PDSA - The Heartbeat

Learning Lunch

Learn the science, and lead the transformation. The heartbeat of the scientific method is the testing of our theories through the PDSA, Plan - Do - Study - Act cycle of learning and improvement. It is a way for us to develop pragmatic knowledge, meaning we can test our theories and see the evidence for ourselves, and then test the theory again and again in different situations to expand our knowledge and spread the improvement throughout our organization and system.

It is a fundamental method that is simple to use if we do so in a disciplined way, guided by the 3 basic questions of the Model For Improvement to clarify our aim and theory. With this discipline, we can begin the transformation of our thinking and our corner of the world. We invite you to compare this to the "Toyota Kata" method. From the humble beginning of an idea and a theory, we develop the self-evident knowledge of what works and learn what doesn’t work.

The PDSA Cycle of Learning and Improvement

As Deming described it, knowledge begins with a theory of improving something by a method that evolved from the Shewhart Cycle to the PDSA Cycle of Learning and Improvement.