"It is not enough to do your best you must know what to do, and then do your best."

Action

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Action as articulated by W. Edwards Deming. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Action provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About W. Edwards Deming

William Edwards Deming was an American business theorist, composer, economist, industrial engineer, management consultant, statistician, and writer. Educated initially as an electrical engineer and later specializing in mathematical physics, he helped develop the sampling techniques still used by the United States Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He is also known as the father of the quality movement, known as "Lean manufacturing" today, and was hugely influential in post-WWII Japan, credited with revolutionizing Japan's industry and making it one of the most dominant economies in the world. He is best known for his theories of management.

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More by W. Edwards Deming

"All anyone asks for is a chance to work with pride."

— W. Edwards Deming
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"Lack of knowledge... that is the problem."

— W. Edwards Deming
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"Whenever there is fear, you will get wrong figures."

— W. Edwards Deming
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"Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them."

— W. Edwards Deming
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More about Action

"Yeah, I mean the material, directors, the other cast, and if you think you can do something with the character then you do it and go from there. I am looking forward to doing some smaller movies."

— Orlando Bloom
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"I had nearly finished school because I was making effort not that bad on that. But there was a law in Germany after the war. You could not make your final examination before 18, so lots of people who were late because of the way had to do it first."

— Karl Lagerfeld
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"After I outlined 'Catering to Nobody,' I went and worked for a caterer. And the other thing I had to do was to talk to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department about how they investigated a crime."

— Diane Mott Davidson
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"I've noticed that once you leave London you do kind of become a bit more famous. People in London are a bit too cool for school. It's not so unusual to see someone from London in the street. But outside of London people are a bit more excited to see you and come out and support you."

— David Walliams
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