ABSTRACT
The first problem in what people call improvement is to get a grip on the status quo. The most magnificent improvement scheme in the world will be worthless if a person's perception of the current situation is in error. People have a tendency to think that fictitious "facts" are real. A lot of work done on the shop floor is carried out by "feel." "Feel" is a kind of experiential, statistical awareness that succeeds at a fairly high degree of probability. Oversights and misperceptions are revealed when people look deeper and observe more rigorously. It is only by means of such detailed, rigorous observation that people can begin to get a grip on truth. Hearing of the problem, the head of the manufacturing department appeared at the meeting, but things still were not cleared up, in spite of his contributions. Indeed, he ended up in the role of a brigade commander, alternately considering plans of action and making decisions.
