Point #1: Create Constancy of Purpose

Opening: The Pivot Problem

Sarah's startup had pivoted three times in eighteen months. First they were a B2C app, then enterprise software, now they were exploring blockchain solutions. Each pivot came with layoffs, scrambled priorities, and exhausted teams rebuilding from scratch.

At the latest all-hands, a veteran engineer asked: "What are we actually trying to accomplish?"

The CEO pointed to the mission statement on the wall: "Empowering businesses through innovative technology." It sounded inspiring. But the team knew the real answer: survival. Whatever would get them to the next funding round. Whatever investors currently found exciting.

The stated aim was innovation. The actual aim was not dying this quarter.

Meanwhile, the entire organization was drowning in the problems of today—bugs to fix, features to ship, fires to fight, pitches to prepare. No one was thinking about tomorrow. No one was building anything that would last.

The gap between what they said they were doing and what they were actually optimizing for had become a chasm. Sarah wondered: How did we get here?

Point 1: Create Constancy of Purpose

Sarah's startup is starved for leadership to provide a clear sense of aim and purpose for their business, what Dr. Deming called "constancy of purpose". When you try to be all things to all people or continually react to changes in the market, you become purpose-less, and will soon find trouble.

Dr. Deming observes:

"1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business, and to provide jobs." (Out of the Crisis, p. 23)

This is Deming's first point, and it's first for a reason: without a clear idea of why we exist and what value we bring to a customer, what we help them do that they couldn't before, everything else falls away.

Note the emphasis he places on improvement and the universal imperatives of being competitive and sustainable into the future. This isn't about hanging around until you're acquired, it's about contributing to the economy.

Two kinds of problems:

In pursuit of constancy of purpose, Deming identified two categories of problems every organization faces:

Problems of today - Maintaining current quality, meeting today's sales, managing budgets, handling immediate issues
Problems of tomorrow - Staying in business, maintaining competitive position, providing jobs in the future

Most organizations are consumed by problems of today. They become incredibly efficient at fighting fires, meeting quotas, hitting this quarter's numbers. But this efficiency can come at the expense of seeing what's ahead and planning for the long-term future of the company.

The trap:

It's easy—and comfortable—to stay "bound up in the tangled knot of the problems of today," as Deming put it. These problems are concrete, measurable, urgent. They demand attention now.

Problems of tomorrow are different. They require:

Long-term thinking
Investment without immediate return
Faith that there will be a future
Commitment that transcends quarterly results

Dr. Deming observes this isn't a spectator sport:

Support of top management is not sufficient. It is not enough that top management commit themselves for life to quality and productivity. They must know what it is that they are committed to—that is, what they must do. These obligations can not be delegated. Support is not enough: action is required. (Out of the Crisis, p. 21)

Extended Teaching: What Constancy of Purpose Requires

Constancy of purpose isn't passive—it demands specific commitments. Deming outlined three core obligations:

1. Innovate

Allocate resources for long-term planning. This means genuine investment in:

Research and development
New products and services that will help people live better
Understanding what new skills and capabilities you'll need
Planning for materials, production methods, and costs you'll face tomorrow

Innovation requires faith that there will be a future. Without top management's unshakable commitment to quality and productivity, everyone else will be skeptical about investing effort in tomorrow.

2. Invest in people

Put resources into:

Research
Education
Training and retraining
Development of new skills

Your people are your future. Starving their development to meet today's numbers is eating your seed corn.

3. Never stop improving

Constantly improve the design of product and service. This obligation never ceases. The consumer is the most important part of the production line.

Here's the critical insight: You can be incredibly efficient at making the wrong thing. It's entirely possible to go out of business while everyone performs with devotion, using every modern method to boost efficiency—if you're making what the market no longer needs.

The commitment matters:

Your customers, suppliers, and employees need your statement of constancy of purpose. They need to know you intend to stay in business by providing something valuable, not just extracting profit until the well runs dry.

Deming even suggested: "Top management should publish a resolution that no one will lose his job for contribution to quality and productivity." This signals commitment. It says improvement matters more than short-term convenience.

What Does Constancy of Purpose Look Like?

This will be evident in the long-term dedication and commitment of top-management to quality, learning, and innovation as the organization's main reason for being.

Leadership are always thinking decades ahead and how to create products and services that build toward achieving their long-term goals.
In support, they are continually investing in their people, research, and innovation.
There is a stated commitment to quality in all things, not just products and services, but in all the contributing ways they are made.
Customers, employees, and suppliers are cared for as a whole system, not as isolated parts.
Management are laser-focused on improving quality, not how to use HR Policies to shift blame or measure performance.
There is an abundant sense of faith in the future, that the company will exist and that all efforts to improve are worth doing well, even if immediate ROI isn't apparent.

Reflection Questions

Suppose Dr. Deming were to ask you for your company's statement of constancy of purpose. What would you say? Could anyone in the organization articulate it?
What percentage of your organization's energy goes to "problems of today" versus "problems of tomorrow"? Is anyone actually working on tomorrow?
When did your organization last invest in genuine innovation—not just incremental features, but rethinking what you do and why? How much time is dedicated to inventing products based on predicted customer needs?
Does your organization invest in developing people for capabilities you'll need in the future? Or only for skills you need right now?
If you stopped innovating today and just maintained current products/services, how long would you survive? 2 years? 5 years? 10?
Have your leaders ever articulated why your organization should exist 20 years from now? Beyond "making money," what's the purpose?

Daily Challenge

Identify the imbalance:

Today, make two lists:

Problems of Today (that consumed time this week):

What fires did you fight?
What immediate pressures did you respond to?
What "urgent" things demanded attention?

Problems of Tomorrow (that got any attention):

What did anyone do to prepare for next year? Next decade?
What investments in innovation, research, or education happened?
What long-term improvements were made?

Look at the ratio. Dr. Deming found that most organizations were far more preoccupied with problems of today rather than tomorrow. How does your company measure up?

Tomorrow: Point 2 - Adopt the New Philosophy