Category: Methodology

Crisis Management: The Need for Internal Consistency

August 13, 2021 No Comments

Attributed to former US Senator and Governor Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, “Trust is built with consistency.” Moreover, from statistics we know that Internal Consistency, “measures whether several items that propose to measure the same general construct produce similar scores.” The follow on definition statistical reliability, “is the consistency of a set of measurements or measuring

Are Your DEI Wheels Spinning?

July 20, 2021 No Comments

Originally published as a LinkedIn article on July 6, 2021, this updated version is reprinted here with the permission of the author. Links to relevant sources are added. Lately, many LinkedIn posts bemoan the state of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The seeming slow take up of great ideas. Some argue that DEI initiatives are no

I Didn’t Do It, He Did — I Didn’t Do It Either, Someone Else Did

February 24, 2021 No Comments

“When converted into productive thought and action, the energy it takes to blame, shame, and game is enough to launch anyone into heights of real success and happiness.” – Charles F Glassman Entrée It is not often that an entire geographically LARGE state loses power and water simultaneously. Now we know it can happen! Welcome

What Is Your Opinion Based On?

January 26, 2021 No Comments

“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.” ~ W. Edwards Deming Data and its use is a very hot topic these days. Significant controversy exists over decision making regarding Covid-19 strategies and the quality or lack there of the data supporting government policies. Scientific disagreements and so called ‘academic arguments‘ are appropriate, especially

Covid-19 Positive: Telemedicine Kicked into High Gear

December 5, 2020 No Comments

Crisis Drives Change In 2001 this writer approached the Houston medical community, post tropical storm Allison which flooded many basements in the Houston Medical Center with the loss of experimental data and other records. We proposed the development of an Internet based solution to hold and manage medical records of all types. The response to

Linear Metrics in Non-Linear Times?

October 24, 2020 No Comments

“If it disagrees with experiment, its wrong” Our point today is to assess how behavioral decisions are being made today; not about the politics of one candidate or the other. The race to the US presidential election has entered its final phase. As of this writing, establishment wisdom holds the conventional candidate as the presumptive

Can Never Be Proved Right!

October 6, 2020 No Comments

“If it disagrees with experiment, its wrong”—Richard Feynman Full Disclosure: this author holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. My doctoral dissertation developed a new Game Theory based practical solution. For those unfamiliar with this discipline, check out the movie Beautiful Mind or the work of John von Neumann

They Blinded Me with Science

October 2, 2020 No Comments

Thoughts from a Scientist Full Disclosure: this author holds an undergraduate degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. My doctoral dissertation developed a new Game Theory based practical solution. For those unfamiliar with this discipline, check out the movie Beautiful Mind or the work of John von Neumann who is also the father of

Data Bias: The Latent or Unobserved

August 28, 2020 No Comments

In statistics a Latent Variable can be defined as, ‘a variable inferred from observed or measured data.’ Its analysis is often used psychology, economics, and predictive modeling. This author used Structural Equation Models (SEM) in his 1996 doctoral dissertation, Cross Cultural Negotiations Between Japanese and American Businessmen: A Systems Analysis (Exploratory Study). From that abstract,

man with burning stick while moving in darkness

Agility, Resiliency, Sustainability

May 14, 2020 No Comments

In a recent Harvard Business Review, I was struck by an article about Best Practices for small businesses. From that piece, “To successfully navigate Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) challenges like Covid-19, family business leaders can look to best practices from another organization that specializes in VUCA situations—the U.S. military’s Special Operations Forces (SOF)”

Is Big Data Analysis Being Applied?

March 24, 2020 No Comments

We have been hearing for years how, Big Data Analysis will help us optimize our businesses and generate performance at levels here to for never hear of. So where is it now? Two major sources for data on the Covid-19 virus are Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is

Hanging App?

February 6, 2020 No Comments

By one measure, the US presidential primary season is off to a rough start. In a small state, counting the ballots became a challenge. Wasn’t technology supposed to solve the problems of past confusions? Yet the mechanism seemingly failed—again! How is this different from the Boeing Max 8 disaster? In one sense it isn’t. Disclaimer:

Reflection: Are We Near a Digital Tipping Point?

December 31, 2019 No Comments

Generally, this time of year humans are wont to look back on the closing year and assess the good and the bad, and dare I say the ugly? We celebrate successes, review the not so successes, and what is left undone. This process prepares us for the New Year’s resolutions that are often then broken.

Want – Like – Need

October 24, 2019 No Comments

Years ago, as part of a never-ending series of company reorganizations, a team of our change management consultants headed to the ‘field’ to interview users. Upon their return, they presented an extensive list of technology investments deemed necessary to remain competitive. Their list focused on technology and not business concerns. Wondering, I asked who they

It’s the Economics Stupid!

October 18, 2019 No Comments

Since it was first uttered in the early 1990s, the phrase “It’s the economy stupid” has been used and misused extensively. Let’s squander the lexicon one more time. The US ‘silly’ political season is well underway and forecast to last almost 13 more months—no telling what voodoo economics will emerge. Those of us with our

Brand Your Digital Oilfield Culture: Internalize Its Transformation

June 27, 2019 No Comments

Our recent article, “The Digital Oilfield Culture: Transformation Value for the Organizational Ecosystem” (pp.24-26) takes a somewhat different change management approach. Why not brand your digital oilfield culture? Most consumers are familiar with the so-called ‘Brand Name.’ These are names so ubiquitous that in some cases that we take them for granted. Soft drinks, beer,

What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Organization: Structural Dynamics?

June 15, 2019 No Comments

As the officers, seamen and passengers of the Titanic came to understand, it is not what you can see that gets you but what is below the visible surface. Visualizing the unseen remains a continuing challenge. The current president of the United States is by many accounts the most unlikely political victor. He is not

Operational Complexity: Risk Model Insufficiency

March 8, 2019 No Comments

Most readers will be familiar with the above linear Risk Matrix Model. This graphical representation of risk exposure is useful but strict adherence to it can lead to a false sense of security. Systemic Risk Management The real world is very complex with many moving parts. The potential interaction of processes, events and other challenges

Beat the Market: Can Operational Excellence Increase EPS?

January 30, 2019 No Comments

In a recent Houston Chronicle article, its author puts forth the premise that while oil and gas companies should do well in the stock market this year, don’t expect the energy services sector to fare as well. As those who are either in the sector or track it (stock analysts) know all to well that