How to select the right statistician

Ø 1) Before reading the text answer the suggested questions:

a) What does a statistician do?

b) Does your organization have a position of a statistician?

c) What are his/her qualifications?

d) What is the role of a statistician in your organization?

e) What are the qualities of his/her personality?

Ø 2) Look through the text and say what each paragraph is about.

(1) The word “statistician” creates an image for most people. They picture someone carrying a slide rule, calculator, or computer, spouting off formulas in an attempt to explain things that are incomprehensible to a normal person. Statistics scares many people. It is a subject that is clouded by people’s anxieties about math, in general, and is greeted with fear and loathing. Overcoming this negative association is difficult but very important if the Deming philosophy is to transform an organization. Statistics is applied in more fields than any other technical discipline, so the role of the statistician takes on a broad perspective. The statistician’s task is to assist others to solve their problems.

(2) There are three types of statisticians: mathematical, theoretical, and practical. Mathematical statisticians focus on advancing statistical theory, working generally in mathematics departments of universities or “think tanks.” Theoretical statisticians use statistical theory to understand the assumptions and limitations of the methods they apply in practice. They are found in industry, demography, biology, methodological research, etc. Practical statisticians use statistical methods without understanding their underlying assumptions and limitations. To implement the Deming philosophy, an organization needs a theoretical statistician who understands the philosophy and can assist top management in putting it into action.

(3) Selecting the right statistician to guide your organization is vital to the transformation process. The American Statistical Association has developed a list of the characteristics of an effective industrial statistician that can help you in your search for a statistician. This individual:

· is trained in the theory and practice of statistics,

· can effectively solve problems,

· has good oral and written communication skills,

· works within the constraints of the real world,

· understands the statistical literature,

· understands the realities of statistical practice,

· has a pleasant personality and is able to work with others,

· gets highly involved in the solution of company problems,

· is able to extend and develop statistical methodology,

· adapts quickly to new problems and challenges, and

· produces high-quality work in a timely fashion.

(4) In addition, the statistician should be a motivated person with a high energy level. He or she should be someone who can relate well to people at all levels of the organization. The statistician should be able to work on several problems simultaneously and perform well under pressure. The statistician should be confident, outgoing, optimistic, enthusiastic, tactful, organized, creative, inquiring, resourceful, skeptical, and willing to listen.

(5) A statistician who is going to guide an organization in the implementation of the Deming philosophy must also have a good understanding of human behavior, group dynamics, organizational behavior, and the process of change. This is necessary because much of the initial work is behavioral and requires environmental change that may take several years before the organization is ready for the statistical work. If the statistician does not come with this background, he or she can be trained within the organization, through outside courses, or by working with an organizational development specialist in the company.

(6) Statisticians should be able to communicate well with top management, union officials, vendors, customers, Board members, etc. Statisticians must act in a professional manner that encourages confidence in their ability to lead the pursuit of never-ending improvement of quality. They should follow the Code of Ethics for Statisticians. They should be respected by everyone in the organization and should be trusted to follow tasks through to their completion. Sincerity, honesty, and empathy regarding the problems that inhibit the transformation process are also required. Statisticians must have patience to allow for the proper timing of implementation. Even though they may want to put statistical methods into play, waiting for the atmosphere to be ready is crucial.

Ø 3) Find the paragraph which lists professionally necessary qualities of a statistician.

Ø 4) Name the paragraph which describes the kind of statistician that can put the Deming’s philosophy into life.

Ø 5) What paragraph gives the main directions for looking for the right statistician? What are they? Which of these directions seem the most reliable to you?

Ø 6) Make up a list of additional characteristics of an effective industrial statistician.