr. Greg Foster, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
CPS Professional Services
 
Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Time:
6:00-6:45pm – Networking
6:45-7:45pm – Program
7:45-8:15pm – LSS SIG Announcements

Registration:
To register for this event, click here. Registration is complimentary and ASQ Membership is not required.  Light refreshments will be provided.  Questions can be directed to SixSigmaSIG@asq509.org. 

Presentation Summary:
The key question explored with systems thinking is:  How did we (through our internal thinking, our practices, and our procedures) contribute to or create the circumstances (good or bad) we face now? Straight-line and process-oriented thinking may not address or even consider this question as we work to improve the processes within which we work. 

This question can be explored using a structured process that walks a team through a system’s interactions, feedback loops and the mental models that are driving that system.  Using a video case study, the basic concepts of how to look at organizational issues using systems thinking will be introduced.  For additional information on the basics of systems thinking/dynamics see pages 87-190 of The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook by Peter Senge, et al.

Speaker Biography: Mr. Greg Foster
 Mr. Greg Foster holds a B.S. from the United States Naval Academy, class of 1977.  He has held various positions in the area of quality since 1982 with IBM, GE and Bank of America and currently serves as the Program Manager in the U.S. Army’s Lean Six Sigma deployment PMO with CPS Professional Services. Mr. Foster has conducted breakout workshops on systems thinking at several Navy and DoD CPI conferences over the last four years.  He retired from the Naval Reserves in 1998 after serving 21 years active and reserve service and lives in the Tulsa, OK area.
 
For more information and directions to TEQCORNER, see the March Lean Six Sigma SIG Meeting Announcement.