Good Process / Good Results

I have to say I have become very cynical about the world. Maybe it’s because I am getting older and have gained some perspective. Or was I naïve for most of my life? I never considered people’s motives when it came to healthcare, science, the law, economic policy, and the like. I am realizing how devoted people are to their own self-interest, which, I have to say, it is disheartening. I grew up when Camelot was big on Broadway, and I thought of people in general as being “pure of heart” and self sacrificing like Lancelot . I wish the world were so.

I had a discussion this week with a fellow at the office about the financial regulatory reform measures now winding their way through Congress. I don’t know what the end result is going to be, but I do suspect that there is more than politics as usual going on. My friend’s thesis is that the Democrats are driving the process in such a way as to be in a position to squeeze Wall Street for greater campaign contributions for the upcoming fall elections. Is this really the way the system should work? Are politicians gaming legislative processes as a way of squeezing campaign contributions from Wall Street?

President Obama has said that he would use “every resource at his disposal” to deal with the oil spill in the Gulf, yet he has refused to accept offers of aid from 13 countries. Some countries have superior technology to fight an offshore spill of this magnitude. According to one story I read, Dutch and Belgian dredgers have the technology in-house and special vessels to fight the spill, but Jones Act, protectionist legislation passed in the 1920’s, prevents them from working in the US. The Jones Act requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. In a national emergency Obama could waive the requirements of the Jones Act, but he has failed to act. In the face of this disaster you have to wonder why? Could it be that he doesn’t want to offend his labor union supporters?

I’m a big believer in “good process, good results.” In fact, it is how the Japanese learned to manufacture quality goods. W. Edwards Deming, an American statistician, taught the Japanese statistical techniques used to dissect processes to learn what leads to bad results. The goal was to improve the process and thereby improve the results. Today the Japanese strive for perfection and zero defects. We American’s seem to be satisfied with standards that are “within tolerance.” Another way to say it is tolerable (not necessarily good) results.

Good processes do not always result in good outcomes, but it certainly improves the chances of getting things right. We need to be constantly asking ourselves if the processes we have in place are going to help us get the results we are looking for. Speaking of which…

I went for my CT/Pet Scan this week and was anxious to hear the results, so I sat with the radiologist after the scans were completed and we reviewed the pictures together, from head to toe. Thankfully, the radiologist could find no evidence of disease. It is the best of all possible outcomes and I am so grateful to be alive and healthy. I am now looking forward to marking my third anniversary of life since my diagnosis.

Thinking about this makes me wonder if it was just luck or something else that has kept me alive to date. I think good process has been integral to my recovery. We had a plan. We worked the plan systematically. We used all available resources to get the best possible outcome, and it worked!

Let’s pray the Gulf of Mexico is as lucky.

Getting Back in the Saddle

When my children were little, we lived in Tokyo, where I worked for the now defunct accounting firm, Arthur Andersen & Co. Yoko’s parents only lived 30 minutes away and we would regularly go to visit.

Japanese homes are very small and not conducive to having company, so it wouldn’t be long before someone would suggest that we take the kids to the park. Yoko’s parents lived across the street from “Baji Koen” – literally translated “Equestrian Park” where our girls played on the swings and jungle gym. From time to time there would be horse shows taking place at the park, which was built as the equestrian venue for the 1964 Olympics.

After admiring the skill of the riders in a show one year, I casually remarked to Yoko that it would be fun to learn to ride. Yoko took me seriously and within a week or two made it happen. After doing some investigation, she discovered the riding school Avalon, less than five minutes from our home.

We would go to Avalon on the weekends to hang out in the coffee shop and watch the riders practicing in the arena for hours on end. Eventually I enrolled in the school, bought the necessary riding equipment, and began to learn the skills of dressage and show-jumping.

Like any sport or activity in Japan, equestrian riding has a ranking system. You have to show proficiency at each level to advance to the next. After about five years of riding I became a top ranked rider, licensed to show in competition. At some point along the way I needed to have my own horse in order to advance. That lead to the purchase of an Arabian we named Tis Adore. For about five years my life outside of work was largely spent at Avalon riding and grooming horses.

Once I left the employ of Arthur Andersen, it was hard to keep up with the expense of keeping a horse in Tokyo. Sadly, I had to give up Tis Adore and riding in 1995. I have not been on a horse since until recently.

People who don’t ride generally don’t realize what an extremely aerobic sport it is. While it may look as though the horse is doing all the work, the rider is using nearly every muscle in his or her body to maintain proper “seat” and balance and keep the horse relaxed and under control. I remember the first time I jumped a horse in a show; I rode a fairly easy circuit in about one minute. I was astonished to find that my legs were so weakened that I could hardly stand after dismounting.

I have not been on a strenuous exercise regiment since I gave up riding. I golf every week, ride a bike or walk the dog every day, but none of these produces the aerobic exercise I know I need. Joining a gym to run or lifting weights is just not my thing. I would rather play a sport or do something that produces a sweat.

A friend of mine has been caring for two horses here at a local stables. One her daughter rides. The second horse has issues and is not being exercised much. Knowing that I use to ride, I was recently invited down to see the horse and take her around the arena. It’s been nearly 15 years since I have been on a horse. I was happy to know that after all these years I could still remember the basics.

I’ve taken up an invitation to ride her horse a few days a week (flat work only) and share the expense of boarding. I bought new gear (which I lost in Hurricane Charley) and oiled up my saddle. I’m looking to forward to getting back in the saddle and getting back into shape.