Where Did All of the Gurus Go?

I had a conversation recently with an engineer who also has his own business. Lots of experiences and perspectives on the world. At one point, he asked, “Where have all of the gurus gone?”

We started to recall the NASA program in the ‘60s. The push for space travel. Then we thought about the original Skunk Works project. A core group of people doing complex work at a breakneck pace. Great accomplishments and learning from these projects.

Then we talked about individuals. George Box, W. Edwards Demming, and Joseph Juran. Plus a few lessor knowns such as Phillip J. Ross, Homer Sarasohn, and Bob King. These people created, applied, and influenced.

But we asked, who are those people today? Do you only notice years later when you look back? Or do you recognize them in the moment? We are losing these gurus, and we wonder whether they are being replaced.

As we discussed these people, we switched to talking about the tools being used for product development. Things like Design of Experiments, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis. What is a recent important tool? It seems we are turning the same crank as before, but at best more efficiently. Does it get products out much faster? I’m not sure the tools help. Certain approaches are a benefit (like reduced set up time) but that is a different topic.

Related:Why Did My Test Fail?

We went the next step. Why do engineers seem resistant to using powerful, yet actually old tools? QFD is a “new” tool, but was actually created in the 1960s. It had a short period of excitement in the 1990s but never really caught on broadly.

Are we striving to improve our work? Or are we focused on living a life outside of work and doing just enough to survive? If we don’t like things, or they don’t like us, we will just find another job.

During my days of college teaching, the idea of getting the piece of paper for the resume was over-heard a lot. Did they really want to get better? Or did they simply want leverage for more money, so they could get more toys or go on more extravagant vacations?

We talked about not just using tools for the sake of using them. We are both selective in our application. Use them only when appropriate so we gain the full value. Have we gotten so process-focused with ISO 9000 that we have stopped thinking? Did moving so much manufacturing to China mean we have lost our sense of how things work? Of being able to solve problems under pressure?

In my corporate life, a major airline had a serious issue with a product I was responsible for. This rippled through the higher levels of my company and eventually landed at my desk. I needed to answer a few questions. How did this happen and how could I ensure it will never happen again? I knew the design and the manufacturing process. Saying “don’t worry about it” or “it isn’t our fault” would not be accepted. I had to create a plan and confidently use tools to communicate our position. In my consulting positions, I often see companies panic, guess, and hope. It isn’t the approach I was raised on. Look at the number of recalls recently. Look at the problems with alternative energy approaches. Look at EV cars. Do we understand things? Can we really do a root cause analysis?

Related:Strategic Testing During Development

It often takes a recall or customer complaint to respond. Or a demand from someone of influence so people respond and react proactively. Can’t this happen at grass roots levels because it is a good thing to do?

And I am not talking about social media influencers! Is that an issue? Are we more interested in social media, compared with things that can impact the sciences and engineering?

I do not have the answers. I do have these and more questions. I’ve tried to be a catalyst for implementing advanced and valuable product development techniques. I’ve tried to be a thought leader. It sure feels like we could do a lot more. Do people care? I’d like to hear what you think. We could do better to grow and advance in important ways. What do you see?