12 Days to Deming

Dr Jackie Graham has dedicated her career to applying Dr Deming’s philosophy, having learned directly from him early in her career as a statistician. She was awarded the Juran Medal in recognition of her contribution to the Quality profession in Australia.

Jackie continues to generously volunteer her time with the Geelong Quality Council, mentoring participants in Dr Deming’s teachings—an initiative that has been ongoing since 2021. She also consults widely across Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia-Pacific region.

We are honoured to have someone of her talent, experience, and passion sharing and passing on Dr Deming’s teachings.

The course itself is based on the work of Dr Henry Neave, who developed and made this material freely available online. His book, The Deming Dimension, accompanies the course and is essential reading for participants.

While the subject is Quality, this course is fundamentally about personal leadership, transformation, and understanding how to lead effectively at both local and organisational levels.

The program has attracted a wide range of participants, including Quality professionals, engineers, developers, HR professionals, project managers, and leaders from both the public and private sectors.

The material challenges existing thinking. It builds a strong foundation for understanding variation, questioning and interpreting results, and recognising our over-reliance on arbitrary measures. It then guides participants toward a better understanding of organisations and the key drivers of sustainable long-term success—where people can experience genuine joy in work.

The course runs over 14 weeks: one week of introduction, 12 weeks of intensive self-study, and one week of wrap-up. During each of the 12 study weeks, participants should expect to commit approximately one full day (around 8 hours) per week, along with a 1-hour group reflection, coaching, and mentoring session.

This is a significant commitment, but it offers a substantial opportunity for learning, growth, and personal transformation—and participants consistently find it deeply rewarding.

https://www.gqc.org.au/12-days-to-deming/