If you had to choose one book, what would it be?

Just one? 
;-)
Personally, I’d steer away from the technical reads for the moment and focus on Culture/Philosophic-centric works.   10 years of sub-optimal performance by this program may be a red-flag for a lagging cultural condition.
I found myself in a similar situation a few years back.   I dusted off my copies of “The book of 5 rings” -Musashi Miyamoto, “The “Art of War” – Sun Tzu, and “The Prince” – Niccolo Machiavelli.    These three works have proved extremely useful in gaugung/addressing the human component of continuous improvement, influence and culture.
Once you have culture sorted out, I’d read Imai, Ohno, Deming, Juran and Carnell.   In fact, our very own Mike Carnell co-authored (along with Wheat and Mills),  a very interesting read called, “Leaning into Six Sigma: A Parable of the Journey to six sigma and a Lean Enterprise”. (ISBN: 0-07-141432-0).   It’s a quick read that cuts to the chase.

The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt

Can’t recommend just one

Making common sense common practice by Ron Moore
Lean Six Sigma by Michael L George
The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
Three very easy to read books, can be read on a weekend.
Chad Taylor

“It’s Your Ship” by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff
 

The Goal – Goldratt

Read “The Book of Revelations” … it tops all the C..p that HGB^2 (or whatever this wannabe macho safari guy is) cites to boost his mediocre intellectual, professional and educational credentials .. what a C..p to sell to this site that he learned about change management from “The Prince”, or the other two works that “have proved extremely useful in gaugung/addressing the human component of continuous improvement, influence and culture”. I guess that learning the art of tea drinking really helps with change management. Where is the bucket when you need to vom..t? … and that priceless phrase “our very own” … is this site turning into a cheap cabaret of “Superstars” with bad make-up from yesteryear? C..p, C..p, C..p. This gives a whole new dimension to the AIAG definition of the acronym C..p!!!

wow, such hate.
You don’t see Machiavelli in your work environment?   -lucky you.
 

Machiavelli, as is well known, wrote with the utmost care for his beloved Florence … but it is not surprising that a sense of “realism” is translated into a sensibility of “hate” by those who have a tendency to react to sense impressions.
“I conceive that Ideas in the Understanding, are coeval with Sensation; which is such an Impression or Motion, made in some part of the Body, as produces some Perception in the Understanding.”
With caring understanding :-).

Please  submit  details,who  is  the  publisher?
thank  you

Thank You

Lean Thinking, 2nd Edition by James Womack

? Who does that?
Did you mean rat’s a*s?
Since when did rat become a swear word. Rats!

Somebody didn’t get enough love and attention from their mother when they were young!
Thanks Myoptic View (I’ve never been bullied in a discussion thread before – it’s been fun!)
 
 
 
 

I really appreciate Sigma Mod’s viewpoint. I would make a couple of observations:
1) Hypothesis testing is like taking a snapshot of the process before and after a change. Maintaining a staistical process control chart is like making a video of the process before and after. With hypothesis testing alone, you run the risk of mistaking non-random variation for the effect of the change you made.
2) Employing SIPOC without Value Stream Mapping first, you run the risk of sub-optimizing the process, that is, not finding the bottleneck and optimizing a part of the process at the expenses of the process as a whole.
Again, my .02
MW Richardson

John of Patamos,
Since the original question was really in the context of “what is your opinion?” it is really difficult to give an incorrect answer. I do find a very useful passage in The Prince (referencing Heebeegeebee’s post) when it comes to speaking with people about change:
 One ought to pause and consider the fact that there is nothing harder to undertake, nothing more likely of failure, nothing more risky to pull off, than to set oneself up as a leader who plans to found a new system of government, For the founder makes enemies of all those who are doing well under the old system, and has only lukewarm support from those who hope to do well under the new one. The weakness of their support springs partly from their fear of their adversaries, who have the law on their side, partly from their own want of faith. For men do not truly believe in new things until they have had practical experience with them.
 I think you would be hard pressed to find a Belt that has been at this for more than 12 months that could not find that applicable to the situation they are in. In fact everything a Belt does eventually leads to change and the main theme of The Prince is change.
 
Good luck

Your support of HGGB is admirable, but I seriously doubt that you will quote from “The Prince” in a board meeting or on the shop floor to advocate and manage change. Also, the past 6 years of US history should provide sufficient evidence that the principles underlying the management of public affairs (government) are very different from the principles of managing change in a business. Realpolitik works well in international affairs (and would have left this country in a much better position than it is now had it been pursued). There are more effective ways to changing a business organization than following the rules of Machiavelli. 

John of Patmos,
I have seen the quote hanging on the wall of management team members who worked for Allied Signal. Actually I have used it. That particular quote doesn’t offer any suggestions about how to manage change as much as it is a staement of what someone trying to execute change can expect from the people they are trying to change.
As much as we have made a reference to Machiavelli something negative what he suggests in The Prince is exactly what happens when management changes.

You have a great weekend as well.

Why buy a book when you can get the full DMAIC instructor PP slides, instructor notes and associated templates at Open Source Six Sigma for less than the price of most text books? Have it electronically, teach it to yourself and have all SS tools as a reference at your disposal. Aside from being the IP that is used in classrooms, having the template set for all data collection and reports in e-format is a huge value. Check it out!

For manufacturing… THE GOAL

Hello 26,
I know 1 book that may provide information that you need.  It is “The Goal” by Dr. Goldratts. This comes with a CD as well.  It does not directly relate to 6sigma (If that is what you need) however, Lean Manufacturing Concepts can be learned.
If you could send me your email id, I will send you some basic guide questions on how to strongly manage a manufacturing set-up.  I got this from a Lean Manufacturing Guru when I sit-in a training before.  If you could try this, you might get what you want to achieve.
 
Goodluck!

Myoptic Nerve,
I have posted one question on this site and I am so glad that someone like QualityColorado answered it. I obtained a lot of good information from him/her in one reply. I would suggest that you refrain from using this site if you can’t maintain some sense of professionalism. You have the kind of attitude that I seek to purge from my company.
David
 

logic and linguistics do not seem to be one of your strengths either: “assumptions ‘beyond’ the context of the posting”. what kind of postmodern lala talk is that? assumptions are made about something, i.e. your cheap little marketing pitch. cheers to you too :-)))))))))))) 

Any  author or  expert  who  would  read  your  opinion  would be  frustrated?We  have  to  respect  “the  book”  as  a  great  source  of  knowledge  and  experience .

Is the how? addressed to me?

Of course, the book being a thing can’t choose.  The book you are attracted to right now has come up to the open in time because of your state of mind.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Zuess